1963 SUPER SPORT 13 Console Dimensions; Steering; Finding Used Motor Controls; Raising Transom to 20-inches; AWLGRIP and PERFECTION Paints; Anti-Fouling Bottom Paint; Preserving Non-Skid; Proper Length of Steering Cable; Size for Steering Wheel

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  1963 SUPER SPORT 13 Console Dimensions; Steering; Finding Used Motor Controls; Raising Transom to 20-inches; AWLGRIP and PERFECTION Paints; Anti-Fouling Bottom Paint; Preserving Non-Skid; Proper Length of Steering Cable; Size for Steering Wheel

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Author Topic:   1963 SUPER SPORT 13 Console Dimensions; Steering; Finding Used Motor Controls; Raising Transom to 20-inches; AWLGRIP and PERFECTION Paints; Anti-Fouling Bottom Paint; Preserving Non-Skid; Proper Length of Steering Cable; Size for Steering Wheel

bplbi posted 09-08-2010 10:21 PM ET (US)
A few weeks ago, I bought a 1963 Boston Whaler 13-foot boat with an Mercury 18-HP tiller handle steering. I'm really excited about this little boat. Growing up I always wanted a 13-foot Boston Whaler boat. Now I'm 26 but I still love 13-foot Boston Whaler boats. An old friend had had one sitting in his back yard and sold me the boat, motor, and trailer for $300. The motor runs great but I want more power. Recently, I purchased a 1985 Evinrude 40-HP that I found on Craigslist. The motor did not come with any controls. I need to build a console, buy a steering kit, purchase a steering wheel, and purchase and locate a remote control for the motor. I would really appreciate it if someone could could give me the dimensions for the console so that I can make one. I would like to fully restore my boat.
I would really appreciate it if someone could give me the dimensions of the SUPER SPORT console.
Does anyone have any recommendations for steering gear? I was planning on installing a Teleflex NFB steering kit. After reading some posts on the forum I'm a little conflicted. Any suggestions for installing a steering system and console?
Is it difficult to find a used OMC remote for a 1985 40 hp Evinrude?
The transom is only 15 inches. Will the motor I have work on my boat with Teleflex NFB steering? Or, will I have to modify the transom?
Also, I would like to paint the whole boat. I'm going to soda blast the bottom paint off this weekend. Should I use AWLGRIP or Interlux PERFECTION to paint the hull (via sprayer).
Do I need to use a barrier coat too?
I'm concerned about the non-skid. Will I be able to just spray over it? I have so many questions I don't know where to begin. I'm in the military and I will be leaving for training in early January. I'm hoping to have the boat fully restored before I leave or sooner if possible. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for taking the time to read over this.
brisboats posted 09-08-2010 10:31 PM ET (US)
The controls would be red plug for the 1985 lots of them on Ebay. Expect to pay 100-150 for a good set. Your 1985 motor is most likely a 20" or longshaft motor. In order for this engine to work properly on your 15" transom you will need a jack plate or you may opt to fill in the notch on your boat.
Try the excellent search function on this site for your other questions.
Brian
jimh posted 09-09-2010 07:34 AM ET (US)
Which of these many projects do you plan to tackle first? If you let us know we can focus on that task.
jimh posted 09-09-2010 07:39 AM ET (US)
Oh no--I see you posted this article in duplicate. That is a big mistake. Now your replies will be spread among two threads. I will fix this big mistake for you. I will delete the duplicate thread.
dg22 posted 09-08-2010 11:18 PM ET (US)
Regarding the controls, I found newer ones for my 1972 Evinrude 50-HP on [an on-line auction website] that were from the late 1980's. If you search OMC Controls under Boat Parts, you'll find some that will work for your motor.
Two years ago I fixed up my 1967 13-footer. I ordered the replacement three piece rub rail and new decals from my local Boston Whaler dealer and the prices were very reasonable. I think the rub rail was $120 and the decals $20. Regarding the console, I was able to restore the wood on mine but you can buy a complete kit. Good luck with your project.
jimh posted 09-09-2010 08:52 AM ET (US)
Check with NAUTICAL LUMBER for a replacement SUPER SPORT console. Mike makes wonderful wooden components and his prices are very good. See
http://www.nauticallumber.com/
Unless you are an accomplished wood artisan, have all the materials on-hand, and otherwise have lots of time, I doubt you could actually build a console yourself any cheaper.
