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Well it looks like I have my work cutout for me. I was crcazy enough to actually buy it without seeing it. Too far to drive and no time in my crazy schedule.

Where do I start, I guess the bow,the front lifting ring is gone,ripped out of the hull, some stress/spider cracks in gel coat (how deep I dont know) the keel up at the bow has a bunch of chunks missing, after removing the 4 deck hatches, black sludgey type goop with moisture, moisture in the clear glass gas window, pretty sad trailer with rollers, the rest is mostly cosmetic stuff, teak,stains, holes that need to be filled, rails that need to be tightened up, the twin yamahas actually look pretty decent, ss props.

Where do I start, I dont wnat to do a complete teardown/resto, I just want to set it up for trouble free boating next season, would you recommend pulling the deck/hatch off checking the fuel cavity for water intrusion, tank, replace the filler hose?
I dont hear any dull spots on the hull, so I dont think there has been any delamination.
I snapped some pics but dont know how to post them.

Here are the hull #'s on transom, BWC6615AM83C and a black number stamped on the right side seat of the inside of the bow A50687.

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Are you sure which model of boat you just purchased.

In your last thread you said you bought an Outrage.
http://www.whalercentral.com/forum/vi...ad_id=5659

Now is this thread you say you bought an 83 Dauntless...

I think you are too excited to post or type... :)

Please edit the first post in this thread and change the Dauntless to an Outrage...

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don't fret! It's not the end of the world and I can assure you that there is enough expertise on this site to go whatever route you want to take. The first thing you need to do is to get some photos posted so we can see what you have. Might be easier to first set up a personal page and then post progress photos.............Don't give up on her though......all are here to help

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WOW ,I am so excited that I said Dauntless when I meant OUTRAGE! How do I post pics?

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Start your personal page.
Read the tutorial and you shouldn't have a problem.

You may need to settle down first though... Don't drink any coffee. That will get you more excited.... :)

I bet you wish you didn't use the name of 98Dauntless when you signed up?
Many people sign up with their boat name and then sell the boat and buy a different model and then there name no longer matches up to their original intention.

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do I need to disconnect all the electrical wires and remove the console from the boat to remove the deck/fuel access panel to evaluate ? is this a good place to start?

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Jerry,

I would wait until morning before starting any work in the dark.... :)

First, inspect underneath the deck by opening up all the deck plates.
Clean everything out that you can reach.
Use your nose and smell for fuel. How much fuel is in the tank?
Do you smell any fuel?
I would not lift the deck up unless you see or smell fuel under the deck.
If you need to remove the deck to replace the tank, then yes, the console needs to be removed along with all the wiring.
You really don't want to do this unless you have to.

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Jerry -

Take a long walk. Clear you head. Come back home, grab a digital camera.

Take some general photos; one from bow, one from each side, one of the stern, one of the console. Post on your personal page.

Then, start at the bow and take a photo of every little thing. Post these to a photobucket account.

Sit in the boat with a pad and pen. Take notes of questions. List of to-do's.

When done, come back here and let us know your list.

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Please don't even think about pointing any links to photo bucket or any other outside photo hosting service.
We don't want them....

See this thread.
http://www.whalercentral.com/forum/vi...;pid=33979

Post your photos in your own personal page here on WhalerCentral. This way people in the future are assured they can view the photos.
http://www.whalercentral.com/infusion...l_page.php

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Oh &^%. Joe's right. Senior moment. :(

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Jerry,

I realize you don't want to do a total tear down so start with nothing but a camera and a paper and pen. Based on your short description you need to do the following:

Copy the following list to your piece of paper.

1. bow eye needs to be replaced; gelcoat patched
2. gelcoat repair; bow area
3. check thru hulls, if they don't look shiny plan on replacing.
4. Need to wash out under tank cover. This is easily done with a hose spraying water in the forward hatch toward the rear drains.
5. pull off access panels and check fuel / vent hoses (1983 hoses not ethanol rated). If they have not been replaced, plan on replacing
6. if the boat has a water separator filter, check for water, if not plan on adding one.
7. Assuming you have a charged battery, check that the lights work

Stop!

Take your list and a hot beverage and walk around the boat again. Write down the locations of big cracks or chips you need to fix. If your not going to trailer a lot, will the trailer last or is it really almost dead.

As long as then engine works, the list above should get you in the water and enjoying the boat for the first year. There will always be something to do on the boat, only do what you need too for safety otherwise the boat will live in the driveway and not on the water.

