1986 Outrage 18 Rigging Tunnel Escutcheon

[Don SSDD]

On my 1986 OUTRAGE 18 boat, the white plastic [escutcheon or surround or oval wire grommet ring] mounted on the rigging tunnel opening inside the console needs to be replaced. I found a part number 12133800 for the [escutcheon or surround or oval wire grommet ring] for an OUTRAGE 18 on a Boston Whaler drawing.

Where can a replacement part be purchased?

ASIDE: for a different boat, a c.1998 OUTRAGE 24, I found a part number is 1043157, but the size might be different from OUTRAGE 18 model.

--Don

[jimh]

I recommend you contact Sue at Twin Cities Marine in Wisconsin. She has proven to be an expert on obscure Boston Whaler OEM parts.

I suspect that the rigging tunnel escutcheon was probably an off-the-shelf part, and was not made by Boston Whaler.

Escutcheon: noun: a protective or ornamental plate or flange (as around a keyhole)
Cf.: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/escutcheon

Suround: noun: something (such as a border) that surrounds
Cf.: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surround

Below is a link to an "oval plastic wire grommet ring":

https://www.woodworkerexpress.com/oval- ... lmond.html

The flange may not be tall enough for the purpose as used in the Boston Whaler deck opening. I think the tall sides were intended to help keep water on the deck from flowing into the rigging tunnel. But the "oval wire plastic grommet ring" would prevent chafing of the cables on the rough-cut deck opening.

[Phil T]

Sorry Don, you are not going to find a exact replacement.

I have recommended people use the rigging flange offered by OEM's and TH Marine for the deck and the floor of the console.

The floor grommet will need to be trimmed for height.
https://thmarinesupplies.com/products/rigging-flange?variant=5407046041638

This is a cheaper option.
https://thmarinesupplies.com/products/utility-flanges-and-pedestal-holders-for-boats?variant=15993445548075

[Don SSDD]

Thanks very much for the help. What is there now is rectangular with rounded edges, it looks original.

Don

[Don SSDD]

The local library has a 3D printer available for plastic printing at CDN$5-per-hour. I need a drawing for the printer.

I found a drawing which is very similar. The drawing will need a modification to the correct dimensions to enable me to get a part printed.

A found a website with3D printer designs.

You can find just about anything online these days. I'm sure I'll find someone who can make me a drawing from the old part and this sample.

This would be a method to produce many obsolete Boston Whaler parts from various materials.

[Phil T]

If the printer does not flesh out, you might consider fabbing one from the same OEM material. Just need a sheet of material and a heat gun.

[grizzly]

Fig. 1. One-half of the rigging tunnel escutcheon from a 1986 OUTRAGE 18.

2609D190-48B0-418C-A997-7CD5E60E7D8E.jpeg (49.32 KiB) Viewed 2676 times

I don’t know what happened to the other half. I am willing to use this as a template to 3D-print a new one.

[Don SSDD]

I have my old rigging tunnel escutcheon [from an OUTRAGE 18 mentioned in prior posts and mentioned in the users signature but let's mention it again to make it clear to readers] to use for copying. It consists of cracked and old rotten plastic, but it will make a good template.

I’m looking for someone talented in doing the software for the 3D printing.

[grizzly]

Hi Don. Can you post a picture of your old escutcheon? I am curious if it looks like [the one from my 1986 Outrage 18 which is clearly mentioned in the caption in the prior post--jimh].

[Phil T]

I rebuilt [the escutcheon] on my 1992 Outrage 17. It only had a half of an oval (cut half way across the long side). I fabbed up something to make it a full oval and sealed it all up.

[Don SSDD]

Hi Don. Can you post a picture of your old escutcheon? I am curious if it looks like mine, also from an OUTRAGE 18 boat.

The escutcheon from my boat may be warped and distorted.

[Measured dimensions of escutcheon from an OUTRAGE 18 boat]
OUTSIDE LENGTH = 11=1/4 x 5-1/8-inches
INSIDE PIECE = 8-3/4 x 2-3/4-inches'
HEIGHT from flat base = 1-7/8-inches

See Figure 1 and Figure 2 below.

Fig. 1. Flat surface side of escutcheon

UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_mini_798c.jpg (41.45 KiB) Viewed 2634 times

Fig.2. Extension side of escutcheon

UNADJUSTEDNONRAW_mini_798d.jpg (49.34 KiB) Viewed 2634 times

[Don SSDD]

The floor the console [on my OUTRAGE 18 boat] is a sheet of 1/2-inch marine plywood with a sheet of vinyl glued on top. The escutcheon was placed on top of the plywood with the inner sleeve pointing up, where the wiring and cables pass through.

Q1: Was that marine plywood and vinyl factory installed?
I suspect not.

Q2: Shouldn't he escutcheon sleeve go down into the hole in the plywood so the sleeve acts as a guard to prevent debris from entering the tunnel and also prevents chafing on the wires and cables passing through the hole?

[jimh]

As I recall, the escutcheon on both my 1987 REVENGE 20 and 1990 REVENGE 22 W-T Whaler Drive boats was the same as seen in Figure 2 above. The mounting was with the flat surface on the deck and the extension pointing upwards, again as seen in Figure 2 above.

Shouldn't he escutcheon sleeve go down into the hole in the plywood...?

My inference about the mounting orientation: I believe the purpose of the escutcheon was to help prevent any water on the deck from flowing into the rigging tunnel by that access point. Mounting with the sleeve going upward accomplishes that goal.

...so the sleeve acts as a guard to prevent debris from entering the tunnel....

I think the upward mounting works better for that purpose, too.

...and also prevents chafing on the wires and cables passing through the hole?

The sides of the sleeve in the escutcheon tends to center the cables in the hole cut, keeping them away from the cut edges, as the hole cut is probably larger than the inside diameter of the escutcheon opening.

I don't recall examining the laminate hole cut on my boats to see if the sides are rough. I would hope that Boston Whaler put a layer or two of laminating resin on them to seal them, and the surface is smooth.

The way my boat is rigged, the only cables running through the escutcheon into the rigging tunnel are: the hoses for the hydraulic steering, which do not move; and the SONAR transducer cable, which does not move.

Because my boat is a REVENGE with the helm on starboard, all the other electrical cables (for lighting, pumps, network cables, and the engine wiring harness are run under the starboard gunwale.

On center console boats, there would be more cables running through the rigging tunnel, but I would not expect any of them to move around.

[Phil T]

On my two Outrage 17 boats, fuel tank covers had a cutout for the rigging and there was same escutcheon.

On both boats the cutouts in the fuel tank cover were rough and unsealed.

[jimh]

Another reason for the mounting of the escutcheon with the inner extension sleeve pointed upwards: this allows for a easier cable bend. If the extension pointed downward into the hole, then the cable bend radius would be reduced by the distance the escutcheon extended below the bottom of the deck.

A third reason: by pointing the extension upward, the accuracy of the rectangular cut into the deck was reduced. If the flange of the escutcheon had to precisely fit into the hole in the deck, the cut would have to be made rather accurately.

I don't recall any reports of damage to cables entering or exiting the rigging tunnel at the helm due to abrasion with the deck cut out. Skeptics of the orientation of the escutcheon as used by Boston Whaler should rely on their own judgement about which way it should be placed.

[jimh]

On both boats the cutouts in the fuel tank cover were rough and unsealed.

The lack of sealing of the exposed plywood could--probably will be--a problem. We are finding out that Boston Whaler was not perfect. But sealing those edges will a simple task. A proper escutcheon will keep most of the water out of those hole cut edges.

If the edges are too rough that cables or hoses passes through the opening will be damaged, that can be solved easily, too.