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Hello,

Last week I bought Whaler #35162. It is a Sakonnet with a rear seat added. I have been looking for a vintage 16.7 for a long time and this one came up on a Craigslist search. Apart from the rear seat and motor, it seems pretty original. It has a 1996 Johnson 50 on the back which I didn't think was enough power but last weekend I took it out and was cruising at 22-23 knots which seems pretty good! I plan to use it for cruising and fishing this Summer then restore all the wood and paint the hull over the Winter. The gel coat is badly crazed both on the hull and in the cockpit. I am hoping to get away with spraying high build primer over the whole boat then sanding that and topcoating. I realize that the boat is probably wet on the inside and I will weigh it once I get it down to a bare hull just so I know what I am dealing with. Should I be encouraged by the speed with only 50HP?

I am looking for any and all input. The price was right on this boat so it doesn't owe me a lot but based on the comments I got last weekend, this vintage and model really strikes a chord with people so I'd like to get it in better shape cosmetically and use it for a couple of years at least. Did I mention that I live on the Sakonnet River? Pretty cool!