Your choice for steering with the Teleflex NFB is a good one. Or you might consider restoring the original wire-rope steering just to keep the boat in more original condition.
It is not difficult to find used remote controls for older OMC motors. There are thousands of controls for which the motor has been abandoned, and any sort of inquiry into any sort of boat dealer who has been selling OMC motors ought to locate these. You will have zero problem finding controls.
Raising the transom to 20-inches from 15-inches has been discussed many times in prior discussions. Use the SEARCH function to find these resources. Here is a starting point:
http://continuouswave.com/cgi-bin/sw.pl?Search=raising+transom+15-inch
Soda blasting to remove old anti-fouling paint is a good idea. Let us know how it works for you.
The merits of AWLGRIP compared to PERFECTION have been discussed in many prior discussions. Again, perhaps you could use the SEARCH function to read these many discussions and take from them the opinions already given, rather than resume that debate here.
The need for a barrier coat is given in the owner's manual for your boat. See:
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/manual9-17/maintenance. html#bottom
If you want to preserve the non-skip you will have to be very careful when spraying new top coatings over it. The surface of the non-skip will tend to fill in if you spray a heavy coat of paint over it. There is no way to avoid this. Often the non-skid areas get sanded down and a different approach to making a non-skid is used, such as adding grit to the coating or to use a different coating in those areas which is intended to produce a rough surface.
Hunk posted 09-09-2010 12:42 PM ET (US)
Do it the easy way. Sell your $300 purchase for $1000 or more depending on condition. Now find another one with a 20 inch transom and a decent interior and good original gel coat for $3500-4000 Stick your new to you 40hp OMC on it and enjoy it. You will be way ahead money wise, and unless you are an accomplished painter and carpenter, you will save yourself alot of problems. When you are part way through your project you will agree with me.
rogerhoward posted 09-09-2010 02:52 PM ET (US)
I just put the Teleflex Safe-T II NFB on my 13' 1976 and I'm quite happy with it.
There are plans for the interior on WhalerCentral, but I'd agree that you'll be better off just buying it, unless you really want to do it yourself - once I priced the wood and my time I went right to SpecialtyMarine for my interior.
Otherwise, I completely rebuilt my boat - stripped everything off, repaired all damage, drilled and filled all holes. I then primed and painted with Interlux Perfection (can't say it's better or worse than 2-part AwlGrip - certainly similar) - I used Perfection with some texture additive on the non-slip floor (I repaired all the damage to the floor, but didn't strip the fiberglass all the way down to remove the molded texture and it looks great still).
OMC wiring and throttles are easy to come by on eBay - I put a nice Evinrude Simplex on mine (to keep it looking classic), along with a mostly-new wiring harness.
Don't know about barrier coating - I could be wrong, but I think that's mainly for those who leave their boats on the water for extended periods of time. Mine is trailered and cleaned after every use.
As mentioned, your motor will work fine with Teleflex, it's going to be the transom height that will give you trouble (not sure if that motor is long or short shaft - but if it's long you've got some difficult/expensive choices to make... either a jack plate, building up the transom to long shaft height, or finding a short shaft motor).
Good luck!
