Need help restoring a classic whaler. (pics)

[josh6780]

Ok so this lady down the street just gave me this whaler. I think it is a 1959 and it is still in her yard. I need to know what I am going to have to do to restore this. It is pretty rough. It has been sitting in the weather for 8 years uncovered. This is the 3rd fourm I have posted on. I need all the advice I can get.<br /><br />Pictures are here <br /><br /> http://thehulltruth.com/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=69460&posts=21#M697785 <br /><br />Thanks<br />josh

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Need help restoring a classic whaler. (pics)

The very first thing you have to do is to get it weighed. Then you need to find out what the hull should weigh. The reason I say this is that it sat out in 8 years of rain (and snow if it snows there). The foam used in those old Whalers absorbed water, and if there is any defects in the inner sole of that whaler, it will have had 8 years to soak in the water. The end result is that not only do you have a boat that will weigh a lot more than it should, but it will not be a safe boat due to sitting too low in the water and not being able to float when swamped. The unsinkable legend of Whalers is true, but not if the foam is fully saturated. <br /><br />If the hull foam is not saturated, you have a good bit of cosmetic work to do. There is a guy on here that took an old Whaler like yours, fixed it up by repairing all the damage and re-gel coating it. It turned out absolutely flawless, but it was a bunch of work.<br /><br />The motor is easier. If it turns, you just need to replace the water pump impeller, clean the carbs, change the lower unit lube (fix and lower unit leaks), and it should be fine. Those old OMCs are great little motors. I have a number of them, older than that, that I have rescued with minimal effort. Good luck, keep us posted...

 

[goatherder]

Re: Need help restoring a classic whaler. (pics)

Looking at the other website, the idea of just seeing if you can pick it up at the stern is a fair one. If you can lift the stern of the boat it's probably not saturated. Another possibility would be to take it to a launch and put it in the water for a few minutes. Just like it is it should float about like a cork.<br /><br />I actually like Jason's idea of weighing it best, though I have absolutely no idea what one of those should weigh. They were very sturdy, surprisingly heavy, boats. I'm sure you can find a weight for it somewhere.<br /><br />My (uneducated) guess is that if the foam in one of those is saturated it's a total loss. Maybe someone has been able to restore the foam in a whaler, but I've never heard of it (but there's a lot I haven't heard of). My understanding of the way they're made is that it's all kind of laminated together and the foam is structural. As long as the foam isn't saturated it should be a great boat, especially at that price.

 

[josh6780]

Re: Need help restoring a classic whaler. (pics)

So what do I do if it is soaked. How do I dry it out?<br /><br />Josh

 

[goatherder]

Re: Need help restoring a classic whaler. (pics)

I'm not sure it can be dried out. But while I'm familiar with this type of boat, I'm no expert. If you've looked at this website much you've seen people replace foam in other types of boats, by removing the floor, sometimes fixing or replacing stringers, and then redoing the foam and replacing the floor. I'm not sure you can do that with a whaler, because of the structural nature of the foam.<br /><br />The floor of the boat looks uncracked, if it was stored open, but with the plug out, hopefully any water just flushed straight on out. In which case you shouldn't have much trouble with the foam. If water sat in it for long periods of time, it probably found a way to the foam. The wood I saw in the bottom of the boat didn't look rotted or badly water damaged, but I couldn't really tell. If water had sat in the boat, it seems likely to me that that wood would be bad. If the wood is good I'd hold out hope.<br /><br />Good luck.

 

[josh6780]

Re: Need help restoring a classic whaler. (pics)

well there was alot of debree in there before I cleaned it out. So im sure the holes where plugged.

 

[josh6780]

Re: Need help restoring a classic whaler. (pics)

Ok I just went down there to see if I could lift it. I got it under my knees and lifted with my arms and legs and it came up.<br /><br />I can tell I will be able to get off the trailer and turned upside down with not much trouble.<br /><br />The bottom is very very scaled. I will take pictures of it when I get a chance.<br /><br />Josh

 

[JB]

Re: Need help restoring a classic whaler. (pics)

Waterlogged Whalers can be dried out. Done it to 2 of them.<br /><br />You don't say what other sites you have been to, but if you haven't been there go to continuouswave.com. It is the Classic Whaler site, and the guys there know more about Whalers than Whaler does. Search up the thread on the "Chainsaw Whaler".<br /><br />Good luck. <br /><br />Why doesn't someone give me a free Whaler?

 

[G DANE]

Re: Need help restoring a classic whaler. (pics)

Well you cant have much water in it then. Find its ideal weight and get it weighed. Be aware many boats gain a little weight over the years, paint, poly soaking 3-4 % moisture A.S.O, bu shouldnt be more that 10-20 lbs or so.