Best Mods/Changes/Additions for 13' Super Sport

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Author Topic:   Best Mods/Changes/Additions for 13' Super Sport

caddis posted 06-20-2012 02:07 PM ET (US)
Since the woodwork is out of the hull being varnished I decided I'd look into making some changes in the rigging of the little Whaler. From the experts on here, what are some of the best tweaks, mods, relocations, etc. that you've done? This came up because I'm thinking of moving the battery under the console, and getting a smaller one to boot. What about fuel tank size/placement? New prop (yup, can of worms, I know)? Just want to get some ideas on what everyone thinks is something they've added, subtracted, or moved, to get better enjoyment and/or performance out of these amazing little boats.
Cheers!
grosseile88 posted 06-21-2012 10:25 AM ET (US)
What is is your current engin and prop set up on your 13'. My first suggestion may be mount your engine a jackplate (I purchased a maually adjust CMC i paid around $250 from Bass Pro Shops) . I did this on my 15 Super Sport it made a big difference in performance and handling!
caddis posted 06-21-2012 11:43 PM ET (US)
I currently have a 1988 Johnson 40 hp with PT/T. I don't know what pitch my prop is- I'll have to check on that tomorrow. It tops out about 37 mph with me on board, and still above 30 when I've got the kids. It moves pretty good, but I'll check out the jack plate. Thanks!
What amazed me is I had assumed that I'd never be able to put a newer four stroke in it because I was afraid I'd be overweight (wait, that didn't come out right...). After looking at this thread...
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/011042.html
...I've come to the conclusion that my 211 lb. Johnson is in the ballpark of a new Merc (216 lb) or Yamaha (214 lb) 40 hp four stroke should I decide to repower in the future. I'll just have to wait it out until some used ones come on the market. No hurry as I'm rebuilding the carbs on the Johnson now. But living in California and in proximity to Tahoe I'd sure like to put one on at some point.
goldstem posted 06-22-2012 12:37 PM ET (US)
best mod I did to two 13's was moving the seat to the top of the side riser instead of the stock position. that extra couple of inches makes it far more comfortable for my legs.
goldstem posted 06-22-2012 12:39 PM ET (US)
and that allows gas tanks and/or battery under the seat if
you want different weight distribution. one boat has
a new 25 efi merc (170 pounds) and moving the gas tank
under the seat is nice (also keeps it out of direct sunlight).
I thought I would move the battery to but haven't had to.
the other 13 runs an older johnson 30 (125 pounds) so it doesn't care as much where the weight is, but I still push the gas tanks under to get them out of the sun.
caddis posted 06-24-2012 11:51 AM ET (US)
goldstem:
I just passed your recommendation on to a friend of mine who just bought a 15' center console. He's too tall for it, and was wondering if he could move the seat or console itself to accommodate his height.
I'd love to move the gas tank, but it would have to go somewhere else because I don't want to give up the storage. The Super Sport has a a nice bit of under seat storage by way of a plastic panel attached to the seat. Years ago I ordered a Pate tank to put there, but just couldn't bring myself to cut out that panel. It keeps the boat clean and that has a great wife approval factor. I'm thinking of under the console, but I need to find some kind of oddly shaped one to fit there. If anyone has done that, I'd really like to see pictures. I'm thinking of upgrading my gas tank anyway, since I've got an old steel one and it's looking a little worse for wear.
Now about that ugly VRO tank...
contender posted 06-24-2012 02:15 PM ET (US)
Have a custom fuel tank made out of .125 aluminum and place it under the front seat, raise the seat a little for more fuel, and have your fuel fill on top of the console. Make your console larger (wider and taller) wider so that one person in the boat can almost steer from the center of the boat. Move your battery under the console, place your rear light on the cowling of your engine. Move your kill switch to the console so it can be worn on the ankle or wrist while driving. If you have a Bimini top place in on the gunnel with rails so you can stand under the top when it is up, and it can slide forward out of the way when not in use. Remove your bilge pump if you have one (unless your keep the boat in the water) and just pull the plug while under way to drain the water. Patch any of your holes with a fiberglass product, do not use some type of silicon, and drill them out a little before you fill them to clean them out to make a good bond....good luck
goldstem posted 06-26-2012 12:05 PM ET (US)
i thought the super sport had the storage behind the seat in that separate compartment. (one of ours is a SS, I thought).
the gas tank in ours is under the seat, in front of that compartment. our SS has no storage directly under the seat, the gas tank can go there. it actually is a little wider than the seat, so it sticks out the front a slight bit.