contender posted 09-09-2010 04:10 PM ET (US)
A 1963 13 Whaler needs short shaft engine (15 inch) If the engine that you purchased is a 20 inch you will have to fix/modified your transom. There are two ways to do this, one is to do it correctly and grind it and fiberglass in the notch. The second would be to purchase an aftermarket adaptor that is made out of aluminum and it bolts to the transom to fill in the notch. (I would go the fiberglass route). The console you will need to purchase/make one or (I'm sure you can get the demitions on this site if you do a search) The next way is to contact Mike at Nautical Lumber and tell him what you want and pay for it (he does very good work) you will no be disappointed (I would go this route and call Mike). Using a Teleflex steering system you may want the console a little wider to fit the helm. If you have a short shaft (15 inch) engine you can still use it with the teleflex steering but you have to purchase the stand off for the steering (purchase the stainless one). I just redid my 17 whaler and use Awlgrip, I sanded down the entire boat and primed it and it came out very nice. The non skid had a lot of holes and cracks and was to difficult to match. and if you shoot over it you are going to see everything, so I grinded down the non skid and the screw heads in the water channel, then shot the boat with awlgrip with a medium in the paint for the non skid. The new interior came out better than factory and I'm very happy with it. The controls you can find them on eBay. I would look for the old style two lever to match the year of the boat. I also like having a dual lever for running/control of the boat as well. Is you engine electric start or pull start, may have to get controls to match the engine with the key harness...good luck
Hunk posted 09-09-2010 04:11 PM ET (US)
I have a standard 13 foot mahogany console in kit(disassembled) form I will sell you for $100. It is an exact copy of the post 1976 Whaler consoles. It is a little more intricate and better looking than the older model but is the same dimensions. It is built from Sapele(African mahogany) and is the wood of choice for most builders of Whaler parts including the one mentioned in the above posts. Just glue and screw together and varnish. Screw hoes are already drilled. It is a leftover from 3 years ago when I built and sold a dozen 13 ft. Whaler interiors. I can e-mail pics. I think I have a couple of seat clamps also. e-mail is floridaboy2053@yahoo.com
Dick
Jet Wrench posted 09-09-2010 07:10 PM ET (US)
PM me. I have a 13' Safe T Teleflex cable that is in good shape you can have for cheap ($25.00). I have a center console set up on my 66 Sakonnet and needed a 17' to work.
Jet Wrench
bplbi posted 09-09-2010 09:54 PM ET (US)
Thanks for all the feedback and support. I really appreciate everyone taking time to offer there knowledge and insite.
I made two new seats today at work while I was on lunch. I obtained some mahogany from a scrap pile at a local lumber yard a few days ago. I have access to a nice wood shop on base. The wood was a little discolored from being left out in the elements but I sanded it with some 80 grit on a palm sander and it brightened up pretty nicely. I routered the broad side of the seats to take the sharp edges off. I took them in the paint booth at my station today and sprayed them with Interlux Schooner Gold. They look pretty nice so far. I'm going to put 4 to 5 more coats on them during my lunch breaks next week. I'll post some pictures when they're finished. I'm going to search the site this evening and try to find some dimmensions for a side console. Dick, I really appreciate your offer to sell me one at a fair price but I'm going to enjoy making one.
I'm planning on beginning prep work this weekend for painting the hull. Four other Coasties from work are going to stop buy and help me turn the hull upside down and set it on saw horses. I'm going to soda blast the old bottom paint off tomorrow afternoon. This is best idea I have so far for painting the hull. Does it sound like a good one? Based one what everyone says and everything I've read on this site, Awgrip is the way to go with paint.
I don't want to fill the trasome in because I would like to keep the boat as original as possible.
I'll post some pictures this weekend so you can all see what I'm working with. Thanks for taking the time to help me out.
- Bill
bill.pettit@yahoo.com
rogerhoward posted 09-09-2010 10:24 PM ET (US)
FYI, you'll need more like a 9' or 10' steering cable (the 13' that Jet Wrench is offering will be way too long). I just installed a 10' on my modified Super Sport (it looks like a classic Super Sport, but with dual consoles about 2/3 the width of the normal SS console) and it fit just about perfect... in any case, you need to measure for your setup - everyone positions their console a bit differently as there is some fore/aft wiggle room)... I've heard plenty of people got away with a 9' cable for their 13 Whalers, especially with the smaller consoles.
Hunk posted 09-10-2010 08:06 PM ET (US)
Bill,
After painting many boats with AwlGrip over the years I agree that it is the way to go. Check out this site http://www.finishmaster.com/ I have found they have the best prices, and knowledge of the product, and they are a national chain so one is probably near you.
Dick
dowdhh posted 09-10-2010 08:45 PM ET (US)
Bill, do yourself a favor, fill the transom notch now,in the early stages of you ambitious project. If you mount the 40hp with a jack plate the motor will be about 5"s higher and back 4"s. That will put stress on your transom that it wasn't designed for, especially for its age. You will also reduce water coming over the transom. Fill the transom, still use a jack plate (You can use the top bolt holes) and you'll have a solid boat that will fly!! Original is great but not in this area. Remember Whaler raised the transom !! Just some advice from someone who learned the hard way. Good luck, HH
bplbi posted 09-16-2010 07:28 PM ET (US)
Thanks for the advice. I'm going to go ahead and fill the transome.
bplbi posted 09-16-2010 08:20 PM ET (US)
I spent most of the past week removing bottom paint. There must have been bottom paint on my boat that dated all the way back to 1963. I think I've seen every possible color of bottom paint that has ever existed. I used my soda blaster and it worked well but took a long time because it only removes one layer of paint at a time and I ran into a few problems along the way.
