To make a long story endless… There is a link at the bottom of the post for a slide show on flickr. My late father bought our first boat from a 17 year old who worked at Palmetto Bay Marina on Hilton Head in 1971, when I was nine years old. 40 years later the old boat was in serious need of a make over, the bottom had 3 big cracks, gel coated pitted and crazed to the glass. I know some of you love the boat “porn” of every step of resurection, but I just pictured the final result. I sent the original owner some pictures before I started, after seeing an article about him and the mention of “our” whaler. He signed 2 pictures, one said “take good care of her” and I took it to heart. Thanks for the inspiration Capt. Bubba Carter. I did all the work myself, ground the gelcoat off, repaired and glassed the bottom, all the modifications, and painting. I know some Whaler purist won’t approve of the mods., however, it makes the boat a great platform for the creeks of the lowcountry. Hope you Whaler fans get some ideas and motivation to fix your tired classic. I’m open to questions and you can post comments below each slide, if you like. It is ready to hand to my 9 year old son.
In a word…Fantastic
I have the same vintage 13 Whaler, mines a '66 
I’m having too much fun using mine to do the restoration, but mine is not too urgent. Yours turned out great. I am not a purist; I like to see the creativity that folks have, these things are so versatile and last a lifetime or more. Love the rear nav light on the motor idea, very clever. That is mucho work you have done, and a source of pride to you I am sure. GregRo also has this vintage whaler. We could start a little club Ha Ha. Plus you can snicker at the $40k flats boats when you are casting to reds in 6 in of water!
Well done!
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.sswaonline.com
Very very nice looking rig! Definitly not the purist type here also, one can see that in my Whaler as well, I actually built the entire thing, hull and all from a mold I made off a friends Whaler about 30 years ago and still going strong!
Boat has been in British Columbia Canada waters, WA state waters puget sound san juan islands, Baja Mexico, Florida Keys, Everglades, now calls it’s home Charleston!
Same boat just different covers I have made for it in the past.
Russ B. Formerly known here as “Top2Bottom1”
www.joinrfa.org
God is great, Beer is good, People are crazy
RussB, I can’t believe you made that boat off a mold of a Whaler hull, that must be story unto itself! Dang impressive.
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.sswaonline.com
Thanks Optiker, when I was about 20 yo I wanted a Boston Whaler in the worst way but no way I could afford one. I actually contacted Boston Whaler about it when I was making it and was able to get a lot of thier original layup specs for it,(had to do a little fibbing with em to get it!) It was actually a friends Dads boat that I borrowed to make the mold off of, you want to talk about sweating bullets hoping the mold would release off the exterior of his hull after shrinking tight onto it! I fully plan on owning that boat untill the day I die!
Russ B. Formerly known here as “Top2Bottom1”
www.joinrfa.org
God is great, Beer is good, People are crazy
That is cool. I am about to have a fit for one of those hulls myself. I know they are for sale everywhere, but are still quite pricey. I too will have one someday, someway.
2000 2220 KeyWest CC 225ox66 “Drippin Wet”
Rose Ellyn,
OK, I’ll admit it.
I’m coveting.
That is bad ASSS!!!
“My fish served a whole lunchon. Your fish look like a munchkin”
167 Ranger Cayman
Yamaha 115
“Hydrophilic”
2007 Toyota Tundra TRD 5.7L V8
GO PIRATES!
Awesome little boat. Those Whalers will never not look good.