Whabamp II -boston whaler Resto p-4 - minor obsession

A chat with a neighboring landscaper

was the prologue to this months whaler restoration whirlwind.

We discussed how projects were a little like therapy.

Little did I realize 

the "not yet written about" rough weeks to come,

and our theory was tested and approved.

With such a blank canvas,

it's tricky to know where to start.

The main thing to do is just start!

If it takes xxx amount of hours,

not much headway comes out of idle staring.

This is when sanding and prepping come into play.

Some may see it as mind-numbing,

in reality plans are created, 

changed and modified,

as the obsessional seed takes root.

The template and tacked bracket were very similar,

but a sanding session resulted in a small tweak.

It's important to know when to take a step back,

make a change for the sake of improvement.

Since this transom was raised up a couple inches,

more than the 20" outboard shaft length

the bracket didn't need to angle up.

However a foot setback puts the motor 

in less turbulent water,

possibly allowing a higher placement.

It's all experimentation really,

but it was worth re-tacking the bracket a second time.

Fortunately there's 4-hole options on the old 50 hp Johnson.

Thanks to Pigpen and Sloppy for hop-skotching this down from Nor-Cal!

Ya may think it'll be a little underpowered,

but we'll have fun on the cheap.

Day by day,

big holes and imperfections were filled,

then the medium sized.

Inside and out,

a never ending chase-the-tail game.

The schedule -

a little in the morning,

a little at night.

A definite chemical concoction,

the exact opposite of getting clean air on the water.

Epoxy primer and filler 

is much more lenient to harden overnight.

Typical polyester "bondo" likes the days heat.

Now I'm starting to nitpick.

The smallest dots and dinks are filled and faired.

The topsides are definitely sealed up,

it's just hard to not smooth it all out.

Trust me it looks better in the pictures!

Still using my typical paint roller technique.

I was torn on the controls and seat layout.

Who wouldn't want the badass wooden center console,

the trademark whaler look. 

(Nauset, Eastport, montauk)

The problem is that's good for 2 people.

For our needs I went for the currituck style side console.

Won't be as yachty as this one,

just simple dinghy-style picnic benches.

Realistically we're not heavy open ocean cruisers,

we don't revolve solely around fishing,

and we're a 5-person family,

happy with a bay boat.

Really stoked on the craigslist mahogany purchase a couple months back.

It's like the parts of this boat wanted to be put together.

Here was a fix to a lingering detail,

the questionable drain holes.

Not sure why whaler and other manufacturers did this,

the use of a brass or copper tube,

sealed with a rubber o-ring.

Great for salt water right!?

My plan was to egg out the hole,

glue a fiberglass tube in place,

and glass over the whole enchilada.

Three drain tubes later...

Should hold up!

Finally the day came for the big flip.

May be a little early,

but what good is a boat that can't go in the water?

The a-frame put to the test one more time.

Always good to show your kid proper techniques...

Way bigger looking like this.

The bottom will need a ton of work.

Fortunately not as bad as it looks,

water damage mainly to the gelcoat...

...and the resto of the bow's underside lip.

Gotta power through this part.

TP