Binkster posted 06-26-2012 12:59 PM ET (US)
You all are probably tired of seeing these pics of my custom 13 footer. The interior is located 7" forward of where the original interior was. The boat rides alot better in a chop. I keep making changes. Since these pics were taken I cut off the front thwart seat flush with the console for easier access forward and hinged the rear seat back, and added a 12" teak extension to the rear of the front raised deck. Sorry I don't have pics of these recent mods. I'll sell it soon, as my 15 ft. Whaler custom center console is taking shape.
http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c191/floridaboy2053/ boat%20restorations/Boston%20whaler%2013%20footer/
rich
caddis posted 06-26-2012 02:03 PM ET (US)
contender:
Do you have any pictures of these mods? I'd really like to see the fuel tank setup and the console. The kill switch cord actually allows me to wear it on my wrist or ankle in its current location so I'm good there. No bilge pump- I just pull the plug. I do want to relocate the battery. I will wait on that until I have a little time with the Odyssey 625 to be sure it's the proper one to use. Something to be said about a 13 pound battery that fits in a lot of places a group 24 won't.
goldstem:
My Super Sport has storage both in the back of the seat and under it. Access is by two different hinged covers- behind the seat and the seat itself. The storage area is the same but just has these two places to access it (the back is obviously higher). It is a molded plastic panel that keeps the items off the floor. You can at least see the hinges on the seat in this picture:
http:/ / t3. gstatic. com/ images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQzIswxF2qAm319nW62gpypTJae tsl1IrQ8dL9Gx1dgz27MYGNwk7qqiAAunA
binkster:
I admire your handywork! I can't saw a log, so woodwork like that is out of my skill set. If and when I have the resources my next project will be to find a bare 17' hull and make an Eastport out of it. But I'll have to order the wood kit because of my aforementioned lack of abilities.
Thanks for all of this. Got to have a reason to work on your boat.
dgoodhue posted 06-26-2012 02:57 PM ET (US)
FYI all except the first couple of the 15's have the seat mounted on top of the seat riser. You friends 15' cc would have come from the factory like that.
dg22 posted 06-26-2012 06:06 PM ET (US)
I blocked my motor up an inch and what a difference. It porpoises less now at lower speeds. I also re-painted the bottom which I think helped too. The old paint was very rough.
contender posted 06-26-2012 08:15 PM ET (US)
Caddis: send me your email( please identify yourself from CW) and I would be more than happy to send you some pictures (and a description) of the above whaler modifications, I have an old 1975 16'7" and a 1978 11' that I made for my son... Both boats were redone this last year for the 1st time, I have own the 16'7" since new...Take care
caddis posted 06-27-2012 01:46 PM ET (US)
Thanks contender. I don't have a way to look up your email address. You can reach me at whaler at dashmail dot net.
dg22- does that work even though I have the power tilt and trim? No bottom paint at all.
contender posted 06-27-2012 09:21 PM ET (US)
Caddis just hit the icon (one with the face) after my name (contender) in this thread, will give you my email address.
contender posted 06-27-2012 09:56 PM ET (US)
Caddis your email does not take, can not send anything
dg22 posted 06-28-2012 10:32 AM ET (US)
Caddis, my 1972 Evinrude 50hp is a clamp on so I simply put a block of hard wood under the motor and re-clamped it. I also use the top bolts to secure it to the transom. If your motor is bolted to the transom, you should be able to raise your motor an inch without having to re-drill new holes in the transom as long as the bracket allows for it. If it's factory power tilt & trim, it should all be part of the motor and not be a problem. I wish the bottom of my boat had no paint but mine is very blistered so I had to fill & paint. Mind you, I did sand all the old paint off down to the gel coat to get a really smooth finish and then put on this very thin bottom paint by Interlux.

