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Author Topic:   15ft 1987 center-console aft seat

joenewton posted 07-16-2003 07:57 PM ET (US)
I purchased a 1987 15ft center console that was in good shape except for the woodwork. I don't think anyone ever did any work on it, it's bleached out without any varnish. The aft seat has just acquired a major crack in the center,thanks to my hitting a wake to hard, right above the mounted gas tank. Should I replace the seat and risers with new wood or epoxy the crack and sand then refinish the wood. A fella nearby does custom woodwork and has enough mag. to do the job. What do you folks think? Thank you.
Bertramp posted 07-22-2003 11:24 AM ET (US)
Some 15 center consoles have both a forward and aft wood seat. If this is your case, I might consider switching the forward one aft and using a cooler in front of the console. As space can be limited on the 15, the cooler gives good storage and keeps stuff cold when needed. Downside is that it seats passengers up higher in front of the console, so that visibility may be reduced if your passengers are NBA sized.
skred posted 07-23-2003 08:33 AM ET (US)
Bertramp's suggestion is very good: I use a smallish cooler in front of the console myself...
I don't know how serious this crack is, but I'd still try to have it repaired if you need both seats. Sounds like the previous owner installed an under-seat tank. I located my tank under the console, which I hinged in the front for access, then installed a mahogany rear thwart seat with a vertical piece attached under the center of the seat, that rests on the deck. This prevents the stressing of both the seat and the side risers. If the tank must stay, you could fashion 2 braces - one in front and one in back of the tank to support the center of the seat.
My new mahogany (10 ft of 12-inch, and 10 ft of 6-inch) cost me under $50. So far I've put in 4 hours of sanding and varnishing and expect a couple more, but the end result is already apparent: it looks great when properly varnished, and the seat doesn't flinch under my 240 lbs of quivering tigerfat...
I don't know if you're inclined to do-it-yourself stuff, but I refinished both seats on a previous 13, and copied the old, cracked console to new wood, and it came out great. Very rewarding work.
joenewton posted 07-24-2003 08:27 AM ET (US)
Thank you for your input. I had the risers taken down less than an 16th of an inch. The bench seat I had re-done with new wood and added a 1/4 inch thickness. I've been doing the varnish work on the three parts the past few days and now have 4-coats on the wood. The seat is beautiful and the risers are as well. However, the older wood is darker, but once placed on the boat, since the risers are the darker color, the bench seat, being lighter may have a nice look, I hope! If not, the wood-worker can make both new risers for a total of 120.00. Maybe I should have just gotten new risers, but I like the idea of having some of the original wood on board. Other than the two little trim strips at the base of my mini-console that's about all the wood on board. The bow locker has that white "whaler-board"(is that what it's called?)stuff which works. I really like this 1986 15ft center console, I have not seen very many of them and with the new 48qt cooler mounted in front of the console it's a great little fishing boat in the sounds and bays. Even the ocean on days when the seas are 1-2 ft(that's about my limit on the ocean in that boat.) Thanks again for you input, J.N.
skred posted 07-24-2003 12:43 PM ET (US)
I've just completed the 4th coat of varnish on my new risers and seat. My risers also are slightly darker than the seat, just being from a slightly different batch of mahogany. The contrast is actually quite good-looking. I'm pretty sure the original front hatch cover was mahogany, too. Mine was replaced with whalerboard, and I replaced that with a marine plywood stained mahogany. I'm going to make an all-mahogany version this year. You might use the $120 riser money to have the fella make your hatch cover from mahogany like the original. It really dresses up the boat.
I'll try to send some pictures of before/during/after as soon as I design the seatback supports. Since I don't have the original wraparound seatback rails, I've decided to hinge the seatback with 2 6-inch marine stainless hinges and 2 (3?) support legs, thus allowing the back to lay flat if desired.
You're gonna love your 15!
joenewton posted 07-24-2003 03:03 PM ET (US)
Thanks for your response. My boat never had the wrap-around seating so I would be curious to see your pictures when done. I'm not set-up to send pictures on the net but if you would like to see my boat go to www.johnsonmarineinc.com and click on the used boats. The "sold" Whaler is the one I purchased and you should be able to click for a large view. It's still posted even though I got the boat a month ago.Thanks again, the wood does look great and with the four coats I'm going to put the wood back on today, maybe.

