CONTINUOUSWAVE

Years ago I purchased a [1984] OUTRAGE [18], and I have done a ton of work to it:

• replaced the fuel tank
• rewired the entire boat
• fixed small soft spots on the deck.

The [1984 OUTRAGE 18] remains sitting poorly on its mooring. It rides below [its] water line and appears to still be full of water in the transom.

The engine is a 2004 Yamaha 150 Saltwater Series II with low hours.

I have had several people look at the boat and walk away with knowledge of how waterlogged [the c.1984 OUTRAGE 18] models can be.

Q1: where is a [repair shop] that knows [c.1984 OUTRAGE 18 boats] and can fix [the problem of appearing to be "full of water in the transom"] in Boston or north?

[Another question seeking an appraisal of the boat's value is deleted from this topic because we are in the REPAIRS and MODIFICATION forum. To get an appraisal of the value of the boat you will need to start a new thread in the MARKETPLACE forum. To get any cogent advice you will need to provide much more detail about what is included in the boat offered for sale, and to provide three good photo-images of the boat in that new thread in MARKETPLACE.--jimh]

Photos of the boat at rest showing its static position will help us give you targeted advice.

Veteran owners/restorer's of Boston Whaler classic models recommend against serious efforts to remove water that has infiltrated the hull. It is highly difficult to remove water without destruction/reconstruction.

The key area to investigate are the thru hulls. At a minimum you should pull the boat and remove all the thru hulls and inspect the holes.

Nauset Marine (https://www.nausetmarine.com/) is a well respected Boston Whaler dealer with locations near you. I would approach them for feedback.

Q2: What method have you used to determine that the boat is "full of water in the transom"?

Q3: What basis was used to determine the boat static trim is "below its waterline"?

Q4: Are you trying to sell the boat as-is?

Q5: Are you trying to restore the boat for your own use?

Q6: Are you trying to make a repair in order to facilitate the sale of the boat at a better price?

South of Boston in Lakeville, MA, is Metan Marine, which may fit your needs: metanmarine.com.

You mentioned the boat was mooring kept. Have you checked the condition of the brass drain tubes? I've seen a number of Whalers where they are corroded to the point of water having direct contact to the foam. I have one Whaler with water in the stern from that single reason.

As others have asked, how have you determined the boat is waterlogged and how much water is it holding? If buyers have looked at the boat and made this comment, did they have anything to back up this claim? Remember, they could be throwing this out as a negotiation tool to get a lower price and the concern might be smaller than you think. As for asking for a shop to repair the boat and cut through the inner liner and replace waterlogged foam, I can't imagine any repair would increase the value enough to pay for the repair itself and you'd be out more money.

Mike at Metan has done some impressive things with Whalers and I've talked to him several times, but I can tell you he's not cheap at all and you would not recoup the cost of the repair at all.

Offer up more details and pics so we can help you.

D-

The water line at rest remains over the brass drain tubes. Water remains in the [engine splash well] at all times.

The engine could be a bit heavy for the boat, but I still believe it [i.e., the cause of the boat's static trim to be down by the stern more than expected] to be water [in the hull].

The last time the boat was in the shop, they told me the “moisture reading” was off the charts.

I am not sure what to do with the boat. Thanks for all the feedback.

dunstr wrote:The water line at rest remains over the brass drain tubes. Water remains in the [engine splash well] at all times.

Check the integrity of the engine splash well drains. If the engine splash well drains have been continually immersed in the sea, and if they are not well sealed, they could be allowing water to enter the hull laminate.

dunstr wrote:The last time the boat was in the shop, they told me the “moisture reading” was off the charts.

On Boston Whaler boats, a reading with a device called a moisture meter does not have a well defined meaning. Boston Whaler hull construction is fundamentally different than other boats due to their Unibond method. There is alway some residual moisture in all Boston Whaler Unibond hulls. Any assessment of a Boston Whaler boat having "moisture" would also need a precise location for the affected area. The only way to actually discover if the interior foam of the Unibond hull and any embedded reinforcement wood are saturated with water will be to drill a small exploratory hole and see what comes out.

dunstr wrote:I am not sure what to do with the boat.

I am not clear about your intentions regarding whether you want to sell the boat or keep the boat. As mentioned above, a repair may be costly, and, if you plan to sell the boat, the repair costs may never be recovered by the proceeds of the sale.

So you have a mid 80's Outrage 18' with a Yami 150 2 stroke motor. Here's a mid 80's Outrage 18' that had a Yami 200 2 stroke motor. Since the 150 and the 200 used the same 2.6L block and relied on very minor carb, timing and other differences, they basically weight the same.

So here are pics from another boat (like yours) that shows the motor well drains below the waterline.



It's be nice to see how far up your waterline is, but even better would be to see how much water enters the motorwell or how far below the waters surface the drains are.

D-