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Hey Everyone,
I'm looking at purchasing an 85 15' Sport Center Console, with a 40HP Honda 4 stroke. It's been used by the school I work for and has gotten a lot of abuse. Regardless, I'm going to get it anyway as the price is really good. I'm psyched about fixing it up, and I'm wondering if anyone can give me info on what to look out for in the way of trouble spots, or just any good info. I'm enjoying the site and can't wait to get my Whaler.
Check for soft spot's in the floor, check for a cracked transom (but, I doubt it's cracked), there is a "Check list" in the downloads (upper left screen) on "W/C" that can help. The 15' is a GREAT model, just right for my need's, when I bought mine I caught some "Ridiculing" at the dock, was told I "Over paid" on too small a boat. An old salt across the creek from me said "Son, you have the right idea on boat's, you'll have that boat your whole life, and these guy's will be gone". 20+ years later I'm still standing and all those other guy's are "GONE". The old salt passed away a few years ago but, I'll never forget what he said... Good luck with you new boat, you'll have "MANY" year's of enjoyment !
Thanks Matt, I downloaded the checklist, so I'll use that as my guide. I know about transom problems so that's the first thing I checked. I'm bringing it home today or tomorrow to check it out, and then I'm taking it to a buddies boat yard to have it weighed and checked out. I posted some pictures of it on my personal page so you can see it in all it's neglected glory. I checked out your sport pictures, nice looking boat, and i see you have no problem with taking your family out. How does it do in chop? My wife gets a little antsy when the water gets big. I showed her the classic "unsinkable" pictures so that helped.
She is a "Diamond in the rough"!! Good luck with her and be sure to take lots of pictures so we can follow along with your progress. You can do this by starting a project page.
Welcome to WC shipmate!
Cliff
1966 13' Sport with a 1993 40hp Yamaha 2 Smoker
Once she get's a bath and is cleaned up a little, she'll look 50% better than right now, then a few repair's, and like "Cliff" said a "Diamond in the rough" start's coming together. The boat will handle anything in the Bay (my Bay anyway), and back creeks. I think that most other 15' owners would agree that the hull handle's the "chop" better with a little bit of "Power" behind her, you just have to get used to that type of handling (it's a bit aggressive but, the hull won't break). It's actually better to get "up" on the chop, than to try and slug it out by going slow in the snot. My wife had the same concern's, just tell your wife to "grab a rail, we're goin for a dirt bike ride across the woop-dee-doo's", apply "Power" and you'll soon see smiles, cause, It's a "BLAST" ! The hull can handle a lot but, always use "Caution" and "Common sense", and don't go out in bad conditions. As you can see on my "personal page", we "ALWAYS" wear our "PFD's" too. You have to always remember that "although FUN", it's still a "small" boat.
Thanks for the feedback everyone!
Man, I can't wait to get started on her! I think the cleaning up is half the fun! I currently have a whaler wannabe skiff, and it doesn't handle anything like I think the 15' will. We definitely always use our PFDs and use common sense about going out, but we were limited to almost glass-like water. That's a big jump from the 21' GW we had before that, but I think this is going to be the perfect middle ground.
The 15' hull track's VERY well in a high speed turn, probably it's best "feature" (outside of the front casting deck for fishing). It's very predictable, she only threw me a "Surprise" just once, it was mostly my fault for poor boat handling. I got into a busy spot (cross roads), and decided to take her up to speed, unfortunatly a large boat 30+ ft. on my starboard side did the same thing, I tried to get behind "Jumbo" for "Protection", and his wake caught my stern. It did'nt pass under the boat but, caught the back, and now my stern is higher than my bow, all steering was lost because, the water/wave was going faster than my prop, the RPM's came "UP" on the engine, and I was in a "Nantucket sleigh ride" down the front of the wave, I thought I was going to "Pitch pole" the boat while "Surfing" the wave, VERY "SCARY". I applied "power and got over the wave (difficult because, the wall of water was pushing the bow out and down), and she settled back down. "Mental Note: "Don't do that again" !
Well I went to get some more pictures today, and somehow when I wasn't looking it attached itself to my truck. I guess since it followed me home I gotta keep her.
sullpond wrote:
Well I went to get some more pictures today, and somehow when I wasn't looking it attached itself to my truck. I guess since it followed me home I gotta keep her.
Funny how that happens some times. Congratulations!!
Cliff
1966 13' Sport with a 1993 40hp Yamaha 2 Smoker
There's "nothing" like the feeling after you have the boat in the D/W. It's a cross between "I'm outta my mind", and "I just got the coolest bike on the block". The only draw back is that you can't put baseball card's in the spokes !
Congratulations, and Good Luck, take good care of your "Whaler", and she'll always get you home "SAFE" !