I bought my soda blaster about a year ago from Eastwood. It's called the Master Blaster. It's a soda blaster and an abrasive blaster. It has two tanks so that you can mix blasting agents and use them simultaneously. The idea is to be able to alternate or combine medias to more effectively tackle the task at hand. I've never tried using mixed media before. I've only used baking soda or abrasive separately from one another. I read some threads here on CW and I decided to use crushed walnut shells in the abrasive tank and XL grit baking soda in the bicarbonate tank. It's a great idea in theory but I ran into a few issues that really slowed down my progress.
The walnut shells were very temperamental and clogged my nozzle several times. I also adjusted the media flow valves incorrectly and caused the crushed walnuts to back feed into the baking soda media and clogged up my whole blaster. I had to take the blaster apart and clean it out and put it back together. I ended up giving up on the walnut shells and just used baking soda. As much as I would like to blame the blaster for being designed poorly the issues I encountered were probably more likely a product of user error.
There were 4 spots underneath the bottom paint where the hull had been repaired. The repair jobs were poor at best. I sanded them down and laid several layers of cloth and resin and fared them out. I'm a little concerned about the gel coat surrounding those areas I repaired. I sanded the areas that needed to be repaired and the area that surrounded the repairs. The gel coat was sanded pretty thin in a few spots. Are those areas more susceptible to osmosis and blistering because the gel coat has been sanded down? Are there any preventative measures I could take to prevent the gel coat and hull from absorbing moisture? Will the paint alone protect the hull‘s structural integrity and prevent it from absorbing any moisture? Thank you everyone for your time and insight. Despite the issues I’ve encountered I’m still really enjoying working on this boat.
bplbi posted 09-16-2010 09:11 PM ET (US)
I filled any dings that I found in the gel coat with 3M Filler Above [and] below waterline.
bplbi posted 09-26-2010 08:15 PM ET (US)
Would everyone agree that 10' is a good length for [NFB Teleflex] steering on my 13-foot boat? Any suggestions on what size steering wheel I should use?
jimh posted 09-26-2010 08:51 PM ET (US)
For information on steering wheels see
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/OEM.html#SSwheel

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Author	Topic: 1963 SUPER SPORT 13 Console Dimensions; Steering; Finding Used Motor Controls; Raising Transom to 20-inches; AWLGRIP and PERFECTION Paints; Anti-Fouling Bottom Paint; Preserving Non-Skid; Proper Length of Steering Cable; Size for Steering Wheel
bplbi	posted 09-08-2010 10:21 PM ET (US) A few weeks ago, I bought a 1963 Boston Whaler 13-foot boat with an Mercury 18-HP tiller handle steering. I'm really excited about this little boat. Growing up I always wanted a 13-foot Boston Whaler boat. Now I'm 26 but I still love 13-foot Boston Whaler boats. An old friend had had one sitting in his back yard and sold me the boat, motor, and trailer for $300. The motor runs great but I want more power. Recently, I purchased a 1985 Evinrude 40-HP that I found on Craigslist. The motor did not come with any controls. I need to build a console, buy a steering kit, purchase a steering wheel, and purchase and locate a remote control for the motor. I would really appreciate it if someone could could give me the dimensions for the console so that I can make one. I would like to fully restore my boat. I would really appreciate it if someone could give me the dimensions of the SUPER SPORT console. Does anyone have any recommendations for steering gear? I was planning on installing a Teleflex NFB steering kit. After reading some posts on the forum I'm a little conflicted. Any suggestions for installing a steering system and console? Is it difficult to find a used OMC remote for a 1985 40 hp Evinrude? The transom is only 15 inches. Will the motor I have work on my boat with Teleflex NFB steering? Or, will I have to modify the transom? Also, I would like to paint the whole boat. I'm going to soda blast the bottom paint off this weekend. Should I use AWLGRIP or Interlux PERFECTION to paint the hull (via sprayer). Do I need to use a barrier coat too? I'm concerned about the non-skid. Will I be able to just spray over it? I have so many questions I don't know where to begin. I'm in the military and I will be leaving for training in early January. I'm hoping to have the boat fully restored before I leave or sooner if possible. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for taking the time to read over this.
