Effect of Added Wood Trim on Newer Boat Value

[croooowe]

Q1: do modifications like adding wood trim to Boston Whaler boats that originally did not have wood trim add or reduce their value?

Q2: where can photographs be found of c.1995 or newer Boston Whaler boats with added wood trim?


BACKSTORY

I had just finished a renovation on an 1984 TENDER11 with a Mercury 9.9-HP two-stroke-power-cycle engine, including having to make some new mahogany parts. I finally got the TENDER 11 into the water, and the engine was giving my wife a headache. I bought a new Suzuki DF20and life was good. But then after a few times of only my wife and I going out in the TENDER 11, I started getting "It's too small for us AND the dogs, I really wish we could bring the dogs.”

With that, I started center console shopping with no particular boat or even brand in mind, and on the first stop checking out a 1995 15-footer, my wife saw an 1987 Montauk 17 and we're done. My wife fell in love with the look of the wood trim, similar to our Tender, but the boat was very rough. Five Montauk’s later, they were all in rough shape, with the decks have lots of crackling and repaired holes.

I would like to increase our options, and improve our chances of finding something in better shape: I want to look at newer boats, with the idea that we will add wood trim to a newer 1990 Outrage, Dauntless, or even just a newer Montauk to give her the look she is after.

But now she is concerned with offending sensibilities and potentially devaluing the boat. After poking around here and on the web for a few hours, it appears the general consensus is that any additions to a Boston Whalers, done tastefully and done well can, at best actually add value but, even at worst, don't seem to harm the value of a Whaler.

[jimh]

An artisan or small shop In Massachusetts or East Coast was refurbishing Boston Whaler boats and often adding additional wood trim. He was selling these reworked boats at very high prices. I can’t recall the guy’s name; maybe someone else will.

The essential element in any modification to a classic Boston Whaler is the aesthetic must be maintained, the modification must add utility, not just decoration, and the workmanship has to be top grade. One possible modification would be to cut insets into fiberglass gunwales and insert teak, trying to get back to the classic OUTRAGE style of real teak gunwales. Also a cockpit deck with teak has been done and looks very good. Going to an all-wood center console or all-wood reversible pilot seat would probably not be a great retrofit.

In the end, you own the boat. If you want to sell it some day, the best approach is to just keep it as fully original as possible as that will appeal to the most potential buyers.

If you do decide to make some weird modification, just make it removable.

As for a MONTAUK 17, the original did not have a lot of wood. The reversible pilot seat back was probably the biggest wooden part on the boat. The appeal was the utility: you could just wash down the whole cockpit with a hose when done landing a mess of bleeding pelagic game fish.

[croooowe]

Thanks for that. She is all about the wood "accents". So she does like the two wood doors and wood fire extinguisher holder in the console, the wood bow cover--wood seemed optional by c.1989--and the wooden reversible seat that are found on many of the c.1980 models. Not a lot of wood, but those accents give it a nicer feel to her than the antiseptic stark white boats of the 90s and beyond. To be fair she has seen some of the boats, where it seems like everything is covered in wood, and stated there is too much wood on some of those, so it is really just about a balance for her. I saw a wooden rear seat installed over the bilge pump in one of the posts here that could be interesting.

Thanks again and fingers crossed I can convince her it can be done.

If anyone has any photos to share of things they have seen or had done, it would be appreciated!

[jimh]

...additions to a Boston Whalers, done tastefully and done well can, at best actually add value but, even at worst, don't seem to harm the value of a Whaler.

I disagree. It is entirely possible to turn a very nice condition classic Boston Whaler into an albatross that no one wants other then the guy who did the modification. To have this occur depends, of course, on the guy designing the modification and performing the work having been a classic example of the Dunning-Kruger Effect.

[jimh]

Another area of a hull to which some wood trim can be added in the cockpit inwales. Using some very think strip planks to cover all that bare Desert Tan fiberglass bulkhead under the gunwales can create a pleasant wood ambiance.

For an example of a boat fitted with very nice wood trim, visit Page 36 of my CETACEA collection:

Classic 1970-71 Boston Whaler 21 Outrage
The Progenitor of the Outrages
https://continuouswave.com/whaler/cetac ... age36.html

This link will satisfy your request for photographs.

Another simple approach for using wood effectively would be to replace any molded fiberglass hatch covers with wood ones.


Fig. 1. Wooden hatch covers on the aft deck of a 1990 REVENGE 22 W-T Whaler Drive,
along with a wood accent that covers a joint line between molded sections.


Fig. 2. An OUTRAGE 18 with wood gunwales, wood doors on the console,
wood seat back, and wood tray under the seat.

[croooowe]

Ha! Yes, that is beautiful, what you have shown there is the idea. Sorry if I wasn't clear before. I'm not intending to put wood corner trim on the console or random places that don't make sense, just to have wood "accents". I'm hoping to make a c.1995 Montauk or Outrage look like a mid c.1985 Montauk or Outrage. So yes, that might turn off some people, but I was hoping to get input from Whaler diehards, such as yourself, on whether or not you feel that a Whaler shouldn't be altered to such an extent.

It sounds like, whatever I do, I should keep the original parts to make sure I can return it back to the original configuration if I go to sell it and anyone turns up their nose.

Thanks again for your advice.