1978 Classic 15-footer Repair

Repair or modification of Boston Whaler boats, their engines, trailers, and gear
Rags
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2017 4:22 am

1978 Classic 15-footer Repair

Postby Rags » Fri Apr 14, 2017 6:36 am

Hi. I am new to the forum and would like to share pictures and information on ongoing work that is being done.

Starting off with some pictures taken Oct. 2016, just before i bought the classic. I will use the boat bringing the kids out in the fjord, as well as for fly fishing after bass and seatrout.
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IMG_20161013_135154-800x450.jpg
Bw classic
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Bw classic
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quickenberger
Posts: 90
Joined: Sun Feb 05, 2017 8:48 pm

Re: 1978 Classic 15-footer Repair

Postby quickenberger » Fri Apr 14, 2017 9:05 am

That whaler looks to be in good shape for the age. What do you plan on doing to it?

Rags
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2017 4:22 am

Re: 1978 Classic 15-footer Repair

Postby Rags » Fri Apr 14, 2017 10:00 am

The old wood was not much to look at, so I have striped the boat clean and then sanded the wood. I need to aply some stain and varnish.

Theres a few more detailes that i will look into, some safety, lights, vhf, and chrome details.

There has been only one owner before me.

skred
Posts: 18
Joined: Sun Oct 18, 2015 12:16 pm

Re: 1978 Classic 15-footer Repair

Postby skred » Fri Apr 14, 2017 11:09 am

I have the exact same boat and it was in that identical condition when I bought it. I spent about 10-12 hours total refinishing the mahogany (removed it to do a thorough job). Looks to be a Mercury on the back. I picked up a 2004 Mercury 40 in pristine condition. Couldn't be happier: she pushes 35 mph with 2 fairly hefty adults aboard. Sips gas. All I have left to do now is buff out all her battle scars, and polish her up... Good luck with yours - it's the best Whaler I've had and I've had 9 of them...

Rags
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2017 4:22 am

Re: 1978 Classic 15-footer Repair

Postby Rags » Fri Apr 14, 2017 12:01 pm

Thx boys,

Its an 40 hp Evinrude 2008, and I am using a 40 liter fuel tank. The cost of fuel is 2 USD pr liter where i live. A more economical engine would be a nice upgrade. Anyway, what size of prop did you use on your merc.
Last edited by Rags on Fri Apr 14, 2017 2:05 pm, edited 2 times in total.

Rags
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2017 4:22 am

Re: 1978 Classic 15-footer Repair

Postby Rags » Fri Apr 14, 2017 2:02 pm

Without wood
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Ribbed
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Rags
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2017 4:22 am

Re: 1978 Classic 15-footer Repair

Postby Rags » Fri Apr 14, 2017 2:10 pm

The console is worn out.
Attachments
IMG_20170410_153803-450x800.jpg
1978 Boston whaler 15 Consol
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1978 Boston whaler 15 Consol
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IMG_20170410_153755-800x450.jpg
1978 Boston whaler 15 Consol
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Rags
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2017 4:22 am

Re: 1978 Classic 15-footer Repair

Postby Rags » Fri Apr 14, 2017 2:16 pm

Some more pictures off sanded finishes. Last finish is done with 240.
Attachments
IMG_20170410_131817-480x853.jpg
1978 Boston whaler 15 sanded
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IMG_20170410_082201-480x853.jpg
1978 Boston whaler 15 sanded
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IMG_20170409_125540-853x480.jpg
1978 Boston whaler 15 sanded
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Rags
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2017 4:22 am

Re: 1978 Classic 15-footer Repair

Postby Rags » Sat Apr 15, 2017 2:58 am

After reading the forum i noticed that GRANT made a six-spoke steering wheel in c.1978. What is funny is that [my boat steering wheel has] only five spokes which lets me think that the boat was sold with incorrect info. What do you think?

jimh
Posts: 11673
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2015 12:25 pm
Location: Michigan, Lower Peninsula
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Re: 1978 Classic 15-footer Repair

Postby jimh » Sat Apr 15, 2017 9:04 am

On my 1976 SPORT 15 the OEM steering wheel was not a stainless steel wheel with six spokes. It was a black plastic wheel with two spokes. The helm was mounted in about the same location, but the helm was not mounted with the axis of the wheel rotation vertical. The helm was angled toward the helmsman at about a 30-degree angle. There was no retangular metal escutcheon plate at the base of the helm as seen on the boat under discussion.

These three variances suggest that the steering wheel and helm seen above are not the OEM components.

The image below shows my 1976 SPORT 15 helm:

Image

Image

Also compare several other views seen in

http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/15/models.html

Rags
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2017 4:22 am

Re: 1978 Classic 15-footer Repair

Postby Rags » Sat Apr 15, 2017 9:41 am

Thx Jimh.

I will keep the wheel, but a new hydraulic helm at 30-degrees, preferable chrome, would be fine; but black will work just as fine. The tilting helms out there costs a lot. A fixed-30-degree would work just fine. Let me know if you know about any manufacturers.

For the record I am a Norwegian, and the boat will enjoy me in the inner parts of the Oslo Fjord.