brisboats	posted 09-08-2010 10:31 PM ET (US) The controls would be red plug for the 1985 lots of them on Ebay. Expect to pay 100-150 for a good set. Your 1985 motor is most likely a 20" or longshaft motor. In order for this engine to work properly on your 15" transom you will need a jack plate or you may opt to fill in the notch on your boat. Try the excellent search function on this site for your other questions. Brian
jimh	posted 09-09-2010 07:34 AM ET (US) Which of these many projects do you plan to tackle first? If you let us know we can focus on that task.
jimh	posted 09-09-2010 07:39 AM ET (US) Oh no--I see you posted this article in duplicate. That is a big mistake. Now your replies will be spread among two threads. I will fix this big mistake for you. I will delete the duplicate thread.
dg22	posted 09-08-2010 11:18 PM ET (US) Regarding the controls, I found newer ones for my 1972 Evinrude 50-HP on [an on-line auction website] that were from the late 1980's. If you search OMC Controls under Boat Parts, you'll find some that will work for your motor. Two years ago I fixed up my 1967 13-footer. I ordered the replacement three piece rub rail and new decals from my local Boston Whaler dealer and the prices were very reasonable. I think the rub rail was $120 and the decals $20. Regarding the console, I was able to restore the wood on mine but you can buy a complete kit. Good luck with your project.
jimh	posted 09-09-2010 08:52 AM ET (US) Check with NAUTICAL LUMBER for a replacement SUPER SPORT console. Mike makes wonderful wooden components and his prices are very good. See http://www.nauticallumber.com/ Unless you are an accomplished wood artisan, have all the materials on-hand, and otherwise have lots of time, I doubt you could actually build a console yourself any cheaper. Your choice for steering with the Teleflex NFB is a good one. Or you might consider restoring the original wire-rope steering just to keep the boat in more original condition. It is not difficult to find used remote controls for older OMC motors. There are thousands of controls for which the motor has been abandoned, and any sort of inquiry into any sort of boat dealer who has been selling OMC motors ought to locate these. You will have zero problem finding controls. Raising the transom to 20-inches from 15-inches has been discussed many times in prior discussions. Use the SEARCH function to find these resources. Here is a starting point: http://continuouswave.com/cgi-bin/sw.pl?Search=raising+transom+15-inch Soda blasting to remove old anti-fouling paint is a good idea. Let us know how it works for you. The merits of AWLGRIP compared to PERFECTION have been discussed in many prior discussions. Again, perhaps you could use the SEARCH function to read these many discussions and take from them the opinions already given, rather than resume that debate here. The need for a barrier coat is given in the owner's manual for your boat. See: http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/manual9-17/maintenance. html#bottom If you want to preserve the non-skip you will have to be very careful when spraying new top coatings over it. The surface of the non-skip will tend to fill in if you spray a heavy coat of paint over it. There is no way to avoid this. Often the non-skid areas get sanded down and a different approach to making a non-skid is used, such as adding grit to the coating or to use a different coating in those areas which is intended to produce a rough surface.
Hunk	posted 09-09-2010 12:42 PM ET (US) Do it the easy way. Sell your $300 purchase for $1000 or more depending on condition. Now find another one with a 20 inch transom and a decent interior and good original gel coat for $3500-4000 Stick your new to you 40hp OMC on it and enjoy it. You will be way ahead money wise, and unless you are an accomplished painter and carpenter, you will save yourself alot of problems. When you are part way through your project you will agree with me.
