1976 Newport 16 Deck

Repair or modification of Boston Whaler boats, their engines, trailers, and gear
zachhicks27
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Sep 15, 2021 3:06 pm

1976 Newport 16 Deck

Postby zachhicks27 » Mon Jul 18, 2022 8:38 am

Hello all,

I am the proud owner of a 1976 NEWPORT 16 (pre-smirked hull) and the boat has not seen the water in at minimum five years (due to are-power and other changes ). When I purchased it in 2020, the seller had put a foam mat on the deck, which I assumed to be a selling tactic to make it look nicer. Just now I realized, as I power washed the interior, that underneath the sea-deck there are numerous small holes in the floor of the size of a drill bit. When I put pressure on the deck near these holes, water pushes up along with some air.

Q1: is water and air escaping from the deck of a 1976 NEWPORT 16 a sign of a serious problem?

Q2: is water and air escaping from the deck of a 1976 NEWPORT 16 likely due to the fact that the holes were not sealed properly and my pressure washing forced some water where it shouldn't have been?

I would not [describe] the deck as being soft. Most [of the occurrence of water and air emitted from holes in the deck] occur on the port side aft, near the corner with the transom. Most of these problems are at the port aft corner neat the transom. Another location is near the the center channel access hole under the pilot seats. Also, in the 24 hours since [the power washing occurred], there is significantly less water coming through.

My current plan is to air dry for as long as it take to not have any visible moisture (or longer), and then inject some penetrating epoxy into the holes to attempt to stop any rot. Then I'll seal the holes. I was given advice to flip the boat, drill a hole in the floor, and wet/dry vacuum for a few days (or to not flip the boat and drill through the hull), but this seems over the top.

I read a thread describing that it is largely impossible to do floor work on these boats, but based on the wood locations here https://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/16-17/graphics/16WoodDWG15-10.jpg isn't a small patch like repair possible if the rot is localized to one or two spots.

I'm pretty handy, but this is my first boat and I really want to make sure it's not going to fall apart in a few years after I start using it. Again, the only type of water is has seen is from rain or me cleaning periodically.

I am located on long island NY if there are any veteran classic whaler owners/enthusiasts who would be down to meet for a conversation. I really just need a proper educated opinion on how to even begin working.

Thank you.