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Greetings everyone. I'm new and when I say new, I mean new to boats and whalers. I recently purchased a 1981 Whaler that was in rough shape but I love pain.

Goal: August 30th to have the boat completed.

Here is what I have:

- Seems to be leak free on the bottom with no damage
- Gelcoat is flaking off most places on the top
- Some spots on the top have been repaired but not well
- Corner of transom appears to be damaged, but I'll have to do some detective work and explore what was repaired.
- Wood is rotted so all wood will have to be replaced. Looks like the prior owner tried to rebuild with oak. I'm pretty handy with woodworking and will be rebuildingit from scratch. Can anyone help me out and let me know if there any detailed plans / prints? If not, could anyone send me pictures of their interior?

Questions:
- If I want to re-gelcoat, what's the best way to sand/grind off the top and reapply gelcoat later?
- I've decided on epoxy repairs but it appears the previous owner might have used either polyester adhesives or bondo. Can't tell as I dont' have experience with either. Do you recommend grinding down what was done and redoing the repairs? Going to use West Epoxy as I have some experience with that.
- Need to take off rubrails. Any advice? Is it easy to reuse once all the repairs have been done? Should I screw or rivet?

Thanks in advance for your patience.

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Pictures are helpful.

If you grind off the gelcoat, look into having the interior LineX-ed. They look great and are super durable.

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Hello Mr. Kayaken If your boat is like mine was I'd say "RUN FOR THE HILLS" Just kidding. Although my 15 footer needed extensive repairs topside, I have enjoyed the whole process of rebuilding. I'm probably crazy. Anyway using an angle grinder, I found that a flap disc, 40 or 60 grit made short work of the gelcoat. But care is needed when grinding. Those discs can be aggressive. I did the entire topside with one, except the transom which was in good shape. Hope this helps you. Ernesto.

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Are you sure it is Gel Coat and the boat has not been previously repainted? I have never seen Gel Coat, "Flake".

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Goal: August 30th to have the boat completed

August 30, 20??

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Pretty funny. Yeah I thought I'd be done with my 15 in the summer that I bought it. Just now purchased the primer. Its been 3 years now. Ha!

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Great advice on the LineX. I'll look in to that. Here are some pictures that I took this weekend. As you can see, it is in rough shape.

http://s1341.photobucket.com/user/kay...amp;page=1

I'm shooting for 2015, but the start date of the project has already been pushed out the next two months. I have to wrap up 3 other projects before I can start. I think you are right when you say the chipping may be just paint and not gelcoat. If that is the case, do I sand it off and then just apply the LineX? Also, for the transom, should I do some digging to see what was repaired? It looks pretty shoddy back there.

I may be able to get my hands on a bow rail. How do you guys feel about adding those to a boat. Does it get in teh way or does it add value?

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Well I finally finished three side projects and turning my attention to my build. So I started removing all of my hardware and got stuck on the console. I was hoping to remove the steering cable from the motorso I could remove everything from the boat but the motor. That was where I got stuck. I was able to sliide the steering cable out about halfway inside the motor but it would not go any further. Do I need to buy an engine lift, take the motor off just to slide the steering cable out? I have a feeling it won't slide any further since it cannot make the bend.

Here is the picture of the cable
http://s1341.photobucket.com/user/kayaken/media/Mobile%20Uploads/photo%201_zps5gfgcmhd.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0

Should just leave the steering on and restore around it? What are my options?

Thanks

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Try disconnecting the cable at the steering wheel end to facilitate removing it from the engine. That said, if it were me I would remove the engine from the boat. You can hoist it off using a chain hoist: http://www.whalercentral.com/userphot...to_id=1725

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Thanks for the tip. I will probably get a harborfreight engine hoist to do the job. I have a standard cookie cutter garage and don't think the ceiling beams would be strong enough. Don't have any experience with hoists. Would a standard hoist be tall enough? Could I leave the engine on the hoist for a month while I return the whaler with out it failing? By failing, I assume that hoists use hydraulics and I would be worried that the constant load would tax the lift.

Last, I have a 70 hp Johnson. Do I need to buy an eyebolt to screw onto the motor somewhere to use as the lift point? If so, can anyone recommend a source for this part?