59°52'00.4"N 10°36'13.4"E

https://goo.gl/maps/vXBMyfQ8xeA2

skred
Posts: 18
Joined: Sun Oct 18, 2015 12:16 pm

Re: 1978 Classic 15-footer Repair

Postby skred » Tue Apr 18, 2017 9:11 am

My 40 HP Mercury has a 14 pitch x 10 or 10-3/8 - not sure which is the recommended. It's perfect for my boat - and I've had 15's with 70 Yamahas (WAY too zippy for me)..

jimh
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Location: Michigan, Lower Peninsula
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Re: 1978 Classic 15-footer Repair

Postby jimh » Tue Apr 18, 2017 9:30 am

Re helm choices: I am not sure about availability in Norway, but in North America the Teleflex mechanical steering helms have been very popular and were probably the OEM choice for Boston Whaler. The name TELEFLEX is no longer associated with marine products, and a new name, SeaStar Solutions is being used. Compare at

http://www.seastarsolutions.com/product ... -steering/

See http://continuouswave.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2044 for more details about the change in name to SeaStar Solutions.

flymo
Posts: 189
Joined: Thu Oct 22, 2015 2:58 pm

Re: 1978 Classic 15-footer Repair

Postby flymo » Tue Apr 18, 2017 9:44 am

Yes indeed - no reason at all to put hydraulic steering on a 15! The no feedback cable system works great - steers just as easily, is much less expensive, and requires a lot less maintenance! As you will be in salt water, I would highly recommend installing a steersman nut to keep things working smoothly - check it out here: http://www.steersman.com/html/whatitdoes.html

Send along some pictures once you're out on the water!

Flymo

Rags
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2017 4:22 am

Re: 1978 Classic 15-footer Repair

Postby Rags » Wed Apr 19, 2017 6:29 am

That is sweet.

Iam about to apply some varnish on the sanded wood. Can i be sure that the boat came with mahogney originaly?

Rags
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2017 4:22 am

Re: 1978 Classic 15-footer Repair

Postby Rags » Wed Apr 19, 2017 6:32 am

skred wrote:My 40 HP Mercury has a 14 pitch x 10 or 10-3/8 - not sure which is the recommended. It's perfect for my boat - and I've had 15's with 70 Yamahas (WAY too zippy for me)..
Can you explain what you mean with "WAY too zippy."

Rags
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2017 4:22 am

Re: 1978 Classic 15-footer Repair

Postby Rags » Wed Apr 19, 2017 8:03 am

Do we have drawings of these rodholders?
Attachments
844.jpg
rod holders
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jimh
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Location: Michigan, Lower Peninsula
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Re: 1978 Classic 15-footer Repair

Postby jimh » Wed Apr 19, 2017 8:09 am

Why do you want a drawing of a rod holder that won't fit a SPORT 15?

"WAY too zippy" probably means there was excessive propulsion power and acceleration.

Rags
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2017 4:22 am

Re: 1978 Classic 15-footer Repair

Postby Rags » Wed Apr 19, 2017 9:59 am

I don't know of any other classic rod holders made off wood. If I [were] to use them, i would have had them made to the boat. To get the finishing product to resemble a Boston Whaler product I could have use of these drawings.

skred
Posts: 18
Joined: Sun Oct 18, 2015 12:16 pm

Re: 1978 Classic 15-footer Repair

Postby skred » Thu Apr 20, 2017 9:45 am

Years back, I had a 1984 15 Sport Center Console with a 70 Yamaha on it. When my GPS hit 42 mph, and the boat started "chine walking", I decided I really didn't need that much speed - especially since I was primarily fishing Lake Michigan. The wave swell spacing and height on a lot of days really wouldn't allow that kind of speed. With my present 15 Sport, the 40 EFI Mercury with the described prop is just perfect for me. I don't do Lake Michigan much any more, and here on Golden Lake in Oconomowoc, WI, it's a perfect fit with a top speed of 34 mph. And - it sips gas!

jimh
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Location: Michigan, Lower Peninsula
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Re: 1978 Classic 15-footer Repair

Postby jimh » Thu Apr 20, 2017 9:49 am

Re drawings: all the drawings that are hosted here at listed at

http://continuouswave.com/whaler/refere ... wings.html

The drawing index used to list many more drawings that individual people were hosting on their own websites, but in the 14 years since that article was first published, many of the links to drawings became dead links because those people moved the drawings to some new location that is not openly available, or people wanted to sell the drawings, or people abandoned their websites entirely. I removed the dead links. Now there are fewer drawings.

Boston Whaler has been willing to email to individuals just about any drawing they have available, so to some extent having a small subset of the probably thousands of drawings available from Boston Whaler by email listed here for download is not quite as important as it would be if Boston Whaler were not so customer-oriented and willing to email out just about any drawing they have.

Re rod holders: the rod holders shown (above) are for OUTRAGE type hulls. The upper part of the rod holder fits under the overlapping gunwales of the cockpit. The relief in the upper edge creates a path for cables to run under the gunwales. I don't have a drawing of these. I don't know where you can find a drawing on-line. I don't know if Boston Whaler has one. The easiest way to duplicate those rod holders would be to use an old one as a pattern.

Rags
Posts: 23
Joined: Fri Apr 14, 2017 4:22 am

Re: 1978 Classic 15-footer Repair

Postby Rags » Mon Jul 31, 2017 2:09 am

The boat has done its jobb, Seabass, Seatrout, and more. Iw had a very good sommer sow fare due to this boat. It turned out ok after all.
Hope you all have had a nice summer.
Br Rags
Attachments
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Boston Whaler 15
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Boston Whaler 15
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