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Author	Topic: 15ft 1987 center-console aft seat
joenewton	posted 07-16-2003 07:57 PM ET (US) I purchased a 1987 15ft center console that was in good shape except for the woodwork. I don't think anyone ever did any work on it, it's bleached out without any varnish. The aft seat has just acquired a major crack in the center,thanks to my hitting a wake to hard, right above the mounted gas tank. Should I replace the seat and risers with new wood or epoxy the crack and sand then refinish the wood. A fella nearby does custom woodwork and has enough mag. to do the job. What do you folks think? Thank you.
Bertramp	posted 07-22-2003 11:24 AM ET (US) Some 15 center consoles have both a forward and aft wood seat. If this is your case, I might consider switching the forward one aft and using a cooler in front of the console. As space can be limited on the 15, the cooler gives good storage and keeps stuff cold when needed. Downside is that it seats passengers up higher in front of the console, so that visibility may be reduced if your passengers are NBA sized.
skred	posted 07-23-2003 08:33 AM ET (US) Bertramp's suggestion is very good: I use a smallish cooler in front of the console myself... I don't know how serious this crack is, but I'd still try to have it repaired if you need both seats. Sounds like the previous owner installed an under-seat tank. I located my tank under the console, which I hinged in the front for access, then installed a mahogany rear thwart seat with a vertical piece attached under the center of the seat, that rests on the deck. This prevents the stressing of both the seat and the side risers. If the tank must stay, you could fashion 2 braces - one in front and one in back of the tank to support the center of the seat. My new mahogany (10 ft of 12-inch, and 10 ft of 6-inch) cost me under $50. So far I've put in 4 hours of sanding and varnishing and expect a couple more, but the end result is already apparent: it looks great when properly varnished, and the seat doesn't flinch under my 240 lbs of quivering tigerfat... I don't know if you're inclined to do-it-yourself stuff, but I refinished both seats on a previous 13, and copied the old, cracked console to new wood, and it came out great. Very rewarding work.
joenewton	posted 07-24-2003 08:27 AM ET (US) Thank you for your input. I had the risers taken down less than an 16th of an inch. The bench seat I had re-done with new wood and added a 1/4 inch thickness. I've been doing the varnish work on the three parts the past few days and now have 4-coats on the wood. The seat is beautiful and the risers are as well. However, the older wood is darker, but once placed on the boat, since the risers are the darker color, the bench seat, being lighter may have a nice look, I hope! If not, the wood-worker can make both new risers for a total of 120.00. Maybe I should have just gotten new risers, but I like the idea of having some of the original wood on board. Other than the two little trim strips at the base of my mini-console that's about all the wood on board. The bow locker has that white "whaler-board"(is that what it's called?)stuff which works. I really like this 1986 15ft center console, I have not seen very many of them and with the new 48qt cooler mounted in front of the console it's a great little fishing boat in the sounds and bays. Even the ocean on days when the seas are 1-2 ft(that's about my limit on the ocean in that boat.) Thanks again for you input, J.N.
skred	posted 07-24-2003 12:43 PM ET (US) I've just completed the 4th coat of varnish on my new risers and seat. My risers also are slightly darker than the seat, just being from a slightly different batch of mahogany. The contrast is actually quite good-looking. I'm pretty sure the original front hatch cover was mahogany, too. Mine was replaced with whalerboard, and I replaced that with a marine plywood stained mahogany. I'm going to make an all-mahogany version this year. You might use the $120 riser money to have the fella make your hatch cover from mahogany like the original. It really dresses up the boat. I'll try to send some pictures of before/during/after as soon as I design the seatback supports. Since I don't have the original wraparound seatback rails, I've decided to hinge the seatback with 2 6-inch marine stainless hinges and 2 (3?) support legs, thus allowing the back to lay flat if desired. You're gonna love your 15!
joenewton	posted 07-24-2003 03:03 PM ET (US) Thanks for your response. My boat never had the wrap-around seating so I would be curious to see your pictures when done. I'm not set-up to send pictures on the net but if you would like to see my boat go to www.johnsonmarineinc.com and click on the used boats. The "sold" Whaler is the one I purchased and you should be able to click for a large view. It's still posted even though I got the boat a month ago.Thanks again, the wood does look great and with the four coats I'm going to put the wood back on today, maybe.