CONTINUOUSWAVE

Hi, all. I have been given a 13' Whaler by a close friend who is ill and cannot work on the boat right now. I am retiring in April, 2016, I plan to get the boat ready for fishing as a retirement project and I expect my friend to be there as we go to supervise me!

This boat had been sitting in a field for decades. The motor is a 35hp Evinrude that had a new head put on so it's technically now a 30hp. I have the tools, good shop space and am fairly handy but inexperienced with fiberglass and boat repairs. As an aside, I owned a beautiful Montauk 17' but was a broke college kid and dear old mom forced me to sell it as it was killing her grass! As I look back some 40+ years later, I regret that sale to my very core.

Anyway, hopefully I can get enough advice here to get me going. To date, I removed the rub rail as it was a mess. I drilled rivets out, took all hardware off the boat and pressure-washed it. Worst damage seems to be a cracked floor (looks like something heavy was dropped on it) and the damage along the rails. I am building a cradle to put the boat on as the trailer takes up too much garage real estate. This way, I can move or spin the boat as needed.

Here are some pics:
Jim's 13' Sport


I thank you.

Jim

To learn about making repairs to a Boston Whaler boat hull, I recommend the following articles for your reading:

--Repairing Hull Damage the Whaler Way by Taylor Clark, a great article with many illustrations;

--Instructions--Hull Patch Kits, a reproduction of some concise original literature from Boston Whaler;

--The Epoxy Cure by Jim Hebert (me), a narrative of my first attempts at repairing a Boston Whaler boat hull; and, perhaps most essential:

--Fiberglass Boat Repair and Maintenance by WEST Systems, the bible of fiberglass boat repair with epoxy resin.

The restoration of an older boat that is no longer in pristine condition can be characterized in two general facets:

--making repairs that are solid, durable, strong, and waterproof, and

--making those repairs undetectable in the boat's appearance.

Some restorers go to great lengths in the cosmetic appearance, and they attempt to preserve the original hull gel coat layer as much as possible, and to restore that gel coat to new condition. If the original hull gel coat has been damaged by large impacts or if there are many cracks and crazing in the gel coat, it may not be possible to maintain the original gel coat layer and restore it to its original gleam. In those cases the hull is repaired and then painted with a modern marine coating such as AWLGRIP or similar products.

Other restorers try to preserve the original gel coat and when making repairs hope to be able to cover the repairs with new gel coat which will be blended and faired into the original gel coat in a manner that completely hides and obscures the repair area. This approach can require more skill and artisanship with gel coat resin color matching and application than can be obtained on a first-time repair with those materials.

I think one has to decide which path to follow, and the decision is mostly based on the present condition of the boat. If the damage to the original gel coat is too extensive, you should probably plan to give the boat a completely new top coating. If the original gel coat can be repaired in a few places and restored to new finish overall, then you should plan for that option. In general, a boat with its original gel coat finish intact is preferred, but there is nothing wrong with a using a modern hull finish like AWLGRIP, and many actually prefer it to gel coat.

Thank you Jim. Lots to learn! I would be focused on structural integrity first and foremost and the Awlgrip paint finish is fine with me. From what I have seen, if the job is done right, the paints of today can look pretty nice!

My buddy had also purchased new, raw mahogany a few years ago and gave that to me. I am in the process of finishing it now (done with the "cut" varnish, now moving to full strength on 3rd coat).

Jim

Jim: Of the four links you have provided, I had begun reading the first three in the past two weeks. That fourth one was one I hadn't come across, and it looks really good. Thank you.

Jim

You might also enjoy listening to an interview with Jim Watson of WEST SYSTEMS that I conducted 15 years ago. It can be found at

http://continuouswave.com/whaler/radio/

The irony of this 15-year-old interview: 15-years ago having audio content on a website was so far ahead of most peoples' computer capabilities that no one could listen to it back then.

