170 Montauk and Mills mooring cover

Repair or modification of Boston Whaler boats, their engines, trailers, and gear
bmat5
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170 Montauk and Mills mooring cover

Postby bmat5 » Wed Jul 15, 2020 8:36 pm

While searching for a 170 Montauk, I came across a boat with a Mills mooring cover, that had fasteners on both sides that were attached to the hull, directly below the rub rail.

is this cover [made by Wm J. Mills & Co. Sailmakers] a factory accessory?

Or, aftermarket addition?

I understand Mills made the original Bimini, and I note the mooring cover and fasteners on their website. I'm less concerned about the cover, and more concerned about fasteners added outside of the factory, and the potential for water intrusion into the hull if not done properly. Any insight would be appreciated.

biggiefl
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Re: 170 Montauk and Mills mooring cover

Postby biggiefl » Thu Jul 16, 2020 1:18 am

What year hull? I do not think Mills was OEM for the 170 hulls. If a classic, yes and they had a great clip design to attach to the gunwale instead of bungee cords or rope.
On my 24th Whaler. Currently in the stable: 86 18' Outrage, 81 13' Sport(original owner), 87 11' Sport, 69 Squall(for sale cheap).

bmat5
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Re: 170 Montauk and Mills mooring cover

Postby bmat5 » Thu Jul 16, 2020 8:48 am

The hull is a 2005. I don't see anything in the BW resources listing it as a factory option.

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Phil T
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Re: 170 Montauk and Mills mooring cover

Postby Phil T » Thu Jul 16, 2020 10:51 am

While Great Lakes was/is the OEM supplier for canvas, Mills makes a good product, as do others.

Fasteners in the hull are acceptable, just add a dab of sealant, not adhesive in the hole and under the head of the screw. If the screw head will touch the gelcoat, the top of the hole should be chamfered to prevent stress cracks from occurring.
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jimh
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Re: 170 Montauk and Mills mooring cover

Postby jimh » Thu Jul 16, 2020 11:34 am

The relationship of Wm. J. Mill & Co. as the OEM supplier of weather canvas systems to be sold as accessories to Boston Whaler boats ended sometime ago when Brunswick decided to use a firm in Tennessee that was making SeaRay boat canvas. I haven’t researched the precise date, but the OEM relationship probably ended not too long after Brunswick took control of Boston Whaler.

If the 170 MONTAUK boat under discussion is in the vicinity of Greenport, Long Island, New York, by trailering, then the canvas may have been fitted and installed by Mills. Or, some one bought the canvas from Mills and fitted and installed it themselves.

The reason Mills became associated with Boston Whaler in the way-way-back was their ability to satisfy the demand for perfection required of them by Dick Fisher about 60-years ago. At that time Fisher had tried many other suppliers but none of those canvas makers could cut it—pun intended.

Now, in 2020, there is no certainty that Mills will still be capable of meeting Dick Fisher’s standards as a canvas supplier, but then there is no guarantee that a 170 MONTAUK boat would meet his standards, either. He was, by reputation, a very demanding customer.

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Re: 170 Montauk and Mills mooring cover

Postby jimh » Thu Jul 16, 2020 12:14 pm

bmat5 wrote:I'm...concerned...about fasteners added outside of the factory, and the potential for water intrusion into the hull if not done properly.


Your concern is completely justified and understandable.

Any screw fastener added to a Unibond hull should be properly sealed against water intrusion, and most importantly any fastener that will be exposed to or be under water, with the absolute greatest concern for an underwater fastener on a hull running surface.

In general a screw fastener should also be located where embedded material has been intentionally provided inside the hull to receive and retain the fastener and endure the load created by the fastener.