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thanks for all the advise,after getting the boat in the garage and before starting this thread,I grabbed the digital camera and started shooting,and as I looked closer and closer,I started to get a little discouraged with all the defects and issues I feel need tending to,I am anal and do want things "ship shape",I was by no means going to start removing stuff tonightthat said,my next hurdle is posting pics on my homepage,the problem I always have is that the size of the pics is too big,Ill figure it out,

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Jerry - you can email me your pictures and I will resize them and send them back to you. My email is [mail]robert@agentacom.com[/mail].

Congrats on your new purchase!

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thanks Rob,I was up till 1 am trying to rezize them last night but to no avail,Ill have the wife try today after work,if that dosent work Ill take you up on your offer,cheers

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Hey, listen, to me that's the ONLY way it can and should be. To settle for any less is, well, settling for less. Plus I seem to like the term you used there, can't imagine why, though. ;)

In any event, these are all great bits of advice. I know that in the past, especially on some of my earlier work, I let my excitement get the best of me and would forget things, miss spots on stuff, or rush something that didn't need to be rushed (on a boat, this is pretty much everything :) ). Nothing irreperable really, just caused extra trips to the store a little wasted time and material and a few lessons.

Writing things down is imperative for me. If I don't do it, I forget about things and then later on have to go back to em, which is a pain.

Next thing is clean her out. Don't have to get out the hose and bucket and suds and slave away at it for hours, just sweep it out if its been sittin outside and then remove all loose items and clutter and set that aside.

Any hardware, you're gonna want to make sure you label that - what it is, where it came from, and keep it with others like it. Cheap plastic tackle boxes or fastener boxes work well for this.

Once you've done that, Ive found that having everything organized and neatened up sets the stage for a successful and more pleasant work experience. Believe me, I know how it feels to pull in a new job - for me it means I get to do what I like, that I'll be getting compensated soon and can pay some bills, and that I've got another golden opportunity to spread my name and reputation. Add to that my barely out of teenage years male mindset, impatience can easily get the better of me. I honestly feel a little odd giving advice because I know that I haven't got much experience at all compared to many of the seasoned members of this site, so really this is just a lengthy "what they said" post. Just writing it helps me to remember whats important, its just that I get so excited to hear about yet another fine boat (Whaler, no less) being done right, being brought back from the brink to the way it ought to be and that just really pumps me up!

Best of luck to you, and thanks to people like you who come in here with their questions so the rest of us reap the benefits of the answers given.

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It would really be no trouble at all. Often it is not only the dimensions of the photo but the format and resulting file size. These things are very easy to control with software like photoshop. Send them to me and I can have them enhanced and sized in about 5 minutes.

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Man I love this site! Great advice ,kinda reminds me of the subaru forums when I was racing subies. Or the VW forums when I was restoring my 71' convertable superbeatle. You cant put a price on good advice from experienced,knowledgeable people. Cheers!

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Hi Jerry,

I'm on Long Island too. We exchanged e-mails. One thought, before you take things apart, it's probably a good idea to have the motors checked and winterized. This place: http://raybomarine.com can do gelcoat work, replace a gas tank etc. They've done some amazing work on Whalers -- they're in Lindenhurst.

For trailer repair, or a new trailer contact Neil at: http://www.ectrailers.net I was there yesterday getting a new light and having my bearings inspected.

Some Outrage owners forget to remove inspection plates during winter storage to help evaporation.

I agree with the need to change fuel lines if they're original.

Good luck.

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Hey Whaler Dan ,thanks for the local info,Ill try and do as much as I can myself,but if and when I get in above my head Ill look into some local help. As for the removal of the inspection plates to aid evaporation,please elaborate. Im in Port Washington,Nassau Co. and if your free come on by and give me some input,advice,God knows I could use it.Thanks.

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The round Beckson (spell?) plastic plates in the deck -- I read they should be opened during storage to allow moisture to evaporate. I'd be happy to come by some time, but my knowledge is more from reading/paying than doing. Port Washington is only 1/2 hour away. Do you have a heated garage for working on the boat during the winter?

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Oh the first thing I did when I got the boat was open them up to see what was inside. Yes I do have a heated garage!!

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A few questions,is it normal to have moisture under those beckson(round) deck plates,what does the presence of this moisture mean? The fuel tank says Florida Marine tanks, is it OEM? The deck/hatch that encompasses pratically the entire inside floor of the boat seems to have been siliconed in. I guess it was eiter taken out for some reason or was allowing water in. The mechanical fuel gauge under the clear window was full of water and the aera around it had this jelly like goop around the mount on the tank. Man I hope this boat dosent have a water intrusion problem:(.

