1978 Refurbish Project Plans

[Mike McFly]

I own a 1978 15 Sport. I plan to refurbish the boat in Winter 2020-2021.

1978 SPORT 15

15_.jpg (14.59 KiB) Viewed 4435 times

The boat interior is full of small holes. I assume the core is saturated, so lots of work ahead of me. My problem is I don't even know where to start. Steer me in the right direction.

Here is what I hope to do:

• Rip out side console and rebuilt, new steering wheel and new instrument panel, all new mahogany
• Remove old aft bench seat and add bench seat with back rest and under storage
• Replace forward hatch cover with new mahogany
• Pull off all stanchions and safety rails, re-bed and replace originals back on to boat
• Drain water from boat and fill holes with thickened epoxy
• Refinish and repaint interior

Steer me to a similar project that is documented here. Thanks

Mike
1978 Boston Whaler 15 Sport
Plymouth, MA

[goldstem]

[The boat seen in Figure 1] seem to float well. The engine appears to be an OMC 40 or 50. They weigh about 230-lbs.

Little holes for battery boxes and the like will get some water in them. The water usually doesn't go far.

[Mike McFly]

The holes I assume are where previous owners had mounted things.

ASIDE: the engine is a 1996 Evinrude 50-HP EPL two-stroke-power-cycle engine. I rebuilt the carburetors in Spring 2020. The engine runs well wide open but won't idle.

Mike

[biggiefl]

Need to go through the carbs again. The idle circuit is still clogged or not adjusted correctly. Boat sits fine, I think the engines weighed around 185-lbs with PTnT.

[jimh]

Thanks for giving us a look at your plans to refurbish your boat. When you have completed the project, it will be nice to see the outcome.

If you need help with the engine, start a new thread in REPAIRS and MODIFICATIONS.

If you need advice on a specific repair, start a thread on that specific repair process in REPAIRS and MODIFICATIONS.

The SPORT 15 is a great boat--perhaps the best small boat ever made. Its only flaw is very uncomfortable seating. Almost every SPORT 15 becomes modified by its owner to improve the seating comfort.

[jimh]

Regarding your plans, I offer these comments:

The wood used by Boston Whaler is very high quality. Usually there is no need to completely replace the wood unless it is in horrible condition. Cleaning, sanding, and refinishing the wood can usually restore the wood to its original appearance.

There is no basis to "assume" than a 1978 Boston Whaler boat will have a interior foam core that is water saturated. I also doubt that a reasonable assessment can be made from the small image of the hull at an unusual angle as seen in Figure 1 above.

For advice on determining if a Boston Whaler boat has water in the interior, see the FAQ.

Regarding the location of the FAQ for the boats: the FAQ is in the REFERENCE section. The REFERENCE section in in the WHALER section, The WHALER section is linked from the top page of the website. The website has extensive resources that are not in this forum. Please become familiar with those resources by browsing the WHALER section.

Here is a link to the top page of the website:

http://continuouswave.com/

Here is a link to the WHALER section:

http://continuouswave.com/whaler/

Here is a link to the REFERENCE section

http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/

Here is a link to the FAQ

http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/FAQ/

And here is a link to the FAQ answer regarding water in the hull:

http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/FAQ/#Q3

The FAQ contains well-researched answers to many frequently asked questions.

For example, questions about how to repair damage to the hull are answered in the FAQ. See

http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/FAQ/#Q5

I caution against making drastic changes in the design of any component in a Boston Whaler boat. Boston Whaler boats are highly regarded for the simple but elegant designs they employ, and home-made components that are added to a Boston Whaler boat should harmonize with and continue the general style of the original components.

Empty fastener holes that are above the water line and not in the cockpit deck are not likely to be problems, but repairing them is appropriate. The holes can be filled with a resin and filler mix with appropriate color tint. Holes in highly visible areas should be top coated with color-matched gel coat resin. Holes in inconspicuous areas do not necessary need a perfect color match finish. In some cases a unnecessary isolated hole can just be filled with an oval head screw and dress washer.

Empty fastener holes in the cockpit deck, particularly in the stern or in a sump area where water will tend to collect, should be repaired as soon as possible. Before sealing the hole, evacuate any water from the hole. Use of a vacuum to extract water is a good method. Use of moderately warm air from a hair dryer or similar heat gun is also a good method to promote water evaporation. Monitor the water in the hole for several days, as water may flow back into the hole from adjacent areas in the hull. It is not unusual for water to be present in some holes for days and days, as it will flow via gravity into the hole areas if its is in a low spot.

Any hole in the exterior of the hull and particularly any hole below the water line should be very carefully inspected and repaired as soon as possible.

