CONTINUOUSWAVE

I may by a boat [described only as a "Boston Whaler <1965" (sic)].

[Moderator note: PLEASE PROVIDE THE YEAR, THE FAMILY, THE MODEL or LENGTH, and any VARIANTS when describing a Boston Whaler boat you wish present to readers. For example: 1986 OUTRAGE 22 CUDDY notched transom Red Dot hull]

The seller and this boat are located in another state and its registration may have expired. The hull number provided by the seller--who may not have been the original owner and who may be unsure about details of the his boat--does not match the manufacturer's date and model name in the reference guide.

Q1: if I purchase this boat, what steps I should to take to register it in my state?

ASIDE

The hull number appears to have been painted over.

Q2: is the original hull number beyond recovery?

[Moderator's note: requests for other advice have been removed. If the boat is actually purchased, you can ask readers for more advice about specific projects you plan to undertake to restore the boat in a NEW POST in the REPAIRS and MODIFICATIONS forum.]

project_whaler wrote:Q1: if I purchase this boat, what steps I should to take to register it in my state?

The best source of information about the policies of the unknown state where you plan to register this unknown boat will be from the agency in that unknown state that processes boat registration applications.

It may be possible to submit a previous registration of the boat from another unknown state to your unknown state's agency as evidence, but this may vary, perhaps with the particular person you happen to be involved with at the agency and their particular frame of mind on a particular day.

Many states will require that a boat have a formal state-issued title. Possession of a formal title to the boat by the seller is usually expected when buying a boat in any state that requires that boats have state-issued titles.

project_whaler wrote:Q2: is the original hull number beyond recovery?

A boat from c.1965 will only have one form of hull identification: the factory applied stencil number. The use of federal hull identifications numbers was not required until c.1973.

If the boat is a c.1965 model, there were only two hulls in production at that time: the 13-foot and the 16-foot. There is some limited information about correlation of stencil numbers with year of manufacturer in the REFERENCE section articles on these hulls. See

https://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/13/

https://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/16-17/

If the stencil number is obscured by a layer or two of paint, there is a very good possibility the stencil number can be recovered. The stencil number is actually molded into the gel coat layer of the hull. Careful removal of only the paint will reveal the stencil number.

Read the FAQ at the oldest and most commonly asked question:

Q1: How old is my Boston Whaler boat?

https://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/FAQ/#Q1

project_whaler wrote:The hull number provided by the seller...does not match the manufacturer's date and model name in the reference guide.

What is the" hull number" provided by the seller?

What is the "reference guide" you are referring to?

What is "the manufacturer's date" that you refer to?

What is the "manufacturer's model name" you refer to?

You seem to be rather unusually shy about revealing any information about this boat other than you think it is a Boston Whaler and might have been made around c.1965.

Definitely was shy about revealing too much information because it was a deal that was too good to be true.

It's now sold.

Here were the details advertised:

1964 Setauket (this was a red flag?)
16' 7" hull
Hull 31365 (this was another red flag?)
Expired registration in IL, parked in FL.
Needed a complete restoration.
OEM forward grab rails missing.
Missing the rear facing seat/storage chest.
Engine and kicker not original.
Trailer original.

Any tips for the next one?

I'd like to pick up a 1960s Nauset or 13' to restore. Need a new hobby, so I can distract myself from working around the house. :)

jimh wrote:

project_whaler wrote:Q2: is the original hull number beyond recovery?

A boat from c.1965 will only have one form of hull identification: the factory applied stencil number. The use of federal hull identifications numbers was not required until c.1973.

If the boat is a c.1965 model, there were only two hulls in production at that time: the 13-foot and the 16-foot. There is some limited information about correlation of stencil numbers with year of manufacturer in the REFERENCE section articles on these hulls. See

https://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/13/

https://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/16-17/

If the stencil number is obscured by a layer or two of paint, there is a very good possibility the stencil number can be recovered. The stencil number is actually molded into the gel coat layer of the hull. Careful removal of only the paint will reveal the stencil number.

Read the FAQ at the oldest and most commonly asked question:

Q1: How old is my Boston Whaler boat?

https://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/FAQ/#Q1

Thanks Jim. That's what I was wondering about. On some photos I have seen hull numbers look like flaky stickers that appear to be attached at a superficial level.

project_whaler wrote:1964 Setauket (this was a red flag?)

That is a funny malaprop. I think there is a seaside town, SEATAUKET, referred to as "a hamlet on Long Island" but even at that the boat model is a misspelling.

What was probably intended would have been NAUSET (to preserve the ending syllable) or SAKONNET (to maintain the first and last syllables). But I have never heard of a SEATAUKET model for a Boston Whaler.

project_whaler wrote:Definitely was shy about revealing too much information because it was a deal that was too good to be true.

I was wondering if that might have been the motivation.

By the way,

SAKONNET is both a river and a very, very small town in Rhode Island.

NAUSET is a beach on Cape Cod in Massachusetts and a harbor in the town of Orleans, Massachusetts, also on Cape Cod.

EASTPORT is another hamlet on the south shore of Long Island. It is at the north end of SEATUCK cove, and the main street is MONTAUK HWY.

I grew up spending my summers fishing the Great South Bay and learning to sail on the Long Island Sound.

These names bring back fond memories. :)

Hopefully I find one in the next month or so. I'd like to start the project by late September.