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j...1904712679

Thanks

(Edit: made link clickable)

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The chain hoist I used is mechanical. I left my engine hanging there until the work was done. My engine isn't very heavy ~165#. What is the hp of your engine? A 70hp would weigh at most in the 250# range for a 4 stroke so your garage (wooden) ceiling beams should be fine provided they are 2 x 8 or more (mine were). Also, if you preferred you could build an engine stand to store it on while you do the work. See here: http://www.whalercentral.com/download...?cat_id=16

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I have a old 70 evinrude two stroke on 1979 fifteen sport and had no problem tying a chain hoist to the ceiling joists and lifting engine. Made simple engine stand. Joists are 2x6. Good luck. Under the hood of the motor is a eyelet bolted to the top of the engine. Not sure about Jonson's.


(changed abbreviated year to full 4 digit year for clarification)

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Well I'm going to hit harborfreight tomorrow and buy an engine lift. I've read online that I can use a bolt puller kit and make an lift ring set up. Between the two, I think I should be all set. I'll also build an engine lift to sit it on as well. Sounds like a fun mini project. Thanks for the advice.

Oh yeah, my engine is a 70 hp johnson.

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Checked my motor and noticed that there are three threaded holes on the flywheel. Looks like this:

http://s1341.photobucket.com/user/kay...=3&o=0

Believe the harborfreight flywheel puller along with the eyebolt should work correct? I've located a couple of engine hoists (cherry pickers) and hope to pick one up this weekend. Weekend project is to make an engine stand and goal is to have the engine off in one week.

Anything I should know before I move forward? Those threaded holes seem pretty small and I worry about the weight vs thread vs bolt strength. I assume that is what they are for though right?

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Are you sure there isn't lifting eye located somewhere?

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Kayaken: Congratulations on your acquisition of a Boston Whaler 15.

I noticed a few things in your photographs.

Your Johnson 70 has a lifting ring; it is visible in the photograph of the flywheel, located on the left border of the photograph.

Your hull has flaking paint, not flaking gelcoat.

It looks like you will need to repair poorly done repairs and remove the peeling paint. Once the paint is removed and the patches are exposed, you will be in a better position to fully evaluate the condition of your hull.

You should post more photographs of your boat so other members can give you further advice on how to proceed with your project.

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You can use the existing loop but it won't lift the motor vertically. I used the loop and an engine lift to install my jackplate. It wasn't that bad; if you have a 2nd set of hands it would be helpful. I recently bought the OMC flywheel puller and lifting eye to remove the flywheel and help install the power head (which I had removed).

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Thanks for the heads up on the lift ring. I'll definitely take some more pictures of the boat now that I'm getting more accustomed to using photobucket.

Now as far as building a stand, if I bought an engine lift, could I just hang it on that for a period of 2 months while I repair the boat? Or would the hydraulics start to fail? I was thinking that I could lower it a bit so the skeg is resting on a board or something soft.

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You actually do not need to "lift" the motor to remove it. my method of static removal of an outboard is simple. I have an a-frame made of 2x6 screwed onto a pallet. I lower the bow to the ground via the trailer dolly. Then I set a chain and shackle to the a-frame and lift ring on the motor. I loosen/remove the lower engine bolts/nuts. Raise the trailer dolly/bow to put tension on the static chain of the a-frame. Remove top transom bolts/nuts. raise the trailer dolly all the way up, resulting in transom lowering and motor clearing the top of the transom. I have the base pallet set on a mechanic's creeper so I can move the motor away from the boat. Final point, a J70 only weighs 248 lbs.

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The chain hoist is cheap. It will also be easier to put the motor on and off this way as you have more control although weatherly's method will work.

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Well thanks to all for the advice on removing the motor. I did it!! It was an adventure though.

Bought an engine lift for $50 and a motor stand for $20. I can flip those as soon as I'm done with the rebuild. Sunday was spent removing the bolts to the motor and hooking it up to the lift. Made a mistake of not extending the boom all the way out which prevented me from positioning the motor stand in the right position. So, with the help of my trusty wife/assistant, I had her lower the engine to the ground resting on the skeg while I held the motor upright. She unhooked the motor from the lift and extended the boom far enough that the engine stand could be positioned correctly. Relifted the motor back up and was able to mount the motor to the stand.