Irongate---I am currently restoring a 1984 Boston Whaler Sport 15. We named our little whaler Lunar. Unfortunately, Lunar is not our top priority and takes a second seat to the house. It sits in the garage, and we work on it as time and money permit. Keep in mind I am married, and my spouse does not share the same enthusiasm that I have for Lunar or for whalers.

This is what has been done to Lunar in the past four years:

--inner deck has been completely redone with white Line-X because the deck was damaged from the previous owner installing adhesive mats

--inner deck, however, was no where near as bad as your inside deck. His bottom hull has been stripped of all the old bottom paint, and has been repainted with new bottom paint

--all of his old mahogany planks have been replaced with teak

--latest project(just done a month ago) as the new rub rail; a new rub rail all the way around

The next big goal is to get the new teak planks installed. Then we can start designing a starboard console. We would ultimately like to get a Sport 15 GLS console, but the they are no longer in production.

Of course, we will eventually have to re-power with a new outboard, but that is not going to happen for another couple of years. When it comes time for repower, we would love to get the Yamaha F70, which is the outboard you installed on your Sport 15.

If you would like to see what the deck looks like, I can send you an email. I got the rub rails from Twin Cities Marine.

--Paul

Irongate, Your 35-HP Evinrude is a perfect motor for that boat.

I had similar cracks inside my boat and the repaired areas have held up nicely. When doing fiberglass repairs, just remember to remove the gel coat of the repair area down to the original fiberglass, so you get a good bond with your new fiberglass. Best of luck with your project.

For information on rub rail replacement, see the REFERENCE article on RUB RAILS. This is mentioned in the FAQ. Reading the FAQ is also recommended. It has good answers to many frequently asked questions.

My sport 13 is far worse than yours, and I am so far only repairing the boat structurally, and not cosmetically. Soon, when I learn the website photo posting instructions, I will post some photos of my old blue hull.

keep posting the progress of your remodel.

Steve

PJMSport15MY1984 wrote:
--inner deck has been completely redone with white Line-X because the deck was damaged from the previous owner installing adhesive mats
--inner deck, however, was no where near as bad as your inside deck.
--If you would like to see what the deck looks like, I can send you an email. I got the rub rails from Twin Cities Marine.

Paul:

I had seen another 13' done in Whaler blue (or close to it) using Line-X. It looked great but may be pricey for my budget.
On my inner deck...so it's that bad, eh? These are the things I have no knowledge of so I will be anxious to hear such opinions from people such as you who have been there with these rehabs. At this point, I literally do not know what I am dealing with in terms of extent of damage.

Yes, please send me pics of the deck-would love to see what's possible. I will definitely be going to Twin Cities for the rub rail kit as I have seen that recommendation several times on the various forums.

Thanks Paul.

Jim

Blowdega wrote:My sport 13 is far worse than yours, and I am so far only repairing the boat structurally, and not cosmetically. keep posting the progress of your remodel.Steve

Same here, Steve. I really don't know where to start! I am interested in structural repairs and making sure I am doing it right with the right products. There's a local West Marine store about 10 minutes from my door and I may go there and strike up a conversation as my first order of business!

I'll update as I go and hope to see your project pics too.

Jim

dg22 wrote: When doing fiberglass repairs, just remember to remove the gel coat of the repair area down to the original fiberglass, so you get a good bond with your new fiberglass. Best of luck with your project.

OK, thank you. I have a sander and a grinder...but my hands are shaking! I don't think I should put these tools to fiberglass until I know more. I've done the simple things so far, like removing rivets and hardware and I cleaned the boat. I may get one of the filler products from West and start filling the many rivet holes but I have to gather more "intel" before I attempt a deep fiberglass repair. I can see it now - I'll be running the grinder and when the dust clears, I'll say "Hey...that looks like my garage floor down there!"

I used 60 grit with my orbit sander and it did not take long to remove the gel coat down to the fiberglass. I then laid two layers of fiberglass mat, let cure, sand, and then fairing with marine bondo.

