Murphy must have been a boater.

[warthog]

Well, I finally finished re-building and varnishing all the wood in my 13 ft Boston Whaler. I even built a Mahogany poling/casting platform for it. It looks great, and I was stoked to take it on the maiden voyage.

Get out on the water. Everything fits well, nothing is rattling or loose. All is well. See some activity on the water. Decide to go cast a couple at the swirl and see what is down there. Fire up the boat after a couple of fruitless casts, and...


BEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!

Engine overheat warning. WTF? Look back- no stream coming out of the engine. Shut it down, check the intake- no seaweed or plastic bags.

FUCK!!!


We've all been there. I decided to limp it home. I wasn't too far. Maybe 1000 yards from the launch.
Figured if the impeller was shot, it wasn't getting any better any time soon. Why not make it worse? Any further, and I was poling the whole way home.

Tore the lower unit apart, replaced the water pump. Thank god they had the right kit for a 1988 Yamaha.


Took it out today, worked like a charm.


So now I know how to change a water pump. Yay!!

Before and after pics are coming. Once I get the new rub rail attached.

[mushmouth]

I'm looking forward to seeing the pics of this set-up, sounds pretty interesting!

[warthog]

Here are the pics: 1972 13 ft Boston Whaler Sourpuss.

Full front shot. Notice the clamps for the rub rail install- total PITA. Don't ever do this alone. It sucks huge.
http://adaps.smugmug.com/photos/186609425-O.jpg

Steering and casting/poling platform:
http://adaps.smugmug.com/photos/186609385-O.jpg

Solving the age old problem of keeping this damn hatch from flying off under way. Put a stainless bolt with a bull ring through it. Threads into a hub in the hatch that I put together with mahogany and a 1/2" nut, and lots of 3M 5200. This used to be one of the seats.
http://adaps.smugmug.com/photos/186609394-O.jpg

The casting platform was built using an old seat mount from a go fast that I found. I mounted two pieces of 1.5" mahogany to it, and put V grooves on 2" centers across the whole top- mostly for traction, but also to cover up the seam that the two wood pieces made. You can't even tell it is two pieces. The top is varnished with 10 coats of Epiphanes Spar Varnish. Last coat has some traction beads mixed it. Don't want to bust my ass up there.

http://adaps.smugmug.com/photos/186609355-O.jpg

The console came out really nice. This used to be the console, but it went acoss the entire width of the boat. Mahogany holds up really well, so a couple runs of the electric planer, a lot of sanding, and a shit ton of varnish and it looks like new.
http://adaps.smugmug.com/photos/186609456-O.jpg


This has been my boat since I was 7. She has seen many facelifts, but this is her last. I am getting her ready for our new baby girl, so that she can enjoy this boat as much as I have throughout the years.

I probably won't be able to get out too much in the near future, but once Charlotte is ready, her and dad will take her first boat ride on this beauty. Gotta love a boat that you can pass from generation to generation with very minimal maintenance. Hope you liked the pics.

[ak_powder_monkey]

best console ever...


Very pretty boat man

[Sinecure]

Nice work warthog. For keeping that hatch down, we used to have a bit of double bungee connected under the hatch and then to the boat in the little hold. You have to change the bungee periodically when it rots, but that's not a big deal.

Our little whaler isn't as old as yours. My boat when I was 7 was a 14ft Alumacraft with a 9.9hp Merc. When I was in high school my mom started a company making boxer shorts. When we bought the little whaler to replace the constantly leaking alumacraft, she christened it her company yacht. She painted the company logo on the side and we used Stars and Stripes boxers as the flag on the stern light.

Here's what ours looks like from a couple seasons ago. It appears my mom needs a news stars and bars boxer short flag.

http://www.biglines.com/photosv2/2007/08/120x120/biglines_78083.jpg

Here's my daughter at age 7 at the helm. We mostly let her drive when the boat is tied to the dock.

http://www.biglines.com/photosv2/2007/08/120x120/biglines_78084.jpg