Sources for 1997 Montauk 17 Bow Rail

[cnascimbeni]

[This thread has been moved to THE GAM for discussion from MARKETPLACE, which is not a discussion forum--jimh]

Hi. I am located in Ocean City, Maryland. In June 2020 I purchased my first Boston Whaler boat [a 1997 MONTAUK 17]. This 1997 MONTAUK 17 boat did not come with a bow rail. I am searching for one. I want the bow rail to keep my youngster in the boat in choppy seas.

[Where can I find a replacement bow rail for a 1997 MONTAUK 17]?

[The bow rail being sought for a 1997 MONTAUK 17] attaches in one place on the [inwale] of the boat on the [vertical stanchions], but many [MONTAUK 17 boats have a bow rail with stanchions that] attaches to both the [raised forward cockpit deck] and [inwale of the hull] of the boat.

[Moderator's note: the nomenclature in this post has been revised to use standard terms in order to clarify the description provided.]

[biggiefl]

There is only one bow rail for a 1976 to 2002 Montauk. Other models had different railings but Montauk models were all the same. I grew up--literally from age three-weeks-old--in a 1961 Nauset with no bow rail, and I survived. But I agree [having a bow rail on a MONTAUK] is a good idea, especially when crabbing or fishing. I have seen owners some put netting around the railings as an added safety precaution as well.

[cnascimbeni]

Unfortunately, [the bow] railing [for the 1997 MONTAUK boat under discussion] is different. It only attaches to the [hull inwale] as opposed to [attaching to both the hull inwale and the cockpit deck at the raised are in the bow] of the boat. Even the cushions reflect this.

If I installed the traditional rail I would have to replace the cushion as well.

Sue from Twin Cities told me that the original rail for 1997 was manufactured for Boston Whaler by Seabrite Stainless, and they went out of business.

Another business owner told me this change happened when Boston Whaler was sold to Reebok in 1992 and later to Brunswick. In 1995, the design of the bow rail was modified to reduce cost. It was the same from 1976 to 1991. The traditional rail would fit my boat but it is not the same [as the one being sought].

[Jefecinco]

Until you find a bow rail that suits you perhaps a tether for your toddler would help to keep him/her in the boat.

[jimh]

I looked at catalogue photography for a MONTAUK 17 in the range of 1994 to 1998. The bow rail appears very similar in all photographs. The bow rail has three vertical stanchions, one on-center at the bow, and one on either side aft of the bow. The bow rail itself is bent about 90-degrees downward and forms its own vertical support stanchion at each end.

To further understanding of a variation in bow rail, perhaps a photograph can be shown of how the 1997 MONTAUK 17 bow rail differs from prior years.

I don't understand how a boat without any bow rails can be assessed to need a special bow rail. The only reason would be a change in the hull and liner mold. I am not aware that a change in the hull and liner molds occurred in c.1997.

The corporate ownership history of Boston Whaler is recounted in an article in REFERENCE. See

The Boston Whaler Company
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/refere ... haler.html

As the above history notes, in 1990 Bob Dougherty left (or to be more blunt was fired from) Boston Whaler, and the marketing emphasis was placed on boats from new designs. I cannot image that under that regime the hull and liner of the classic MONTAUK would have been redone.

[biggiefl]

That is my point as well Jim. The rail off a 1976 should fit his boat since he does not have one or ever did. If replacing or modifying the bow cushion is the hinderance, I would not be so concerned about the cushion.

[cnascimbeni]

My boat did have a bow rail but a previous owner removed it and the person I bought it from did not have it. I am told it is possible to attach the traditional bow rail to mine, but I didn't want to drill new holes if I didn't have to.

Also, again, I would have to replace the cushion because it would need to be cut to fit the stanchion that comes down from the railing; the bow rail that was mounted on my boat did not originally have [a stanchion that went all the way down to the cockpit deck in the raised deck bow area].

I assure a different rail that originally came with this boat. Google 1997 Boston Whaler Montauk and have a look at the railing you will see on the place where it sits over the platform it does not have a [rail base] that hits the platform; it just connects on the [inwale].

