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I posted a picture of a 16SL on the top of my personal page that I have the opportunity to go look at on Friday. I know what to look for in regards to the motor. What known issues should I look for on the hull of the 16SL? And what benefits would I gain moving up to the 16SL? I would think drier smoother ride in the chop and looks to have great storage. I love my center console and really enjoy standing up while running the boat. Anyone with info on these hulls it would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Tom
Positives: Smoother ride, definitely more storage space, less common boat, better for water sports.
Negatives: Little bit more tippy than a 16.7, which also means when you're solo and sitting in the pilot seat there's an apparent lean. Stand-up running can be done if you have the seat all the way back, again with more lean than if you were in the center. You can adjust to stand toward the center, but access to controls is more awkward. Depending on factors (motor weight, mounting height, prop) 16SLs can have more propensity to porpoise. A search of this site or Continuous Wave will give you lots of info on that topic.
The most unique thing on the 16SL is the drain system for the deck. Some of it goes into the ski locker (there's usually a bilge pump there), and some of it goes out the scuppers, but a lot of it goes into the gas tank cavity then out a small drain hole into the port stern storage locker. The small drain hole often becomes plugged leading to lots of standing water that will soak the tank foam and start to rot the tank cover/deck. At the very least you need to remove the Beckson plates and have a good look at the tank top and confirm condition of the deck. Otherwise standard Whaler checks--through hulls, transom, hull damage, electrics, etc. In the picture you posted the boat appears to have some bends in the bow rail, but can't say much else.
John, Thanks for your response the info on the drainage system is great. I have my 16 dialed in just great and almost hate to mess with it but I have the chance to get this boat for a song and dance. And hull that's 30 plus years newer is appealing unless it's got great issues. Even if the motor is bad I have mine to work with.
We pulled the trigger, couldn't pass it up the amazing deal. Looks like a one owner dealer serviced boat, that is all original right down to the zip ties. When used, it was moored. But has sat unused for the last year or two. Nothing was frozen, Controls are smooth and free, the battery took a charge, and she fired right up. It has bottom paint and looks like the sun was it's worst enemy. I power washed it for 3 hours and discovered the fuel is very nasty and has water in it. There are 3 issues with the hull. 1 small chip in the gel coat outside near the bow. 1 small bubble and crack in the gel coat under a rear cleat. And a crack across the top of the transom that doesn't appear to be structural. It needs new seat covers for the front and rear seats. Next I want to pull the Fuel tank cover and inspect the tank and cavity. The gel coat on that cover also appears to have taken a lot of stress from the water ski pylon but is still very solid. Here is a link to my dropbox with pictures before and after the power wash. Opinions would be greatly appreciated. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/s6mc3cxqv5...hhLSaT7jna
The crack in the transom is likely due to water intrusion, either via the transom drain through-hulls, the lifting hook holes, or the bolt holes for the engine. The water swells the wood and cracks the gel coat. My 16SL has that, but not as bad as yours. If you're concerned about transom rot you can do what I did: I took out all of the above (removing the engine), then aimed some heaters at the transom for a week or so to force some of the water out. Though my wood was damp it wasn't punky, so I got some new through-hulls and resealed everything, including the crack. If you're really concerned you'd rebuild the transom, but I'm not obsessive enough to want to go through that process. You'll need to remove the plate in front of the engine in the transom well to access the lower engine mounting bolts, and also to check for water; if the plate isn't sealed well water will get in and then into the lower bolts holes. (BTW, good to see the engine mounting position a couple holes up, as most engines were just slammed down on the transom, to the detriment of performance and handling.)
Given how old the boat is it's also a good idea to check sealing on all through-hulls. Mine all needed to be redone, and there was some wet foam around them.
As for the ski pylon mounting, I haven't seen that before, and frankly I don't think the tank cavity cover is designed to take the stress. The factory setup can bee seen on this personal page: http://www.whalercentral.com/infusion...r_id=15621, 4th picture down, where the mountings are either side of the transom and the vertical surface in front of the rear seats.
For water in the fuel, check the gasket on the fuel filler.
To get the tank cavity cover off you have to remove the vertical panel in front of the rear seats.
Finally, on the trailer if you're planning to trailer the boat a lot I'd switch from the rollers to bunks. Rollers are generally a no-no on Whaler hulls and can lead to delamination of the skin/core foam or even cracks. And it's difficult to tell, but if there aren't any there should also be keel rollers.