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I think moisture is normal, florida marine is OEM, many boats have the seams resealed/recaulked

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Hello and congratulations on your "NEW" Whaler. I also have a 1983 Outrage. Mine is a V20 Outrage with the Original Johnson 175 on her. I bought her for $6000 boat, motor and trailer and put $4000. in to her. Now with $10,000 in to her I'm not sur I could get that for her but she's not for sale anyway. If you have the same boat I can try to help you with some of the problems I found and what I did to fix them. EggMan

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Hey Eggman sounds like you did quite a bit of work,the boat I bought is actually a 1983 Outrage 18 with twin Yamaha 70's. Im sure my boat will have similiar issues,heres my short list so far; replace the fuel filler hose,put hinges on the bow hatch,replace and repair the bow/lifting ring,repair the keel under the bow,replace the screws in the rails with SS rivets,give her a good cleaning(compound/wax,etc),refinish the teak,finally figure out how to start her so I can winterize! Shes currently in my heated garage,so I figure I have all winter to tinker. I am up in the air about trying to repail the stress/spider cracks,I cant tell if they are just superficial(gel coat only) or go deeper into the fiberglass? A big concern for me is matching the desert tan color.
Any advice is much appreciated.

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Jerry,

We purchased an '83 Outrage 22 in very similar condition to yours a year ago last spring. I remember feeling the same way you described when you got her home and looked her over, seeing all that needed to be done. But once you get familiar with the boat, it becomes yours and will all be second nature in short order. Plus I've read great things about twin engines on the back, that's a real big bonus in the larger picture!

My bow rails were held together with tape in places from the previous owner, which gives you an idea of his level of maintenance. Riveting will make them surprisingly solid. The thing you want to check is that the railing base is firmly screwed into the hull, and more importantly that the two set screws in each base that hold the vertical rail in place are tight and haven't let the rail slip down and contact the gelcoat under the base. This can be a prime area for water to get in. Loctite on these screws is very good insurance against that happening.

Post or PM with any other questions, we'd all be glad to answer!

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thanks Dave ,its the worst feeling when your excited about new purchase awaiting its delivery,only when it pulls up, dissapointment,man its going to ake more work to get this boat to where Ill be happy with it!

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Well thanks Rob,I just uploaded the pics to my personal page. Let me know what you think the best way is to tackle the bow lifting ring and keel. Thanks.

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I guess my main concern right now is getting the engines up and running,winterizing them,repairing the hull,bow lifting ring and keel,trailer and electrical.LMK.

[img]http://www.whalercentral.com/images/ppimages/10777/83outrage9.jpg[/img]

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Hi All,

I visited Jerry earlier today and saw the boat. He got a great deal, and it's in good condition. Great to see this Whaler going to such a nice guy. Good luck Jerry.

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Thanks Dan,good to know theres another whaler fanatic so close by. Thanks for the advice and tips. Cant wait for the spring.

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Jerry, here's a link to the gelcoat patch kit I was telling you about: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Boston...iesQ5fGear

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Thats too funny I already ordered one! I also obtained the contact # for Sue@ Twin Cities Marine,Ill call her tomorrow and order some of the parts Im missing. I also went on the Mills site but couldnt get any idea of priceing,or 10% discount info? cheers

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You have to call Mills to order, and the 10 percent is for the month of November. They will give you the info over the phone. Their web site is good to see fabric choices, -- you have the Pacific Blue Sunbrella mateial.

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Well after removing the port panel over the fuel and vent hoses I found a plastic bag with a yellow paper from the BW factory wit the dates and initials of the workers that finished the jobs,pretty cool.
I laso found more moisture where the hoses exit from under the deck. I am afraid I will have to remove the deck ? Any input/ advice would be appreciated. Thanks,Jerry

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Jerry,

It seems you are bound and determined to pull up that deck no matter what anyone tries to explain to you.

Here is what I said on the first page of your thread:


So, go ahead and pull the deck if it will make you feel better but all of these models are going to have moisture.
Even washing to boat down will give you moisture underneath the fuel cover. It is NORMAL...
Pools of fuel are NOT normal...

This is my last post on this subject.