[jimh]

In the 1998 Boston Whaler catalogue photography I can see that a slight change occurred in the bow rail on the MONTAUK 17. The difference is the two stanchions on the bow rail aft of the bow are mounted to the inwale using a 90-degree fitting on the inwale, whereas in the earlier versions of the bow rail those stanchions were longer and continued vertically down to be mounted onto the foredeck with the usual stanchion-to-deck fitting. The earlier version stanchion was also attached to the inwale by passing through a circular opening in a fitting attached to the inwhale. The earlier version is probably more strongly held in place by the double attachment points.

The effect of the change to the two vertical stanchion mountings is that a large bow cushion would then not need to be made with two notches, one on each side, to fit around the vertical stanchion coming all the way to the deck.

Later catalogue years such as 2002 show this same detail in the bow rail used in those years.

[cnascimbeni]

Yes, exactly! Do you think it would be okay to just install the traditional bow rail? CMI said they would check the wood locations for me on my boat vs. the previous years. I have the wood locations map for my boat - but not for another.

[jimh]

Re location of embedded material in the hull of a 1997 MONTAUK 17 and how it might differ from earlier models:

I recommend you contact Boston Whaler customer support and inquire with them if there is a wood locating diagram that is updated to show changes made in c.1997 and later.

I believe you are speculating that perhaps use of the older-style rub rail that uses two stanchions that come all the way down to the deck for support and mounting might not be appropriate on your hull if there is no embedded material (wood or other material) in the position where the rail stanchion base fitting would be fastened.

In the REFERENCE section article on the 16/17-foot hull, there are two wood locating diagrams available, but the most recent one is from c.1972, so it does not show any changes that might have been made in c.1997.

UPDATE: three diagrams are available, with the most recent dated 1975.

If you contact Boston Whaler and they send you a more up-to-date drawing of the wood locations on the 17-foot hull, please forward the diagram to me, and I will add it to the collection of diagrams available. This request also goes to any reader who has a more recent wood locating diagram for the 17-foot hull, that is more recent than the two already available. Feel free to email the diagram to me and I can add it to the collection of drawings. Since the MONTAUK 17 is perhaps the most produced and most popular classic model, I am sure any newer wood locating diagram would be helpful to many owners.

[jimh]

Here is good photo-image of how the newer Bow Rail on the c.1997 and newer MONTAUK is attached to the inwale instead of running vertically down to the cockpit deck:

http://www.whalercentral.com/images/ppimages/11300/pp3.jpg

The image is hosted at Joe Kris' fine WHALERCENTRAL website, but the photographer gave a link to it in a old forum post here on CONTINUOUSWAVE, which is how I happened to stumble across it this afternoon while browsing an old thread.

As seen in the above linked image, the vertical stanchions aft of the bow are actually bent in a very small radius bend to face outward and apparently have a flange or some other sort of rail base attached to permit the stanchion to be secured to the inwale of the hull in the raised deck area of the forward cockpit. I don't know if the mounting flange is welded to the stanchion. Maybe a reader with this style bow rail on their MONTAUK 17 can give us more information.

[biggiefl]

If the measurements are still the same for that stantion compared to the other style, that would be an easy modification to make. It looks like where the support eyelet was screwed to the side is now the only mounting spot instead of there and the deck. Other than modifying the bow cushion, the old rail would work or like I said above, modify that station to resemble the newer mount.

[lrb59]

The [MONTAUK bow rail] depicted in the WhalerCentral photo is mine. All rail connection plates are welded to both the bow and side rails.

[jimh]

lrb59--thanks for the information that the stanchion is welded to the flange or base plate. Your MONTAUK 17 boat looks fabulously clean and shiny.

[jimh]

To correct an error I made above, there are THREE wood locating drawings available for the MONTAUK 17 in the REFERENCE section article. The newest version is

http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/16-17/graphics/17wood1190x743.jpeg

and the drawing appears to be dated 1975.