Not adventure #2 starts. Thinking that all was set, I stepped back to admire the handy work and that's when the motor started to rotate on the motor stand. In all the excitement, I forgot to tighten the rotation screw on the stand. So in a panic, I was able to catch the motor after it had rotated 90 degrees, upright it again, and then have my wife tighten the set screw. I strapped it the motor to the stand to prevent rotation and that's where it is at this moment. Hope the kids don't play around the motor while I'm at work. ;)

Now on to the next phase... sanding. Any recommendations? Orbital sander vs angle grinder? Best methods for removing chipping paint? Also, how should I handle chipping paint on the parts of the floor that have the textured bumps? I assume sanding those areas removes the bumps as well?

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I would use the sander. The angle grinder isn't going to take the material off evenly is going to create more work to smooth it out.

Does the non skid deck also have paint in it? I would have someone walnut blast the non skid (maybe do the whole boat they are at it) like they do toremove bottom paint. I would try to leave the non skid deck if possible.

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I believe the deck non-skid has paint. I picked up a harborfreight soda blaster that I may use to do the textured areas. Bought it years ago and never used it. Now I have the opportunity! Yay!! Great suggestion on blasting it clean.

I still have the problem of removing the steering cable from the motor and it binding. I'll add pictures tonight.

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So here are some of my latest pictures:

Motor on engine stand finally!
http://s1341.photobucket.com/user/kay...=3&o=3

Binding steering cable. Can I simply tap the other end with a steel rod and hammer to push the steering cable out?
http://s1341.photobucket.com/user/kay...=3&o=2

Mysterious wood block screwed into flooring. I believe the previous owner put it there as a brace for the steering console. Is it necessary?
http://s1341.photobucket.com/user/kay...=3&o=1

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That would be the floor/console cleat.
See the downloads section for the 13' model which is very similar.
Yes, it is necessary.
See "Console and Seats for 13' Sport" here:
http://www.whalercentral.com/download...?cat_id=13

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Joe kriz: thanks for the link. That should help tremendously with the rebuild of the interior. Appreciate the info.

Now to the stuck steering cable. Should that slide easily out the motor linkage as shown in the picture above? I'm stumped on this one.

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Never mind. Tapped it out with a socket extension. Now I can start sanding!

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Started sanding yesterday and then quickly realized I need help. This is what I'm seeing:

http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o...cg8k1c.jpg

I see 5 layers:

1. White paint (flaky in some areas, but overall holding pretty strong)
2. Off white paint (I believe). Is this the gelcoat?
3. Red layer (not sure what this is). This layer is hard. Is this gelcoat?
4. Fiberglass
5. Tan layer (not sure if this is the foam) It's hard but has a soft fuzzy texture.

I tried 40 grit sandpaper to get the paint off, but it was not effective. The chipped parts are coming off easily, but the rest is holding tight. Should I continue to sand it off? I'm worried that I may oversand into one of the other layers. Shouldn't I stop at the gelcoat? I'm assuming if I'm into layer #5, then I've oversanded. Also, at the rate the sanding is going, I'll be sanding for another 2 months. :) Looking for instruction and best practice on what to do with the paint that is flaking vs the paint that is holding tight.

On a sidenote, I'm trying remove the steering from the console. How do I remove the steering wheel? I removed the bolts holding the assembly onto the wood, but it seems that I need to disconnect the actual wheel in order to remove the entire assembly from the console.

http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o...wph7lf.jpg

Thanks!

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Use the allen key set screw to remove the center cap of the steering wheel. Then remove the steering shaft nut and then the steering wheel (may need to use PB Blaster and tap the shaft lightly with a hammer; be careful not to deform the shaft). Then use the flat head screws (or possibly phillips) that are exposed once the steering wheel is removed to remove the steering mechanism from the steering bezel (the mechanism will drop downward from underneath the console once unscrewed). Then you can unbolt the bezel from the console from underneath (it looks like you already removed these) and the bezel will then be free.

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Thanks wlagarde. I was able to pop off the steering cap and unbolt the steering wheel. It seems to be stuck so I've PB blasted it and will let it set overnight. I'll update tomorrow.

Regarding removing paint, do any of you recommend Citristrip paint stripper? I may go this route so I don't cause unnecessary damage to gelcoat or fiberglass.

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If you screw the steering wheel nut partially onto the shaft (so the shaft is recessed below the surface of the nut by and 8th of an inch or so) and then tap on the nut with a hammer it will allow you to tap on the shaft to help with removing the steering wheel without deforming the shaft. Just be careful and don't be too aggressive with the hammer.

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Thanks. Tried it but it won't budge. I'll PB blast it and keep trying. Any other suggestions?

Also picked up a quart of Citrstrip. Looking forward to seeing if that works.