Also, if you have any bad spider cracks in the gel coat, I'd recommend sanding these down to the fiberglass, If you just fill the crack with marine bondo, the crack will return within a year.

Yes, good to start with the smaller jobs first while you do your research. Best of luck.

OK, thank you for that. I just picked up some Marine-Tex to fill the rivet holes.

Sorry but this has been late in getting underway due to an illness. I am starting to do what I can on the boat and hope to post pics. I will begin removing the old bottom paint this weekend. Hope the "Aqua Strip" I bought does the job.

For filling holes, I mix Loctite marine epoxy and then load it into syringes--works REALLY well filling the hole all the way to the bottom of the hole and is a close match to Whaler white gelcoat. Loctite marine epoxy also has a long working time. For holes on a vertical surface, make a small dam with tape to keep it in place.

The syringe method using Loctite marine epoxy looks more practical in filling all of the rivet holes. Probably cheaper than Marine Tex?

Re Loctite marine epoxy vs Marinetex- it's about $5 per package at Home Cheapo, a lot easier to measure and mix, a lot longer working time at 45 minutes, and is a fairly close match to white Whaler gelcoat. If you're mainly interested in structural integrity and not so concerned with aesthetics, the match is close enough where it's hard to detect if you're not looking for it.

Another plus for this adhesive epoxy is that it can be applied underwater. I've never tried it nor would I, but this makes it an ideal filler for filling holes in the floor of the thin-skinned 13' Whaler, especially if the foam is wet. When filling holes in the floor, I use a Dremel rotary grinder with an 1/8" carbide bur and flare out the top and underside of the hole to give the epoxy more area to bond to, which helps hold it in place for the long haul. Then I just use a vacuum cleaner to suck out the grinding dust followed by taping off the hole perimeter before injecting the epoxy into the hole, filling it and leaving it about an 1/8" above the surface to allow the epoxy to settle into the void, making sure to start with the tip of the syringe near the bottom of the hole so no air pockets are left in the void.

I let the epoxy cure for 24 hours and then use the Dremel to bring the repair flush with the surface. If you are a perfectionist, you could grind it slightly below the surface and apply gelcoat.

Sounds great. I will definitely check into the Loctite. I had picked up a grinding bit for my Dremel last week for the rivet holes. Thank you for the tips on using the syringe to fill the void entirely. I will give it a shot. My Whaler is pretty beat up and I am more interested in getting on the water to fish vs. aesthetics. I mean yeah, I want it to look nice but with this boat, there will be a limit. One question I have is this: where thee is damage to an area that has the dimpled, non-skid finish, I guess there's no way to get that back; i.e., the repaired area would come out smooth, right?

Jim

Re the non-skid areas, I've used a pointed carbide bur to grind dimples in the surface after it cures. It's not perfect, but again, if you didn't know it was there, you probably wouldn't notice it.

The other possibility would be to:

--use an area with the finish you're trying to achieve

--wax and silicone it to keep the epoxy from sticking

--and then use some epoxy to make a mold from the surface

--then silicone the mold and use it to form the dimples in the epoxy.

I've never tried this but do believe that it could be used with a little practice.

That [that is, the mention of using a mold to cast the non-skid onto curing resin, or the use of a grinder to grind in the non-skid into cured resin] is interesting! Probably [one or both of these methods is] worth at least a try on the non-stick texture. Got a long way to go before I'll be there.

I'm going to first start the process of removing the bottom paint. Right now, the boat on the trailer takes up a lot of space in my garage; I will build a wheeled cradle this weekend that I found online last night. It will allow me to maneuver the boat around and allow more elbow room.

My fairly beaten up Whaler has various levels of damage. Someone did some poor patching all over the boat and today, I started picking at the two transom corners and 2 entire chunks of material just fell out, leaving sizable voids down to the foam. I am wondering what the steps would be to repair these corners.

Irongate wrote:. . .at the two transom corners ...entire chunks of material just fell out, leaving sizable voids down to the foam. ...what [are] the steps..to repair these corners.