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Author	Topic: Best Mods/Changes/Additions for 13' Super Sport
caddis	posted 06-20-2012 02:07 PM ET (US) Since the woodwork is out of the hull being varnished I decided I'd look into making some changes in the rigging of the little Whaler. From the experts on here, what are some of the best tweaks, mods, relocations, etc. that you've done? This came up because I'm thinking of moving the battery under the console, and getting a smaller one to boot. What about fuel tank size/placement? New prop (yup, can of worms, I know)? Just want to get some ideas on what everyone thinks is something they've added, subtracted, or moved, to get better enjoyment and/or performance out of these amazing little boats. Cheers!
grosseile88	posted 06-21-2012 10:25 AM ET (US) What is is your current engin and prop set up on your 13'. My first suggestion may be mount your engine a jackplate (I purchased a maually adjust CMC i paid around $250 from Bass Pro Shops) . I did this on my 15 Super Sport it made a big difference in performance and handling!
caddis	posted 06-21-2012 11:43 PM ET (US) I currently have a 1988 Johnson 40 hp with PT/T. I don't know what pitch my prop is- I'll have to check on that tomorrow. It tops out about 37 mph with me on board, and still above 30 when I've got the kids. It moves pretty good, but I'll check out the jack plate. Thanks! What amazed me is I had assumed that I'd never be able to put a newer four stroke in it because I was afraid I'd be overweight (wait, that didn't come out right...). After looking at this thread... http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/011042.html ...I've come to the conclusion that my 211 lb. Johnson is in the ballpark of a new Merc (216 lb) or Yamaha (214 lb) 40 hp four stroke should I decide to repower in the future. I'll just have to wait it out until some used ones come on the market. No hurry as I'm rebuilding the carbs on the Johnson now. But living in California and in proximity to Tahoe I'd sure like to put one on at some point.
goldstem	posted 06-22-2012 12:37 PM ET (US) best mod I did to two 13's was moving the seat to the top of the side riser instead of the stock position. that extra couple of inches makes it far more comfortable for my legs.
goldstem	posted 06-22-2012 12:39 PM ET (US) and that allows gas tanks and/or battery under the seat if you want different weight distribution. one boat has a new 25 efi merc (170 pounds) and moving the gas tank under the seat is nice (also keeps it out of direct sunlight). I thought I would move the battery to but haven't had to. the other 13 runs an older johnson 30 (125 pounds) so it doesn't care as much where the weight is, but I still push the gas tanks under to get them out of the sun.
caddis	posted 06-24-2012 11:51 AM ET (US) goldstem: I just passed your recommendation on to a friend of mine who just bought a 15' center console. He's too tall for it, and was wondering if he could move the seat or console itself to accommodate his height. I'd love to move the gas tank, but it would have to go somewhere else because I don't want to give up the storage. The Super Sport has a a nice bit of under seat storage by way of a plastic panel attached to the seat. Years ago I ordered a Pate tank to put there, but just couldn't bring myself to cut out that panel. It keeps the boat clean and that has a great wife approval factor. I'm thinking of under the console, but I need to find some kind of oddly shaped one to fit there. If anyone has done that, I'd really like to see pictures. I'm thinking of upgrading my gas tank anyway, since I've got an old steel one and it's looking a little worse for wear. Now about that ugly VRO tank...
contender	posted 06-24-2012 02:15 PM ET (US) Have a custom fuel tank made out of .125 aluminum and place it under the front seat, raise the seat a little for more fuel, and have your fuel fill on top of the console. Make your console larger (wider and taller) wider so that one person in the boat can almost steer from the center of the boat. Move your battery under the console, place your rear light on the cowling of your engine. Move your kill switch to the console so it can be worn on the ankle or wrist while driving. If you have a Bimini top place in on the gunnel with rails so you can stand under the top when it is up, and it can slide forward out of the way when not in use. Remove your bilge pump if you have one (unless your keep the boat in the water) and just pull the plug while under way to drain the water. Patch any of your holes with a fiberglass product, do not use some type of silicon, and drill them out a little before you fill them to clean them out to make a good bond....good luck
goldstem	posted 06-26-2012 12:05 PM ET (US) i thought the super sport had the storage behind the seat in that separate compartment. (one of ours is a SS, I thought). the gas tank in ours is under the seat, in front of that compartment. our SS has no storage directly under the seat, the gas tank can go there. it actually is a little wider than the seat, so it sticks out the front a slight bit.
