Whaler Central - Boston Whaler Boat Information and Photos

Posted by Gamalot on 09/14/11 - 4:53 AM

I keep seeing many discussions here regarding "What problems to look for", "Is this Whaler worth restoring" and "How to repair this".

All are excellent questions that result in great discussions and tons of great how to advice. The big question still remains, Are you up to the task?

Facing some facts before you get started is a good idea. Many here are fully capable doing some minor detailing and clean up of our boats. Some have the mechanical abilities to maintain the engines and other systems and still others have the resources to do it all and completely restore a nice old Whaler.

Determining your abilities and resources prior to getting involved in such projects will be very important. Just about any of us can do a glass patch and some minor Gel Coat repair out in the driveway. Cutting out floors and digging out wet foam is way more complicated. Completely sanding old GC and re-spraying an entire hull inside and out is a rather daunting task not for the faint of mind.

Before you even think about a Whaler project boat just ask yourself a few questions.

1- What tools do you already have and what other tools will you need?
2- Where will the work be done and do you have the room and cover to do the job?
3- How much time and money are you willing and able to spend on the project?
4- Probably the most important one is, Will you be OK with spending lots of time and money on a boat that may be worth considerably less than you spent even if you do it all 100% to spec?

I am a very handy fellow. I built every piece of furniture in our home and I maintain every vehicle we own and have a garage and shed filled with just about every tool know to man. I have rebuilt small engines, big engines and dabbled with body work on and off all my life and I am retired. Refinishing the Teak was a breeze for me as was rebuilding the trailer. My boat is in rather good condition and not water logged as many other Whalers can be. Rather than abuse my 1974 Montauk suffered from neglect and years of sitting. I do not have a garage large enough to do job and instead am doing it outdoors and under a make-shift tarp. Weather is my enemy and I take two steps forward and one back on every process. I have no ability to flip the hull so I am working off the ground and on my back and it is not fun! The hours and dollars are adding up faster than our national debt but every thing so far has turned out very nice but certainly not perfect. I have spent equal amounts of time on the project and right here researching, learning and following links to the info and parts I need. It is NOT a job for a weekend warrior! I could easily have refinished the wood, replaced the helm and control cables and been out fishing all summer long.

All I can say to those considering such a project is "Know what you are getting yourself into before you take this plunge". For a couple thousand dollars more, initially, I could have bought a turn key boat and saved a bunch of money and grief. I do love projects that keep me busy and moving but it is a lot of hard work for sure. Here in the NE I can use a boat about five months out of the year and unless you have an indoor work area you will not be getting much work done the other seven months when the weather turns cold.

Posted by SeaHare1983 on 09/14/11 - 7:07 AM

Your advice has been well recieved. I am currently beginning a restoration project on my own boat. I have an 1983(84?) Super Sport with a 35hp J/E. I have just removed engine and boat parts and am debating what level of an overhaul I am prepared to do. I am precisely the type of guy you are cautioning: a weekend warrior with experience with some, but not all, areas of my boat. The engine and wood are my strongsuits, but I have never worked on my hull. I am also considering weather, as I store the boat outdoors.

As of today I am moving forward with the wood, a minor engine overhaul, patching/sealing some old screw holes, and replacing the dashboard controls.

On the chopping block are paint/gelcoat for the hull, gelcoat for the deck, replacing the rub rail, and modifying the deck plan.

Posted by Gamalot on 09/14/11 - 7:27 AM

Nothing I wrote was meant to discourage anyone from doing these projects. Thinking ahead and understanding what each of our ideas encompass is why I posted this discussion.

I have spent countless hours pouring through many of our members project pages and I stand in awe of some of the abilities and finished projects. I have also learned there are some things I would never even consider attempting such as cutting out the floor or transom and completely rebuilding these areas. Both are doable but not on my dime or time.

I have come to a rather startling realization. If I want a boat that looks like new then I better just buy a new boat!

Posted by Binkie on 09/14/11 - 10:49 AM

I never thought of restoring boats as a fun job. To me it is a series of hard and dirty jobs, similar to remodeling and building homes which I have spent my working career doing. Only thing about restoring boats is the satisfaction that you get when your finally finished. Then there is the letdown, what do I do now, use this boat? well I guess I should once in a while. but thats not really satisfying, so its on to the next project. I guess I'd rather work on boats than go out in them. I've restored every boat I've ever owned starting when I was in my early twenties. Sometimes I even think boats have souls, and I'm raising the dead LOL. Right now I'm looking at a 1987 27' Mirage, Its a go fast boat. Mirage is basically a good copy of a Formula (Don Aronow's first boat company in the early '60's.) Its in my neighborhood. The price is Free, just get it out of my driveway, the owner says. He's trying to sell his home and the boat has been sitting there since '03. He says it ran went he parked it there. The boat is complete, but completley neglected. Its covered with a custom boat cover but the cover has been leaking for some time. The carpet is soggy, but the floor feels firm. Its powered by twin 350 Mercruisers, and Bravo 3 outdrives, no props. I first I thought I could sell the good parts and junk the hull, but I know when I got started I know I would be would be figuring RESTORATION. I have no use for this boat, couldn't afford to run it, and my ex-wife/girlfriend doesn't like to be running around at 70mph on the water anyway. Right now I'm hoping that the next time I pass by that house the boat will be gone. It would interfear with the project I have in mind and will start soon. (building a plug and a mold and start turning out some mahogany trimmed glass consoles for 13 and 15 foot Whalers for sale.) They would be a design similar to the Nauset style, I don't like the looks of a Carolina Skiff console in a Whaler, Mine will look like it belongs in a Whaler.