See http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/whalerRepair.html for the general method. That article demonstrates making a repair to a hull that has similar damage, that is, the hull outer skin laminate has been abraded away and the foam interior exposed at an external sharp-angle surface. Your repair should follow the same method demonstrated in the article.

Thanks Jim. Going from a complete neophyte on this stuff to understanding more and more. What a great resource CW is.

Jim

Good luck with the project. I did about the same with an '85 15 foot Sport but I needed to let the sun bake out as much water as I could first. Then I used white Marine Tex to fill the cracks and holes. I also used Marine Tex to glue in new stainless steel drain tubes. The advice about "V"ing the cracks is sound. You want plenty of "tooth" for the filler to grab onto. My boat was so badly stained and damaged I elected to paint the inside hull using Interlux Interthane Plus, now called Perfection. It is a true two-part polyurethane. Expensive, yes, but I only wanted to do this once, the right way. As for the motor, what you have is perfect, I used one of those on an 18' aluminum skiff with great success. But changing the head does not change the horsepower, that would be the carburetor and whatever size main jet it has.

Thanks for the info on the engine head and hp. Now the engine cowl will still be the truth...35hp and NOT 30!

Also, thanks for the tips on paint. I willcheck into that brand when the time comes.

Now consider this- My 1985 30hp Evinrude whoops butt over my 1980 Johnson 35hp. Why? Same displacement, 99.9% same parts, same controls, same props. It seems in the eighties the industry came under fire for overstating the hp of outboards. Similar to Detroit rating hp at WOT just before the engines exploded. So in 1985 the 35hp was de-rated to 30hp, but then OMC equipped the 30hp with a slightly larger carburetor with a much bigger main jet, and different gear ratio in the lower unit. It is a beast and can push a much larger prop than the 35hp. Since it was a tiller model, and it scared me a bit, I took it off and instead used the 35hp with remote controls, which had better manners.

That's interesting on the motor differences! Also can't wait to tell my buddy that changing the engine head didn't affect the hp rating. The 35 Evinrude, though dated now, was tested for compression and seems to be in fine working order. Should be a good match for the boat. This boat hasn't been in the water for many years so it will be a completely new experience for me once I am done repairs.

With a steering station and remote controls the 35hp will be plenty of power and manageable. It looks like the wood needs a lot of TLC too. I chose to ditch the wood and go with a small center console, and a flip back cooler seat. My gripe with Whalers is that the consoles are too wide. I found a small Todd that left plenty of room on either side. I also built a hinged mahogany cover for the gas tanks so I could still use that valuable space at the stern. The tabs engage the handles on the 6 gallon tanks. Here is a pic while under construction.

Old'--that is a good looking set-up on your 13 and so usable. Thanks for posting.

How cool is that setup? Very nice job.

That rotted wood is long gone. I have new mahogany. Here's a mock-up with the unfinished wood just placed in there.

Everything is being taken down. Just the hull now, ready to be worked on. Wood has two coats of finish so far. I'm strapped for time so it's slow going!

Dutchman--thank's, it's a 15 but what's two-feet among friends?

Irongate-- I didn't realize you replaced all the wood: very nice. I especially like the side console and wrap around railing. Most 13's don't have all that, just the bench seat and a tiller.

A 35-HP engine will be perfect for you. By the way, [the Evinrude 35-HP outboard engine in] certain years (the late 1990's, I think) had an exhaust muffler on the above water bypass port that really works. One [illustrated below] is for a 1997 30-HP. I adapted one to my 1980, and, I have to say, what a difference in noise. I got [the muffler] at Crowley.

OS&U:

You know - I don't even know what year this motor is. I THINK it's an '85. As I had said, the whole rig was given to me so the first thing I did was build a motor stand, remove the motor and roll it into a corner of the garage! But I do like hearing about this item from Crowley Marine. Thanks - I am saving these for when I'm ready to go.

Post the motor model number- it's easy to decode. This link is a good one-http://www.maxrules.com/omc_models.html