Binkster	posted 06-26-2012 12:59 PM ET (US) You all are probably tired of seeing these pics of my custom 13 footer. The interior is located 7" forward of where the original interior was. The boat rides alot better in a chop. I keep making changes. Since these pics were taken I cut off the front thwart seat flush with the console for easier access forward and hinged the rear seat back, and added a 12" teak extension to the rear of the front raised deck. Sorry I don't have pics of these recent mods. I'll sell it soon, as my 15 ft. Whaler custom center console is taking shape. http://s27.photobucket.com/albums/c191/floridaboy2053/ boat%20restorations/Boston%20whaler%2013%20footer/ rich
caddis	posted 06-26-2012 02:03 PM ET (US) contender: Do you have any pictures of these mods? I'd really like to see the fuel tank setup and the console. The kill switch cord actually allows me to wear it on my wrist or ankle in its current location so I'm good there. No bilge pump- I just pull the plug. I do want to relocate the battery. I will wait on that until I have a little time with the Odyssey 625 to be sure it's the proper one to use. Something to be said about a 13 pound battery that fits in a lot of places a group 24 won't. goldstem: My Super Sport has storage both in the back of the seat and under it. Access is by two different hinged covers- behind the seat and the seat itself. The storage area is the same but just has these two places to access it (the back is obviously higher). It is a molded plastic panel that keeps the items off the floor. You can at least see the hinges on the seat in this picture: http:/ / t3. gstatic. com/ images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQzIswxF2qAm319nW62gpypTJae tsl1IrQ8dL9Gx1dgz27MYGNwk7qqiAAunA binkster: I admire your handywork! I can't saw a log, so woodwork like that is out of my skill set. If and when I have the resources my next project will be to find a bare 17' hull and make an Eastport out of it. But I'll have to order the wood kit because of my aforementioned lack of abilities. Thanks for all of this. Got to have a reason to work on your boat.
dgoodhue	posted 06-26-2012 02:57 PM ET (US) FYI all except the first couple of the 15's have the seat mounted on top of the seat riser. You friends 15' cc would have come from the factory like that.
dg22	posted 06-26-2012 06:06 PM ET (US) I blocked my motor up an inch and what a difference. It porpoises less now at lower speeds. I also re-painted the bottom which I think helped too. The old paint was very rough.
contender	posted 06-26-2012 08:15 PM ET (US) Caddis: send me your email( please identify yourself from CW) and I would be more than happy to send you some pictures (and a description) of the above whaler modifications, I have an old 1975 16'7" and a 1978 11' that I made for my son... Both boats were redone this last year for the 1st time, I have own the 16'7" since new...Take care
caddis	posted 06-27-2012 01:46 PM ET (US) Thanks contender. I don't have a way to look up your email address. You can reach me at whaler at dashmail dot net. dg22- does that work even though I have the power tilt and trim? No bottom paint at all.
contender	posted 06-27-2012 09:21 PM ET (US) Caddis just hit the icon (one with the face) after my name (contender) in this thread, will give you my email address.
contender	posted 06-27-2012 09:56 PM ET (US) Caddis your email does not take, can not send anything
dg22	posted 06-28-2012 10:32 AM ET (US) Caddis, my 1972 Evinrude 50hp is a clamp on so I simply put a block of hard wood under the motor and re-clamped it. I also use the top bolts to secure it to the transom. If your motor is bolted to the transom, you should be able to raise your motor an inch without having to re-drill new holes in the transom as long as the bracket allows for it. If it's factory power tilt & trim, it should all be part of the motor and not be a problem. I wish the bottom of my boat had no paint but mine is very blistered so I had to fill & paint. Mind you, I did sand all the old paint off down to the gel coat to get a really smooth finish and then put on this very thin bottom paint by Interlux.