rogerhoward	posted 09-09-2010 02:52 PM ET (US) I just put the Teleflex Safe-T II NFB on my 13' 1976 and I'm quite happy with it. There are plans for the interior on WhalerCentral, but I'd agree that you'll be better off just buying it, unless you really want to do it yourself - once I priced the wood and my time I went right to SpecialtyMarine for my interior. Otherwise, I completely rebuilt my boat - stripped everything off, repaired all damage, drilled and filled all holes. I then primed and painted with Interlux Perfection (can't say it's better or worse than 2-part AwlGrip - certainly similar) - I used Perfection with some texture additive on the non-slip floor (I repaired all the damage to the floor, but didn't strip the fiberglass all the way down to remove the molded texture and it looks great still). OMC wiring and throttles are easy to come by on eBay - I put a nice Evinrude Simplex on mine (to keep it looking classic), along with a mostly-new wiring harness. Don't know about barrier coating - I could be wrong, but I think that's mainly for those who leave their boats on the water for extended periods of time. Mine is trailered and cleaned after every use. As mentioned, your motor will work fine with Teleflex, it's going to be the transom height that will give you trouble (not sure if that motor is long or short shaft - but if it's long you've got some difficult/expensive choices to make... either a jack plate, building up the transom to long shaft height, or finding a short shaft motor). Good luck!
contender	posted 09-09-2010 04:10 PM ET (US) A 1963 13 Whaler needs short shaft engine (15 inch) If the engine that you purchased is a 20 inch you will have to fix/modified your transom. There are two ways to do this, one is to do it correctly and grind it and fiberglass in the notch. The second would be to purchase an aftermarket adaptor that is made out of aluminum and it bolts to the transom to fill in the notch. (I would go the fiberglass route). The console you will need to purchase/make one or (I'm sure you can get the demitions on this site if you do a search) The next way is to contact Mike at Nautical Lumber and tell him what you want and pay for it (he does very good work) you will no be disappointed (I would go this route and call Mike). Using a Teleflex steering system you may want the console a little wider to fit the helm. If you have a short shaft (15 inch) engine you can still use it with the teleflex steering but you have to purchase the stand off for the steering (purchase the stainless one). I just redid my 17 whaler and use Awlgrip, I sanded down the entire boat and primed it and it came out very nice. The non skid had a lot of holes and cracks and was to difficult to match. and if you shoot over it you are going to see everything, so I grinded down the non skid and the screw heads in the water channel, then shot the boat with awlgrip with a medium in the paint for the non skid. The new interior came out better than factory and I'm very happy with it. The controls you can find them on eBay. I would look for the old style two lever to match the year of the boat. I also like having a dual lever for running/control of the boat as well. Is you engine electric start or pull start, may have to get controls to match the engine with the key harness...good luck
Hunk	posted 09-09-2010 04:11 PM ET (US) I have a standard 13 foot mahogany console in kit(disassembled) form I will sell you for $100. It is an exact copy of the post 1976 Whaler consoles. It is a little more intricate and better looking than the older model but is the same dimensions. It is built from Sapele(African mahogany) and is the wood of choice for most builders of Whaler parts including the one mentioned in the above posts. Just glue and screw together and varnish. Screw hoes are already drilled. It is a leftover from 3 years ago when I built and sold a dozen 13 ft. Whaler interiors. I can e-mail pics. I think I have a couple of seat clamps also. e-mail is floridaboy2053@yahoo.com Dick
Jet Wrench	posted 09-09-2010 07:10 PM ET (US) PM me. I have a 13' Safe T Teleflex cable that is in good shape you can have for cheap ($25.00). I have a center console set up on my 66 Sakonnet and needed a 17' to work. Jet Wrench
bplbi	posted 09-09-2010 09:54 PM ET (US) Thanks for all the feedback and support. I really appreciate everyone taking time to offer there knowledge and insite. I made two new seats today at work while I was on lunch. I obtained some mahogany from a scrap pile at a local lumber yard a few days ago. I have access to a nice wood shop on base. The wood was a little discolored from being left out in the elements but I sanded it with some 80 grit on a palm sander and it brightened up pretty nicely. I routered the broad side of the seats to take the sharp edges off. I took them in the paint booth at my station today and sprayed them with Interlux Schooner Gold. They look pretty nice so far. I'm going to put 4 to 5 more coats on them during my lunch breaks next week. I'll post some pictures when they're finished. I'm going to search the site this evening and try to find some dimmensions for a side console. Dick, I really appreciate your offer to sell me one at a fair price but I'm going to enjoy making one. I'm planning on beginning prep work this weekend for painting the hull. Four other Coasties from work are going to stop buy and help me turn the hull upside down and set it on saw horses. I'm going to soda blast the old bottom paint off tomorrow afternoon. This is best idea I have so far for painting the hull. Does it sound like a good one? Based one what everyone says and everything I've read on this site, Awgrip is the way to go with paint. I don't want to fill the trasome in because I would like to keep the boat as original as possible. I'll post some pictures this weekend so you can all see what I'm working with. Thanks for taking the time to help me out. - Bill bill.pettit@yahoo.com
rogerhoward	posted 09-09-2010 10:24 PM ET (US) FYI, you'll need more like a 9' or 10' steering cable (the 13' that Jet Wrench is offering will be way too long). I just installed a 10' on my modified Super Sport (it looks like a classic Super Sport, but with dual consoles about 2/3 the width of the normal SS console) and it fit just about perfect... in any case, you need to measure for your setup - everyone positions their console a bit differently as there is some fore/aft wiggle room)... I've heard plenty of people got away with a 9' cable for their 13 Whalers, especially with the smaller consoles.
