CONTINUOUSWAVE

Hey Continuous Wave. New member to the forum here. I am seeking some input on something that my father and I have had in the works for quite some time and was hoping someone could help point us in the right direction. I wrote up a generalization of what were doing, trying not to go too far into the complicated details.


My father and I have been continually working on a project that I hope will attract a lot of attention in the Whaler community. We are very fond of the entire lineup of Whalers, prior to about 1992 when Reebok bought the company, and they have been one of our Primary boats for over half a century. We both have extensive hours on the water, primarily in the Southern Bahamas, in many different hulls and love their attributes. With that, I’d like to share the project that we’ve been working on. We are now in the more challenging stages and we are not geared up for a full run at this without the assistance of more knowledgeable personnel. I’ll keep it short as it’s been a very long journey.



We built a mold--a really big, heavy one. Specifically for the mid-1980 Montauk 17--one of the most iconic boats of all time. We have been ongoing with this project for almost 10 years now. We’ve done extensive research about Patent Law, copyrights, trademarks, etc., and are highly confident that there is a market for the same exact boat. We built the mold with the intention of building the boats the same way they’re being built today. We even made a few, with foam and all. Not only that, but when we designed the deck we added some pretty cool things, one of them being a repairable non-skid layout. Along with this, we also built a forward hatch mold with the same non-skid features. When we were done, we learned a lot, and are now at a point where we’re looking for more help. Well, “help” might not be the right word.

Ultimately we are looking for a partner to take this dream to the next level. It’s something that we’ve been contemplating for a while, and, after sitting down and really looking at what we’ve got, we (personally,) don’t have the capability to produce these and market them the way that they should be. I’d say that we’re looking for someone who owns a business already, who’d like to maybe add a product to their lineup, but we are fully open to suggestions and feedback as we’re not 100% sure what the correct answer is. Two sets of eyes are better than one kind of thing.

All the best,
Chris.

Hello Chris. The project to commercially manufacture Boston Whaler MONTAUK 17 hulls is certainly one that will attract interest. I have a question or two.

What sort of process are you using to create your version of the Unibond hull? I refer to the introduction of a liquid into the space between the hull and its liner, with subsequent rapid expansion and curing into a closed-cell solid material with good adhesion to the laminated hull and cockpit parts.

Are your molds designed so one molded part is inverted, placed upon the other molded part, and the molds clamped together, then foam introduced?

jimh wrote:Hello Chris. The project to commercially manufacture Boston Whaler MONTAUK 17 hulls is certainly one that will attract interest. I have a question or two.

What sort of process are you using to create your version of the Unibond hull? I refer to the introduction of a liquid into the space between the hull and its liner, with subsequent rapid expansion and curing into a closed-cell solid material with good adhesion to the laminated hull and cockpit parts.

Are your molds designed so one molded part is inverted, placed upon the other molded part, and the molds clamped together, then foam introduced?

Jimh,

We did virtually the same thing that BW is doing, but on a much, much, smaller scale. A two piece mold, the deck of which is lifted and positioned onto the hull mold. The cavity is then injected with foam and sealed off, in the same place at the bottom of the anchor locker. Creating in effect a solid bonded hull. We have been toying with the idea of creating a stringer system designed to ease the aid of the foaming process, but have not advanced on it.

Unfortunately the foam does not have characteristics like it did back in the 80's where you'd pour it in with 5 gallon buckets and let it rise like dough. The foam that is currently being used in the industry is extremely fast reacting, meaning you have to get the foam in really fast before it skins over and stops growing. All closed cell, Coast Guard Approved. It'll stick to just about anything that's not covered in grease.

We've reverse engineered a few boats to really get a good understanding of what goes on inside of them and how they're built. Good fun.

I'm impressed because building a mold is no small task.I can appreciate the work and time you have into this. The boats look great and you will have a target audience that loves the classic Whalers.

There is Metan Marine who builds reproduction Whalers (13, 17, and a larger model), but I believe these are the older style hulls without the Whaler smirk in the bow area. You may want to give Michael Borrelli a call and at least have a conversation with him. He may or may not be the guy you are looking to partner with, but it's worth talking with him.

https://youtu.be/jZuo16Zf7qM

Please keep us posted on any future progress.

D-