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The off white (desert sand) is the gelcoat. Personally I would stop at the gelcoat if you can get away with that later being smooth on the non skid sections. At the very most I would only sand down the fiberglass (green).

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Dgoodhue: not sure I understand what you are saying about the nonskid sections. Can you clarify? Thanks

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The floor (if original) is made up of non skid gelcoat.

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Dgoodhue: Are you saying to sand down the textured nubs on the flooring? I bought the citristrip and it is removing all the paint on the flat surfaces, but I'm not sure how to handle the textured floors as the Citristrip does not easily remove those sections.

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I meant do NOT sand down the non skid if possible.

I am not sure what I wrote before it was autocorrected, I definitely would not recommend sanding down the non skid so it is smooth.

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Got it. I tried the citristrip but I'm having difficulty getting the paint to bubble up to scrape off. Any tips?

Also, what's the best way to remove the tow hardware? I'm trying to scrape the paint off around that area and it's giving me fits. Also, is it worth polishing that piece of hardware? What type of metal is it?

http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o...atlib6.jpg

Thanks,

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The norman pin just unscrews. To undo the bow eye and rear tiedowns, I would get a set of pry are and another person. One to hold the outside, the other unscrew the inside.

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If the Citra strip is removing the paint, then continue using it. After a section bubbles I would blast the paint remover off with a gas powered pressure washer. I assume your boat is outside on a trailer. Be very careful though. wear long pants long sleeves, rubber loves and glasses hat and a hat. that stuff will fly everywhere and will burn if it gets on your skin. Do a section at a time. It makes the labor easy and fast. It won't take off the gel coat, which is probably intact. that will have to be sanded with your orbital sander, starting with 80 grit and working up top 150. I think you have found boat restoring is slow hard work, but in the end is well worth the trouble.

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Tried to remove the Norman pin but still having problems. Do I grip each side and turn counterclockwise in opposing sides? I tried that but the pin just spins. Does it need pb blaster?

As for the deck stripping,it was recommended to use thinner in addition to the citristrp along with a toothbrush and scrub the floors. Will paint thinner hurt the gelcoat?

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Kayaken; The Norman pin has standard threads. Each end screws into a piece of threaded rod in the middle so there's three pieces altogether. I had to use a pair of vice grips on each end at the same time to hold it from spinning. And I think I used some folded up cardboard to protect the ends from the vice grips claws so as not to gouge it. I think I still did a tiny bit but luckily was able to file the scratches out. You might need to soak the threads with a little WD-40 or equivelent. Mineral spirits or paint thinner won't harm gelcoat provided the gelcoat is in good condition. If its old and chalky it might soak in and be a problem if you want to paint over it, depending on the type of paint you'd use. I think paint thinner is an oil based product. good luck, Ernesto. 1979 custom sport 15'

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It's been awhile but I've made some progress. I finally gave up on the citri strip on the anti skid floor as it was ineffective. So I took a grinding wheel and went to town. All the antiskid is off just in time for the winter. Since I don't have a heated garage, I'll have to wait until early spring to sand the boat down with an orbital sander to smooth all the pits in the gelcoat left by the citristrip.

In the spring, my biggest unknown is what to do with an apparent repair by the previous owner at the back corner of the boat where the left side meets the transom. Not sure if I should leave it alone or tear it apart and try to "improve" the repair. It looks like the repair is delaminating a bit at the edges so my gut is telling me to tear into it. But I figured I would try to get some advice from members here.

Here are some pictures of the questionable corner:

http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o...gbu6s.jpeg

http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o...9mnup.jpeg

http://i1341.photobucket.com/albums/o...leqlc.jpeg

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Wondering if any one could reply with guidance. Thanks

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Last year I renovated a 1970 17',
that was in extremely poor condition.
I redid dozens of poorly done FG repairs,
the type that are slapped on without proper gelcoat grinding prep,
and can be peeled off with a razor blade.
Of course after paint,
the 3 spots that I didn't fix,
had the slightest beginnings of cracking.
Now they're completely ground down and re glassed,
but sucks to have obvious patches when I knew better.
Fortunately it's more a work boat than a show boat.

For repairs I used the west systems slow cure,
a combo of mat and cloth depending on thickness,
and system 3 quick fair epoxy filler for smoothing.
A proline epoxy primer on the inside,
with roll and tipped awlgrip LP whaler blue.
TP