Hunk	posted 09-10-2010 08:06 PM ET (US) Bill, After painting many boats with AwlGrip over the years I agree that it is the way to go. Check out this site http://www.finishmaster.com/ I have found they have the best prices, and knowledge of the product, and they are a national chain so one is probably near you. Dick
dowdhh	posted 09-10-2010 08:45 PM ET (US) Bill, do yourself a favor, fill the transom notch now,in the early stages of you ambitious project. If you mount the 40hp with a jack plate the motor will be about 5"s higher and back 4"s. That will put stress on your transom that it wasn't designed for, especially for its age. You will also reduce water coming over the transom. Fill the transom, still use a jack plate (You can use the top bolt holes) and you'll have a solid boat that will fly!! Original is great but not in this area. Remember Whaler raised the transom !! Just some advice from someone who learned the hard way. Good luck, HH
bplbi	posted 09-16-2010 07:28 PM ET (US) Thanks for the advice. I'm going to go ahead and fill the transome.
bplbi	posted 09-16-2010 08:20 PM ET (US) I spent most of the past week removing bottom paint. There must have been bottom paint on my boat that dated all the way back to 1963. I think I've seen every possible color of bottom paint that has ever existed. I used my soda blaster and it worked well but took a long time because it only removes one layer of paint at a time and I ran into a few problems along the way. I bought my soda blaster about a year ago from Eastwood. It's called the Master Blaster. It's a soda blaster and an abrasive blaster. It has two tanks so that you can mix blasting agents and use them simultaneously. The idea is to be able to alternate or combine medias to more effectively tackle the task at hand. I've never tried using mixed media before. I've only used baking soda or abrasive separately from one another. I read some threads here on CW and I decided to use crushed walnut shells in the abrasive tank and XL grit baking soda in the bicarbonate tank. It's a great idea in theory but I ran into a few issues that really slowed down my progress. The walnut shells were very temperamental and clogged my nozzle several times. I also adjusted the media flow valves incorrectly and caused the crushed walnuts to back feed into the baking soda media and clogged up my whole blaster. I had to take the blaster apart and clean it out and put it back together. I ended up giving up on the walnut shells and just used baking soda. As much as I would like to blame the blaster for being designed poorly the issues I encountered were probably more likely a product of user error. There were 4 spots underneath the bottom paint where the hull had been repaired. The repair jobs were poor at best. I sanded them down and laid several layers of cloth and resin and fared them out. I'm a little concerned about the gel coat surrounding those areas I repaired. I sanded the areas that needed to be repaired and the area that surrounded the repairs. The gel coat was sanded pretty thin in a few spots. Are those areas more susceptible to osmosis and blistering because the gel coat has been sanded down? Are there any preventative measures I could take to prevent the gel coat and hull from absorbing moisture? Will the paint alone protect the hull‘s structural integrity and prevent it from absorbing any moisture? Thank you everyone for your time and insight. Despite the issues I’ve encountered I’m still really enjoying working on this boat.
bplbi	posted 09-16-2010 09:11 PM ET (US) I filled any dings that I found in the gel coat with 3M Filler Above [and] below waterline.
bplbi	posted 09-26-2010 08:15 PM ET (US) Would everyone agree that 10' is a good length for [NFB Teleflex] steering on my 13-foot boat? Any suggestions on what size steering wheel I should use?
jimh	posted 09-26-2010 08:51 PM ET (US) For information on steering wheels see http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/OEM.html#SSwheel