It’s a Sickness! Whaler-itize

Yep - It’s a sickness! Whaleritize 

I’ve been working on boats since I was a kid.  It all started when I was a teenager as a mate on a fleet of old party boats that were built in the 40’s.   The old ‘Lady Lil’ was like a training vessel and needed a lot of “fix the boat”, “fix the boat again” and “fix the boat some more”.  She needed lots of luv!  As well as the Rose Marie and Marshwind . 

So boat repair is a part of life for me.  I guess I’m not happy unless I’m fixing a boat. I’ve moved up from old wooden boats to a 30 year old Hatteras. Talk about a lot of boat fixing! 

A while back my friend Brian was looking to sell his Boston Whaler and I thought that might be a nice boat for the kids to kick around in. Well, I found a new joy in small boats. I guess I was burnt out from fixing the old Hat.

The new Whaler wasn’t exactly new – it was a 1987 Super Sport Limited (SSL) – with a Johnson 28 hp.  Wasn’t exactly ‘Speed Gonzales’ as well.  So I started my first Whaler Project – restoring; chrome, glass, seat cushions, radio, controls, lights, glass patching, upgraded her engine to a nice fast 1997 50HP 2 stroke.  OK – I was hooked!!

Before:

The sickness starts with Whaler logo on the Pickup truck and Whaler T-Shirts.  You know it’s bad when Christmas gifts to the kids include Whaler apparel.

I had one problem with this SSL Whaler … There wasn’t a single piece of wood.  How can you have a whaler without wood!  She just wasn’t “classic”.   So to fix this problem, I replace the fiberglass hatch with a Mahogany hatch – She’s an all glass girl with some nice Mahogany to dress her up. 

After:

Now comes the hunt – find an upgraded “Classic Whaler” to restore.  I started looking and doing my research (because I’m an engineer and that’s what engineers do).  I settled on a Nauset, Eastport, or Sakonnet showing a vintage wood console.  I started looking around and each boat I found was either a completed dog or was snapped up within minutes (I missed 3 within an hour of each call).  There were not middle of the road boats in that era that didn’t get sucked up quickly.  Then I found one ... in Maine; 3 hours away.  I call and it was still available.  Someone from Tennessee was going to buy it, but the deal fell through. So Julie and I jump in the truck and off we go!

Here’s what she looked like.  I was impressed in the hull condition. 

She’s a 1970 Sakonnet – Her stencil numbers say she’s built in 1970, but she was commissioned in 1971, so all the paperwork calls her a 1971.

Now here’s the crazy thing … The boat broker tells me - “please don’t contact the seller, they prefer to stay out of the dealings” – Sure whatever, I’m good with that.  Then Julie and I jump in the truck (after a super Mimosa and Blood Mary at the Muddy Rudder Restaurant) and on our way home, a Volvo wagon starts beeping at me on the highway. I immediately thought I had a problem with the trailer.  Nope, not at all, it was the original owners of the boat. They passed by telling us they loved their old Whaler.  It was a very crazy coincidence drive-by on the highway.

So here the start of the “Project Sakonnet” – Follow the pics.

Happy wife - Happy life

(Especially after a super Mimosa at the Muddy Rudder Restaurant)

Now here’s the strip down:

Thanks to Bill and his Bobcat - to get the engine off the boat.

Now to start the build:

New console:

From Bob in Haverhill at 978-837-8808

Compass:

When I started looking at what I needed for the console, I took the old red explorer compass off the old console.  I thought I’d replace this with a simple $49 compass. I started looking into the Red Ritchie compass that was stock on the Whaler. On eBay, they were going for hundreds – That’s nuts.  Well I’m literally 1.9 miles from the Ritchie compass factory in Pembroke. So what the hay, lets drive up the street.   

I stopped  by the Ritchie facility with the old red explorer compass in hand, the globe was all cracked and fluid was all gone.  I was introduced to Steve Sprole (VP Sales) at the front desk.  I told Steve its 45 years old and he said “It’s been a long time since she’s been back home” … Steve said follow me.  He took me through his factory into a repair shop.  He searched various cabinet draws and found what he was looking for, a matching compass insert for the “old red”.

Steve them took me to the work bench were we both sat down and stated operating on old red, to bring her back to life.  At the end of this “Compass Renovation” event, I walked out of Steve shop with a revived “Old Red” compass in hand.  Steve stopped me on the way out and said, you’ll need this; it’s the light bulb for that model compass.

The total cost for reviving old red was $29.52 – I would have paid for a tour of his facility and paid to sit in his repair shop.  What an awesome event for me – remembering that I navigated by a compass when I was a young charter boat captain (pre-GPS! and the company couldn’t afford LORAN and Radar).  I had goose bumps walking around the factory floor.  I told the wife about this … she just didn’t understand - I didn’t expect her to anyway. Big THANKS to Steve!!

On to glass work

I did a little (messed up) glass work - which Jeff at East Cast Fiberglass 

http://www.eastcoastfiberglass.com had to undo … OK – I’m a hack!! I had to wait for Jeff – he does super work and therefore is crazy backed up.  But it was well worth the wait, the Whaler blue came out like it came of the show room floor.

Her Name

The Name – And why OK, I’ve been kidding Julie for years I’m naming my next boat FUJIMO … It’s F. U. Julie. I’m. Moving. Out. … all joking of course.  So, I finally got to use the joke name.  She said, sure you move out and also pay of the house and kids.  OK, more reason to call this a joke name!

Bright Work:

Time for the engine – I started looking on Craig’s list for a used engine and Julie said, “just buy a new engine, you have so much invested in this, and I can’t stand engine problems”  Now, you don’t often get the wife OK to drop big bucks on boat engines – so I said “Let’s hit the boat show”

So here’s the new ETEC 90 HP …. Sweet!!!

On the home stretch!!

It’s Thanksgiving weekend … I’m installing Rub Rails while other folks are shopping on black Friday … I think I’m winning on this one!

I’m “DONE” and now I get to winterize her since it’s the end of November.  But wait, next weekend is going to be 50 degrees.   I’m thinking SEA TRIAL!!!

My daughter comes outside to see the finished Whaler restore, as I crack a Silver Bullet she asked me, are you doing a Whaler for me next?

OMG - Kids!

Maybe I’ll check Craig’s list J
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Update:

It hit 51 degrees yesterday, nice "cool" day for a blast !!

She hit 36 MPH !