Doing boat restoration has become an ongoing hobby for me. Each project seems to be more complex than the last. I like that progression. It broadens my skill sets and prepares me for the next, which may be more difficult.
My last boat restoration involved a lot of wiring projects. I added a nice sound system with a high power amp. I didn’t need to but I really wanted to make this boat stand out. To that end, I also added blue led interior lighting to it. In order to do that I had to add a lot of auxiliary wiring as well as switches and power panels. I also learned to leave drag string inside the hull for future wiring projects. I also learned a lot about fiberglass repair and gel coating. There was a large gash in the upper part if the boat. Thankfully, not in the hull.
Before that I restored a Wahoo center console 180. That was really an education for me. I re-pwoered that boat with a used Mercury engine. It originally had an Evinrude. I learned the hard way that I had to run all new controls on that boat to match the engine. Here’s a link to that article. Wahoo Restoration
I’m on my third restoration project, a 1966 Boston Whaler 13. This one is going to be a challenge. The hull is in great condition. However, the inside shell needs a lot of work. There’s several layers of old paint as well as some fiberglass de-lamination that needs to be corrected. Not only that, but there are sections of the non-skid flooring that need to be repaired (ore entirely removed). On top of that, the engine, a 1988 Johnson 40HP hasn’t been run in over 20 years. I’ll be spending a lot of time getting this seaworthy but am looking forward to the challenge!
One aspect of this Whaler 13 restoration that I’ve been anticipating is repairing the large hole in the anchor locker. This is a medium to large endeavor in fiberglass repair. I’ll be using epoxy resin to lay down the fiberglass mats. I’ve also already used “excess” epoxy resin from other repairs to create a solid […]
Anchor Locker Fiberglass Repair – Boston Whaler 13 Restoration – Part 3 Read More »
This old Boston whaler has some severe fiberglass delamination on the bow. There are a number of techniques that can be used to do a delamination fiberglass repair. I decided to go with injecting an epoxy based resin. Identifying the obvious spots is pretty easy. But, you also have to take the time to find
Delamination Fiberglass Repair – Boston Whaler 13 Restoration- Part 2 Read More »
I’m getting ready to start the hull and interior renovation on my 1966 13′ Boston Whaler. My plan is to start with the interior, which needs the most work. Before I get started with that, I want to remove the Whaler norman pins. This will give me access to the fiberglass and gel coat that
Boston Whaler 13 Restoration – Norman Pins (Cleats) Part 1 Read More »
Finding the Johnson Shift Link Location! A smart approach to any task is planning out the steps to complete it ahead of time. I planned on doing that when dropping the lower unit for the first time. There was just one drawback, I couldn’t find the Johnson shift linkage location!This happened to me recently when
1988 40HP Johnson Shift Linkage Location Read More »
After sinking a significant amount of time and money into this motor, I wanted to do one more thing before starting it up. IT had shown a weak stream of coolant when I had run it before, so I figured a new impeller would be the next think to do. I went through the normal
Remove an Outboard Lower Unit with a Stuck Drive Shaft Read More »
Why Remove the VRO Oil Pump? Running an older outboard can present some challenges. One of them is the constant worry of having the VRO oil pump go out on you. Many boaters elect to bypass a Johnson or Evinrude oil pump. There is a ton of information in the Internet on how to do
Replace a Johnson Evinrude VRO Oil Pump with a Standard Fuel Pump Read More »
After rebuilding these carburetors I still had a rough idle. I took the carbs back off and removed the access plug and carburetor lead shot to clean the idle circuit out completely. I also found a good alternative to the expensive “carburetor lead shot plug” from OMC Johnson/Evinrude. This is my second go around with
Cleaning Fixed Idle Jet Passage on an Outboard Carburetor Read More »
So far I’ve done a number of things to restore this old outboard to life. Before going any further though, I want to make sure there is adequate cooling for this engine. There are two things I’ll tackle to do this. First, I’ll replace the outboard thermostat. This engine hasn’t been in run on a
How to Replace an Outboard Thermostat Read More »
Making Your Own Spark Plug Wires Building your own spark plug wires is a simple yet rewarding task. They are not complex to build and do not require advanced skills. If you have worked with wire strippers and crimpers you can easily build your own spark plug wires. In this post I’ll be describing the
Make Your Own Spark Plug Wires DIY Read More »
Why Compression Test an Outboard Engine There are several reasons you may want to compression test an outboard engine. If you notice the engine is running rough (especially at idle) is one. If you are buying a used boat than certainly performing a compression test is definitely in order. Don’t make a decision on purchasing
How To Accurately do an Outboard Compression Test Read More »