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No Joe I definately would rather not have to pull up the deck,especially after reasearching the threads ,etc., it seems like a PITA. My fear is twofold first,leaving water against the tank will promote corrosion and that I unecessarily put alot of time ,energy and money into a hull that has a water intrusion or a leaking gas tank problem. If it has to be done Id rather do it over the 6 month winter while Im not using the boat. I dont want to beat a dead horse and you have much more experience with these boats,so I take what you say as gospel. I dont smell gas through the beckson plates except the one closest to the bow where the vent hose exits the tank. Which brings up another issue,replacing the hoses,can it be done without removing the deck? Im pretty sure the filler hose can be changed but the rest,Im not to sure. what would you recommend? Let me repeat myself I DONT want to pull up the deck!Thanks.:)

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Ok Jerry,

Yes, the hoses can be replaced without removing the deck. I have never done it myself but have looked closely at them and heard of others that have replaced theirs without taking up the deck.

There will always be moisture in there. What most of us do that trailer our boats is take off the deck plates while the boat is sitting in the garage. This airs out the underneath of the deck. Even after mine sits all winter with the deck plates off, one hot day in the sun using the boat, the clear deck plate shows water droplets underneath. Nothing we can do about it. The tank will sweat.

When I wash the boat, I will get water underneath the tank cover. Can't be helped.
When it rains when I am boating, water gets under there. Can't be helped.

Can you take off the fuel hose to your motor and pump some gas using the fuel bulb into a glass mayonnaise jar? That will tell you if you have any water inside the fuel tank.

Mine is an original 1985 tank with original fill and vent hoses up front.
The hoses from the rear of the tank to the engines have been replaced.
I also have a fuel/water separator between the tank and the engine(s).

At the cheaper price of fuel these days, it might not be a bad idea to put about 30 gallons of fuel into your tank. You have never replied on how much fuel you have in there so if it is empty, you won't really know if it leaks unless you put fuel in it.
If it does end up leaking after putting a lot of fuel in their, then you can pump the gas out and use it in your lawnmower, chainsaws, or something similar.

Let us know what you find out.

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Joe,I have a half tank according to the mechanical gauge,which by the way is full of water/condensation. Its supposed hermetically sealed but mine seems to have some cracke in the lense. As long as it works accurately,Ill plan on leaving it.
lll work on getting a sample of the fuel from the tank. Would you recommend sealing the deck seams with the correct sealant, which I found out is still available from Twin Cities.
My filler hose is falling apart at its attachment to the tank,probably from the ethanol.
Joe I do appreciate your advice.

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Jerry,

First question, what is the HIN# of your hull?

Without filling the tank you can't accurately weight the hull to determine if you have water. I agree with Joe, pull some gas out of the tank into a clear jar and let it set. This will tell you if you have water in the gas that is in there. If you can smell gas it does not automatically point to the need to replace the fuel tank. If your fill hose is already shot, your vent hose isn't far behind. This could be the source of the gas smell.

You do not have to pull up the deck totally to replace the hoses but it sometimes helps to loosen the parameter screws. You have to work the vent hose up and over the tank straps. It can also be a tight fit to get both the vent and fill hoses up on the port side. The hoses of today are a slightly larger outside diameter then the older ones currently on your boat.

You should also probably dig out and replace the caulk even if you don't have to lift the tank cover. When I first got my 18, the caulking looked ok, but I still got lots of water below the cover. Once I dug out the old caulk and replaced it with new the amount of water decreased. You will never eliminate it, but caulking gets old and needs to be replaced every couple years.

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Curious about the deck caulking, is there a certain kind that's preferred/recommended best?

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Thanks Kamie,plan is to pull out some fuel,if its ok Ill replace the hoses and caulking. If there is water in the fuel ,then Ill take it from there. The previous owner installed a fuel/water separator mabey I could judt check for the presence of water in there?
Dave the OEM caulking is still available from Twin Cities Marine,speak with Sue.
Thanks for all the input.

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Jerry -

Replace the separator filter then pump some fuel out (~1 gallon) and then check the jar and the filter contents.

You are looking for water and crud.

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Well I pulled of the hardware on the port side teak gunwhale cap and began the sanding process,it looks better already,makes a ton ao fine dust that covers everything! Ill pull off the filter fuel/water tomorrow to check for water/dirt in the tank.

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Well I got a chance to pull the boat out and start the motors,the port motor started right up and ran dvery smoothly, the starboard one started after about 5 mins then had an erratic idle,it was kinda hunting between 600 and 1200rpm. So I gave it a little throttle so I could fogg the motor and did so. I found a broken plastic piecs on the carbarator linkage. Ill replace it for the spring. Hopefully that was causing the irregular idle?
I started out this morning with the intention og replacing the fuel filler and vent hoses. The filler one is frayed and looks pretty bad eventhough I dont smell gas. I worked off most of the hose from the tank and then gas started comeing out. I then realized the gauge said full and the boat wasent level. Whats the best way to get this and the vent hose out and the new ones in? Im sure I could get the old oud with some muscle but getting the new one in is going to be a pita! Any suggestions,raise thee deck a little? Iwill be replacing the caulking anyway?
Thanks,Happy T-Day!

