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damn...after reading thru the reapair threads and just scanning the message board, i'm a little scared of putting my whaler back in the water...i have cracks and holes all over...i'm moving up to a johnson 40 hp ( from a yamaha 25). the yamaha still runs good but it just seems to have lost power ( can't plane with more than 2 and hard with 2) it seems to have been easier to plane when i got it. i am having to use a mini jack plate to install the 40 hp ( unless someone knows of some kit to raise the transom and fiberglass)

should i be that worried?

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Might be waterlogged, might not be. I'm guessing that we're talking about a 13'.

As Tom W Clark proved some years ago with "Chainsaw Whaler" a Whaler hull can take on a lot of water.

Your description "cracks and holes all over" is short of anything like a definitive description of what condition of your hull is in. Give us some dimensions, descriptions of what the cracks are like, how and where (inside/outside,covered?) it's been stored, freeze/thaw cycles,etc...

From there you could receive some educated guesses as to the likelihood of water intrusion.

But then again, the more or less best way to tell if your boat has taken on a significant amount of water is to weigh the boat, subtract the approximate weight of all items attached to the hull, and compare it to the spec weight of the boat. The dry weight of a 13' foot hull should be approx. 320 lbs.

Post some pics.

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Post some pics of your concern areas. When I wanted to test my Whaler for water intrussion I drill a few small holes in the bottom of the transom. No different than holes that I would drill to mount a transducer. Luckily no water for me. I then just epoxy filled them and all is well. The best no intrusive way to check is to weigh the boat.

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how does one get their boat weighed? marina?

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1. Take the boat on the trailer to your local dump/landfill and weigh your whole rig
2. Go somewhere nearby and put the boat in the water
3. Go back to the dump/landfill and weigh your rig without the boat
4. Subtract the weight without the boat(#3) from the weight with the boat(#1)
5. Subtract the guestimated weight of all things attached to the hull - console, seats, motor, etc...

There you have it.

Don't forget to go back and pick up your boat;)

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Mike,
Perhaps Tom will jump in but I believe the published weights include all standard items. For a 13, we need to know if it was a standard or a sport version? For the Outrage, the published weight includes, bow rails, console, rps or swivel seats.

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Hi Kamie,

This will be a good one to settle. I have had it in my mind that the hull weight was just that of the hull itself along with any caps such as the cuddy or the cabin on a Revenge. I have worked on this premise for years, but as so often happens - I may be wrong. Hopefully someone will post the definitive answer to this.

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New to sight. I am restoring a 1975- 13'sport. I was under the assumption that closed cell foam does not retain water.I should have visited this sight before purchase!My hull spent most of its llife in nj before I brought it to va this January. With the cold thaw, freeze cycle I am worried also. To make matters worse, the deck under the aft thwart seat was repaired poorly, I think the original owner tried to glass in the fuel tank? I stripped away a piece of the fiberglass repair mat and found that by pressing on the floor I could actually see water come out of the hole! Deffinate in the foam,exposed brown foam..I let it air dry for a few days and it seems DRY! To surface touch anyway. I drilled two small holes 1/8" in the bottom of the boat by transom. About five drips came out over 24 hours. Now nothing. The boat does not seem heavy, I can lift one side even with the 40 horse on it. I am thinking of just glassing, gel coating and using, am I in denial? What is the fastest and easiest way to suck out as much water as possible?

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emtrescuemc,

People have tried different methods to 'suck' water out. If the foam has absorbed water, and it will if there has been damage, then a person will probably not get it all out or dry. Heat lamps over the winter will help. Weighing the boat will tell you how much overweight it might be.

More on weight of bare hulls or the weight given from Boston Whaler.
On page 22 of the 1974 catalog, here are the weights given.
Sport & Sourpuss = 300 pounds
Currituck/Katama 16' = 650-850
Sakonnet/Montauk 16' = 770-900 pounds
Bass Boat 16'/Newport 16' = 950

I think we can see from the above figures that Whaler does weigh the boat for the specific model, which might include Bow Rails, console type, seating type, etc.... Otherwise, all of the 16' models above would weigh the same. As you can see, the models do not weigh the same. This weight difference is due to the different configurations of the model, not the hull.
All 16' Bare Hulls would weigh the same for this particular year but the addition of a certain models configuration determine the different weights that Boston Whaler states.

All of the above weights Do Not include the engine or any additional add ons or accessories.

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Mike,

if you read Whaler specs sheets for the weight column it says "Boat Wt (lbs) Standard Model" For the 18 (1987 version) the bare hull included 63 gal fuel tank,Bow locker cover, teak gun'l boards,rod racks, bow rail, bow bitt, cleats, rod holders, navigation lights,lifting eye. I assume all that plus the additional items to turn the bare hull into an 18 Outrage, which included console with doors, windshield and rails, swivel seats, battery box and fire extinguisher. All that should weigh 1250 pounds unless you have a workboat hull which added 175 pounds of glass. Once I find a scale local to me, I will let you know if the boat is close :)

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We are sort of sidetracking tybwhitney's question, but let me comment on specified hull weight. The answer is: it depends...

Early on, Whaler would only specify the weight of the hull itself or simply gave a range of weights for the various models within a hull size. See catalogs from the 1960s.

Later, starting in the 1970s, Whaler always specified the weight of the particular model. That is the weight of the hull itself plus all standard equipment that came from the factory. This would not include optional equipment. It would not include dealer supplied rigging. It would also be an approximation as there are surely some production variations.

Also be aware that Whaler hull weights have tended to increase over the years from the use of progressively heavier 'glass lay-up schedules and denser foam. Go back and examine the weights of the 13 footers from 1960 to 1970. The hull was exactly the same yet the weight crept up.

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tybwhitney,

I agree with Mike, weigh your hull. You can also use a certified truck scale if there is one near you. Strip whatever you can off the boat first for a more accurate measurement. If you can leave the motor at home, so much the better. A 13 footer is not that heavy. Take a friend along and simply lift the hull off the trailer for the re-weigh.

Exactly what hull, year and model is your boat?

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Tom,

Thanks for the clarification. I think I'll be able to remember the details now.

Kamie,

You were on the mark for the majority of the models. Given Tom's info, the delineation is fairly clear. Leaving some folks with older hulls a little more room for head scratching, but this should get everyone in the hull weight ballpark.

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Its only a 13 footer, How fare from shore are you going? and even if it a little bit heavy how much gas are you going to save?

I suggest you patch all the holes and cracks to prevent further water from getting into the foam, this will also lock in the water in the hull. ( I have no experience what freezing and thawing will do to trapped water in a hull, but it can't be good)

Enjoy your boat even thou its a littke bit heavy, but if you iff it up with water or flip in it I bet it will still be the best life preserver you ever had.

After you had your fun with the boat, let some else re-store it. Whalers were built to be used and used hard, they can take it.

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After you had your fun with the boat, let some else re-store it.

Alfred GEEZ are you kinding? Just what a new purchaser wants to be faced with is a waterlogged hull. That is not the best MO to go by and why do that to your whaler? Show some pride in ownership.

Here is the post I made explaining how to fix a waterlogged hull.

Repairing A Waterlogged Hull