Posted by RyanF on 09/14/11 - 4:40 PM

Gamalot,
I feel for you. I rejuvenated a 1969 13 sport (full paint, wood, repower, trailer rebuild, trolling motor mount, electrical, etc.) I would not do it again. Ditto for hobie cats (another excellent opportunity to lose money while laboring for free). I have built two small wooden boats from scratch -a 15’ stitch and glue drift boat and a 23’ AuSable river boat (glorified canoe/pirogue type thing). For me, building from scratch was more satisfying.

I would ask one more question before starting: Is this the boat I really want? If I had it to do over I would go in a different direction. Hopefully when you are done you will love your particular Whaler.

If I ever take on another project boat it will be something BIG. I have an itch to convert a tired ocean racing sailboat into a fast cruiser and go on sabbatical.

Good luck.

Posted by Gamalot on 09/14/11 - 5:39 PM

No part of my current project is so hard that I can't do it. I have done it with just about every boat and classic car I ever owned. My problem and the frustrations come from the weather being absolutely uncooperative and no longer having the large shop since retiring. It is always an expensive and time consuming task but when you get one nice day followed by 4 lousy days it adds months to a project.

Having been with boats all my life from 10 feet long up to 30 feet with twin inboards there is not much I have not done. The Montauk will be a perfect fishing boat in the small reservoirs I am close to which is why I even ventured in to this project. To be honest I knew very little about BW's other than I always liked their looks and finding a decent 1974 Classic was a major plus. I think it is safe to say this will be my last boat rebuild project because like others here, I get them finished and ready to go and then I find other projects that keep me from going. I do way more fishing through a hole in the ice than I ever do all spring, summer and fall combined. Odd that it can be too cold to work but I can sit out on a frozen lake all day long.

I just hope that others who read this discussion and who are thinking about taking on a project of their own can get some tips and direction to help them make intelligent decisions before they get in way over their heads and bank accounts.

Posted by kamie on 09/14/11 - 8:21 PM

A boat is not a rare only 4 ever built delorean that you find in a barn, none of them; antique or not will give you an ROI that makes doing a restore worth it financially. Every project is a balance between your abilities and the time it will take. The good thing about WC is that there are people here willing to share their success and failures with you, if that is the way you choose to go.
As for working outside, it makes for interesting planning. I have come to the conclusion that with other projects i have ongoing i may get the 13 sprayed with gelcoat next june, if i'm lucky. Until then I will sand and prep and wait.

Posted by SeaHare1983 on 09/15/11 - 4:19 AM

#10

No worries Gamalot! You only encouraged me to slow down and think some more rather than discourage me on anything. Ultimately, I have a new daughter and 1-3 jobs at a given point. The work I decided to complete are what is truely needed for the boat. The stuff I cut from the list are just some ideas I had. Although I think modifying the deck plan is back on the list! My wife is constantly badgering me for a place to "relax" on the boat. I roll my eyes. She wants a bow-rider. After parusing the official Boston Whaler webpage I was inspired by an option they offer for new Sport models. The "Bow Lounge." I am comfidant I can manufacture something similar out of wood to fill her wants. It will certainly become a fishing deck during Spring/Fall, but she can have her lounge for the Summer.

Posted by Gamalot on 09/15/11 - 4:33 AM

#11

Although the timing is different I guess it is relatively the same no matter where we live. I had the boat sanded, filled and prepped by late June. I finally sprayed the GC on the forward fishing platform on July 1st. with horrible results. It got too humid in the afternoon retarding the drying and I ended up with bugs, grass clippings and some tiny pin holes all over it. I began sanding it back down and getting ready to re spray and the humidity has stayed with us almost this entire summer. Seems like a day or two when I can work and a few days of bad conditions. Yesterday was perfect but rain today. I do hope to get some things done in the next few weeks.

Frustrations abound and life for my whaler would be so much easier if only I had one of those metal car port buildings I could close in for a couple weeks. Adding another $1300 to this project that is already way over the planned budget just will not fly by Madam Bean Counter this year.

My point is pretty simple in that what ever planning we do there will always be that special tool we don't have or that particular expense we did not figure on and when it comes to boats if you plan for $3,000 it is not hard to grow past $6,000 by completion time. ROI, Return on investment had me rolling on the floor and I will have to get another 36 years out of this Montauk to just brake even! The day I finally drop her in the water should be orgasmic!