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The caulk color you want is beige, not almond. The caulk I used was OSI Window, Siding and roof exterior caulk.

Since it seems your tank is full to the top, I would use the primer bull and pump out about 5 gallons. You can always use it in the lawnmower or dump it back in the boat when your done. Then pull the fill hose off first. It is the largest and will give you room to work the vent hose up thru the opening. Use the old vent hose to pull a line thru or you can get a double hose barb and hook the old / new hoses together and use the old one to pull the new one. Your trick is to get the new hose up and over the tank straps. This is the only shot i have posted of the Vent Hose If you loosen the bolts you can get a hair more room, but remember the screws on the outside don't hold the cover on, there are bolts in the center. If you try to pull up too much on the cover from the outside you will crack it, so be careful. It is most helpful for getting the fill hose onto the spout than getting the vent hose pulled thru.

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Good tip on the OSI brand Kamie. I've used it before on housing app's but didn't think to use it on the deck. It seems to be above average quality.

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Kamie thanks for the tips,is it necessary to put caulk on the screws (deck) when I put them back in? Thanks again.

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sikaflex 201 is the other caulk I have used to seal the deck joints. You need to find it in tan to match the gelcoat.

Finding the correct color is the hard part. Most places have almond since it is a standard tub/tile color.

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I cant believe the hose wasent leaking,its falling apart as I pull it out! So basically you took out the fuel filler hose first then took out the vent hose then put in the vent new hose followed by the filler hose? And you unscrewed the port side deck screws and lifted the deck with the console just enough to do all this? Kamie,did you caulk the screw holes when putting back the deck? Twin Cities has the Oem caulk,is it necessary?
thanks again!

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Jerry,
I actually took the easy way and removed the deck. That was because I was replacing the console and the motor. The instructions I gave above are based on what I was planning to do before I had to pull up the deck. It was how a couple other folks had done theirs. Originally my boat had a T-Top so I wanted to replace the hoses without pulling up the deck, then the outboard died and things progressed from there.

Just curious, what is the HIN on your hull?

The OSI caulk is the OEM, it's the color that is OEM. If your ordering stuff from Twin Cities, you might as well get it from them. I can't find either the beige OSI or the Tan sikaflex anywhere locally, it always has to be ordered. Most boats these days are white, not tan and if they are colored, they use white caulk.

Wendy, welcome to WC. Stern Seats can be ordered from some of the site sponsers. Click their links in the top right corner of the screen. If you have questions about your boat, you should start a new thread.

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just to confirm the OEM fuel filler hose is 1.5 " correct? Do you happen to remember the size of the vent hose? HIN# is , BWC6615AM83C. Thanks.

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5/8 OD Type A1 about 7 to 9 foot long depending on how it gets routed.

Fill hose is 1.5 inch by 2 feet.

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well I got the vent hose in ,but I cant get the fill hose in its way too tight,absolutely no wiggle room,any suggestions? Its in under the deck but impossible to get any movement to get it over the male tank fitting? seems like theres not enough room between the top part of the male tank fitting and the deck to allow the hose on? are we sure its a 1.5" diameter hose thats OEM? Thanks.

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Two things
the first is the newer hoses are a larger outside diameter than the original ones. Have you tried pulling up the tank cover to give you room to slide the hose onto the male tank fitting.
The second is to possibly sand away some of the underside of the tank cover to give you more room. I assume you are trying to get the hose attached to the tank first then make the bend to the fill?

underside of tank cover

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well I got it done, but iyt was a pita! I ended up raising the deck about a 1/2" by removing the screws ,then I passed a 3" wide nylon towing strap aroung the deck fron the aera where the hoses exit to the opening where the male tank fitting is,connected it to a come along that was attached to a beam in the garage,then I slowly cranked till I had enough room to get the hose on. While I had it raised I passed the vent hose and then lowered it. I couldnt get those spring like things back around the vent hose,I suppose they prevent it from collapsing,any tips? Oh and the filler hose is 1.5" but it required about 3 ' not 2' and the vent was 5/8" hose and required about 8'.Next I need to resecure the deck with the screws ,recaulk,then tackle the console.