[jimh]

Regarding which of the several projects in your plans above for refurbishment should be the first step: you should settle your worry about the existence of water in the hull. If you find the hull is "saturated" as you express in your narrative, this condition may alter all future plans for the boat.

[jimh]

Regarding threads or articles that document refurbishment of an older Boston Whaler, you can use the SEARCH functions to locate those resources.

The present forum contents can be searched using the link in the QUICK LINKS menu above.

The entire website contents can be searched from the OLD FORUM page at

http://continuouswave.com/whaler/oldForum/

[jimh]

The inference I take from Figure 1 is the boat under discussion has been left in the water on a mooring at some point. Boston Whaler boats left in the water for more than a few days at a time need to have their hulls protected with a barrier coat and an anti-fouling coat. The owner's manual gives specific advice on this. If you do not have the printed owner's manual, I have created an on-line version of the owner's manual. This resource is in the REFERENCE section of the WHALER section. Visit

http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/manual9-17/

to begin browsing the on-line manual. The portion of the manual discussing bottom paint can be found at

http://continuouswave.com/whaler/refere ... tml#bottom

If the hull was not protected with a two-part epoxy undercoat as recommended by Boston Whaler, the hull gel coat may have osmotic blistering and water may have soaked into the hull. The degree to which this occurs depends on the duration of the immersion in the water without a barrier coat and the water temperature.

Another inference taken from Figure 1 is the boat under discussion was left uncovered. This means that rain water could collect in the boat. The SPORT 15 boat can be left with the cockpit sump drain open, and rain water will drain to the sea. The water level in the stern cockpit sump with the drain open should not rise above the top of the sump and should not flood the cockpit. However, if the stern cockpit sump drain is closed, water will accumulate in the stern. This is a further concern for ingress of water into the foam interior via unsealed unused fastener holes in the stern. A rainfall of an inch or two will accumulate enough water to begin flooding the aft cockpit.

Another influence from lack of a cover will be the exposure of the cockpit gel coat to continual sunlight and ultra-violet radiation. The gelcoat will be harmed by such exposure. The rate of damage will vary with the latitude at which the boat was kept. If the boat was from the tropics, sunlight damage is a big concern. If the boat came from northern Michigan or Wisconsin or Minnesota, strong sunlight is only an eight-week phenomenon, and the gel coat won't be as damaged as might occur elsewhere.

[Mike McFly]

The boat has only been in fresh water the past five summers, so I never have considered painting the bottom with anti-fouling or any kind of barrier coat. I have a pump in the sump well, which pumps out the rain water, so the interior hull does not fill with water.

I have noticed a small hole or two in the interior hull, that have wept black goo. I am not sure what the black goo is. I I assume the black goo weeping out of a small hole in the hull is the interior foam core breaking down, and the water that penetrates emerges through these holes tainted by the interior foam.

Thanks to everyone for their comments and suggestions.

Mike

[jimh]

The boat has only been in fresh water the past five summers, so I never have considered painting the bottom with anti-fouling or any kind of barrier coat.

The advice from Boston Whaler about the necessity of applying a two-part epoxy undercoat or sealer coat does not provide an exemption for boats that are in fresh water. I do not believe there is any basis to think that only saltwater can create osmotic blistering or cause the laminate to absorb water.

The only exemption is for boats that do not remain in the water for periods longer than a few days. It the boat is going to be kept in the water for months and months, the advice from Boston Whaler calls for a two-part epoxy protective coat of bottom paint. Whether or not to adhere to the advice from Boston Whaler is at the option of every Boston Whaler owner.

To let owners of Boston Whaler boats who perhaps do not have the owner's manual in printed form know there is an on-line version available, and also to point out certain important advice given in the owner's manual are two important elements of providing good information. Providing good information is the goal of the website.

[biggiefl]

Black goo is usually mold or uncured resin. The foam is off white and has nothing to do with it. The fact that it is oozing shows that it is not getting into the foam.

[jimh]

I have seen dark, smelly, thick liquid ooze out of a fastener hole on an older Boston Whaler boat that had received the most meticulous care possible for its entire service life. As NICK remarks, it often is just a byproduct of the foam. I believe the chemical reaction that produces the foam also produces water vapor, so its quite likely there is some residual water in every Boston Whaler boat interior. Let that water cook for 42-years, then imagine what sort of chemistry takes place.

[ollie366]

If you decide to replace the interior wood, check out Rugby ABP : Downes & Reader Hardwood in Stoughton. When I restore 13 ft Whalers that need new wood, that's where I go. Great selection of different types of "mahogany", some on large widths.

[Mike McFly]

Ollie, is that Stoughton, MA?

[ollie366]

Yes, Stoughton, MA. Some of the pieces need planing and finishing but they have great materials and I find their prices reasonable.