Whaler Central - Boston Whaler Boat Information and Photos

Posted by Davidk on 04/13/08 - 3:10 PM

What is the original length of the stern light on a 63 nauset?

Posted by Tom W Clark on 04/13/08 - 4:28 PM

About 24", not much more than the height of an outboard motor's cowl of that era.

Posted by Davidk on 04/13/08 - 7:24 PM

I'm seeing one adversized at 54" and they are stating it is an original for a classic 17. Seems long to me.

Posted by Phil T on 04/13/08 - 8:29 PM

It's for a Montauk. I learned this as I replaced my pole with the OEM on my Montauk. Not cheap but the highest quality.

Posted by Tom W Clark on 04/14/08 - 8:27 AM

The 54" stern light became the standard for the Montauk in 1983 with the change in Coast Guard regulations, not in 1963.

Starting in the early 1970s, the stern light for the small Whalers, including the Montauk, was made by Perko and was about 30"-36" tall.

Posted by CES on 04/14/08 - 10:59 AM

I have a 1966 13 foot BW. My stern light is only about 18 inches tall and is not an original BW Perko light. Do I need to update mt length of my stern light to about 30"-36" or is the 18" good enough?

[IMG]http://i197.photobucket.com/albums/aa259/ceshaw/IMG_1481.jpg[/IMG]

Edited by CES on 04/14/08 - 4:00 PM

Posted by danedg on 04/14/08 - 2:38 PM

The original...
I've been hailed, boarded, inspected and certified...
Haven't been cited for the stern light being too short...
But the Coast Guard knows a Boston Whaler when they see one!B)

Edited by danedg on 04/14/08 - 2:38 PM

Posted by Davidk on 04/14/08 - 2:45 PM

ok...thanks. Theres a pretty nice one on ebay (yesterday it was cheap) and it comes with the mounts. Its going to be longer than the one I want. I seem to remember something that was about 2' long with a bend in the end, but that was 25 years ago.

Posted by oliver1234 on 04/14/08 - 3:57 PM

that looks about the same hight as the one on my nauset (aftermarket), but i plan on replacing it with a longer one (24" ) just as a precaution.

Edited by oliver1234 on 04/14/08 - 3:57 PM

Posted by Davidk on 04/14/08 - 4:21 PM

#10

I think he said it was 56"

Posted by Phil T on 04/14/08 - 4:33 PM

#11

FWIW -

The really long one I replaced on my Montauk is still made by Perko. I think (?) it is chrome over brass with a bend at the top, clear freznel type globe and very heavy. I ordered it from Sue at Twin Cities Marine and it was expense. Maybe $150?

There is a photo in the parts gallery

[img]http://www.whalercentral.com/images/photoalbum/album_1/photo_8_t2.jpg[/img]

Perko makes many straight poles of various lengths with bare wires and cost $~30.

Edited by Phil T on 04/14/08 - 4:33 PM

Posted by Tom W Clark on 04/14/08 - 5:09 PM

#12

The stern light in danedg's photo above is an original Kainer stern light, but it has been broken off and shortened from its original length. How do I know this? Because I have done the same thing myself...more than once.

Back that boat under a low garage door, snag something while driving and the chrome plated brass tubing will buckle right at the upper light stanchion. At that point one will think to themselves: "hmmm, instead of buying a new light, why don't I just cut the bent part off, put the plastic bushing in back in the bottom and call it good. I see many Whaler stern lights that have grown shorter over the years because of this phenomena.

Nav light rules in effect in 1963 and indeed, up until 1983, called for the stern light to be higher than the bow light. After 1983 the stern light needed to be one meter higher than the bow lights, hence the 54" light now made by Perko.

Note that this taller light uses a stainless steel tube instead of the chrome-on-brass tubing precisely because it needs to be much stronger as it is even more vulnerable to being bent and broken.

The earlier, shorter, Perko supplied Whaler stern lights with the chrome-on-brass tubing can easily be identified by the fact the light pole is straight with the light fixture sitting square at the end of the tubing. The longer 54" stainless steel lights have a five degree bend a few inches below the light fixture to (theoretically) help level the light given the backward slope of the transom and light pole.

I do not believe there is any obligation to upgrade an old stern light to the one meter rule on a boat from 1963 but common sense would suggest that the stern light will be more visible the higher it is. I would never use a stern light that was not, at the very least, higher than the outboard motor.

Edited by Tom W Clark on 04/14/08 - 5:12 PM

Posted by Tom W Clark on 04/14/08 - 5:10 PM

#13

It should be noted that the off-the-shelf lights that Perko makes are not the same as the Perko supplied Whaler OE lights on small classic Whalers. These readily available stern lights all use aluminum light poles which do not hold up well at all in Whalers.

Posted by danedg on 04/14/08 - 7:42 PM

#14

Dear Mr. Clark!
I was about to get indignant over your assertion that my stern light had been shortened by attrition over the years...after all, I have a dozen early fotos of the light being that height!....until I carefully reviewed this one of Brother Jeff and Whaler from 1965....it clearly shows the light being slightly higher than the top of the motor!....
The Coast Guard wants any approaching vessel, from any point, to be able to see a 360d white light,.... say, when anchored after dark...and that would be above the windshield as well...I guess she's been non reg for 40 years...:(
Now I'm wondering what ELSE the Old Man never told me about Whalers and Life in General!...or what I didn't listen to.....:o
Good Call!
Dan

Edited by danedg on 04/14/08 - 7:43 PM