1981 Sport 13: Mounting Rails and Weather Canvas

[remarksf]

Thanks to advice from this forum, I [made a decision to purchase a Boston Whaler SPORT 13 boat] for small family use and in a flat bay. This Boston Whaler boat came with a nice Bimini top as well as front rails, but neither are installed.

Given there [will be] side rails [installed], is use of clip-on clamps or hinge clips to the side rails the best method for installation of a Bimini top [frame]?

Also, installation of a [bow] rail seems to require drilling into in the hull. Many forum posts view drilling into the hull unfavorably. The simple drillings into the hull for installation of the bow rail seem unavoidable.

The boat is in good-but-not-vintage shape.

For installing oar locks as backup for a short paddle home also require drilling into the hull?

This is my first boat and I am very excited. I am open to any advice or suggestions from this amazing community.

Scott

[jimh]

SCOTT--congratulations on the purchase of a SPORT 13 Boston Whaler boat.

Mounting the hinges for the frame of a Bimini top by using clamps that encircle the cockpit railings is one method for locating and installing those hinges.

Properly fabricated railings for a Boston Whaler boat will have the bases of the vertical tubes position so those bases will be located above points in the boat gunwale where the hull has been manufactured with embedded wood reinforcement boards that can provide a proper point for self-tapping screw fasteners to be used to fix the rail bases in place in a secure and strong manner. Because railings are expected to be given strong lateral forces, the rail bases must be very securely fastened in place to the hull, and should only be fastened into those areas designed for rail base attachment points.

[jimh]

The location of embedded wood reinforced mounting points is shown in the embedded wood locating diagrams. There are links to the diagrams in the REFERENCE section article on the 13-foot hull at

The 13-foot Hull
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/13/

[biggiefl]

Do you want and need the bow rails? I personally think they are ugly on 13's but if you have small kids, not a bad idea. Just because you have them, does not mean you have to install them.

Usually the most aft railing stanchion is drilled all the way through the hull and there is a securing plate that attaches from the outside of the hull. The others are self tapping like Jim mentioned.

You can use rail mounts for the bimini but they are harder to find as Whaler rails are thicker than the mounts they sell at West Marine, etc. The rail mounts also might make the bimini too tall and keep it from folding flat when it is down.

[remarksf]

Do you want and need the bow rails? I personally think they are ugly on 13's but if you have small kids, not a bad idea. Just because you have them, does not mean you have to install them.

Usually the most aft railing stanchion is drilled all the way through the hull and there is a securing plate that attaches from the outside of the hull. The others are self tapping like Jim mentioned.

You can use rail mounts for the bimini but they are harder to find as Whaler rails are thicker than the mounts they sell at West Marine, etc. The rail mounts also might make the bimini too tall and keep it from folding flat when it is down.

Two good points. I have a 6 year old and 11 year old, but maybe see how the first few trips go before installing (always in lifejackets, they can swim, safe bay).

So on the bimini, sorry I am a bit confused, what would be the best attach point?

[biggiefl]

Screwed to the gunwales is the most popular spot to mount.