Thread subject: Whaler Central - Boston Whaler Boat Information and Photos :: How To Contact Boston Whaler
Posted by MG56 on 07/05/20 - 5:30 AM
#1
Now that Chuck is gone does anyone have a link to BW so I can get the Hin from a stencil number?
Posted by MG56 on 07/05/20 - 10:29 AM
#3
That's what I was afraid of. I was hoping somebody knew a guy because the hin plate is not on this boat and I don't want the state to assign one.
Also too bad someone couldn't reach out and scan those old notebooks Chuck had before they are lost. I'd pay for a digital copy of those. The info in those is priceless.
Posted by biggiefl on 07/06/20 - 6:44 AM
#4
They don't need the HIN, they need the stencil.
Posted by Weatherly on 07/09/20 - 6:39 AM
#5
MG56: You can still get the vital Classic Boston Whaler boat and model information (HIN and production dates) from Boston Whaler even though Chuck Bennett retired in March 2019. You send your query to Boston Whaler via the website and you will receive an immediate auto-reply with a case number. Then in 2-3 work day, you get a response from one of the experienced workers in the Technical Support side of the Whaler.com. The person that has helped me repeatedly was Sabas Ganiban. Like Chuck Bennett, Sabas has many years of Whaler experience and he is one of the keepers with access to the "holy grail" documents from Fisher-Pierce days at Rockland, MA. Keep the faith brother and you will get what you need from Whaler.com.
Posted by MG56 on 08/31/20 - 4:34 PM
#6
Thanks Weatherly. I did just what you suggested and got a robot email back from them. Crickets since then.
This is why I made this thread. The info Chuck had at his fingertips is critical to our quest, if you will, to preserve these old boats. Corporate Whaler doesn't care, nor should they.
What would it take to scan the data Chuck had? Who knows who?
Posted by Joe Kriz on 08/31/20 - 5:35 PM
#7
MG56 wrote:
Now that Chuck is gone does anyone have a link to BW so I can get the Hin from a stencil number?
What is the year, model, and stencil number of the boat you are referring to?
Posted by MG56 on 09/01/20 - 2:55 AM
#8
1975 Montauk 17 with a stencil #3A9799
Posted by Jim RI on 10/28/20 - 9:05 AM
#9
I am very glad to have found this thread. I recently bought a 13’ Whaler that was purchased new in 1959. The original owner used the boat, with his son, into the ‘70s, when the son lost interest. It was put into the loft of a barn in CT, where it sat. The son inherited the boat when his father died, and sold it to his neighbor, who is the service manager of a local boatyard, in 2002. I just bought it from the neighbor.
I am going through the process of getting it registered, which is complicated by the fact that the original stencils have apparently been painted over. I have the original CT registration #, and permission from the son to have CT DMV search their records to see if they have the original serial # on file. So far I have not heard back from CT DMV.
I have had the RI DEM police come to insect the boat to verify the missing #s, and I can get a new HIN# from them, but I would be much happier to find and keep the original hull #. It is possible that this boat was built in 1958 and not registered until 1959, so quite an early boat.
I was about to contact BW to see if they have a record of the # using the original owners name and address, so this thread has been extremely timely. I am sad to discover that Chuck Bennet is no longer the keeper of the flame, but will use the link provided in the thread to, hopefully, find the original hull #.
Posted by biggiefl on 10/28/20 - 11:33 AM
#10
You will need to get that stencil #. There may be one in the front hatch as well. Boats did not have HIN #'s until 1972. It is possible it is a 1959, there are quite a few around and unfortunately does not add much to the value. Whaler's for the most part are all about condition. In NJ & FL you can register a pre 1987 boat with just a bill of sale as there were no titles until 1987. CT is a PITA so i have no idea what your choices are there.
Posted by Jim RI on 10/28/20 - 1:05 PM
#11
The stencil # does not exist in either location. I sent a message to BW with the original owner’s name and address, and will see if they have records going back that far. If CT DMV and BW don’t have a record of the stencil # I can get a new HIN from RI DEM to get the boat registered. I would rather keep the stencil# though if I can find it.
Posted by biggiefl on 10/29/20 - 10:48 AM
#12
You will need to remove paint to find it.
Posted by Weatherly on 10/31/20 - 4:52 AM
#13
I send a query to Boston Whaler Technical support on 28 Oct requesting shipping and manufacture data on my 1970 Blue Hull 16.7 boat and got a response the next day, 29 Oct. I consider BW Technical support to be superb.
Posted by MG56 on 10/31/20 - 8:34 AM
#14
I sent a request for info for an old Montauk when I started this thread and got an automated reponse the next day with a case number. Crickets since then.
One of the many reasons it would be nice to see if we could get a copy of the book Chuck used to answer our questions about older boats. Oh well.
Edited by MG56 on 10/31/20 - 8:34 AM