cjohnson

That vintage Whaler is probably pretty solid, but watch for possible rot in the wood-cored transom. It's a problem on some of the Whalers from the 80's. Also, you may find some fastenings into the hull aren't really done right and need rework. I have a 20' Revenge and a 13' Fisherman (from around 1960). I'm a Whaler believer. But they aren't quite indestructible and need all the usual maintenance. Probably the best Whaler website is at www.continuouswave.com. Check it out.

Wax makes cleaning a lot easier, and there are non-skid waxes out there. But some parts of the nonskid probably should be left untreated. I've found that the easiest way to clean nonskid is with a bristle brush and almost any good household cleaner, and if the brush isn't too stiff it works well as a polisher for rhw waxing phase too. The bristles will get down in the diamond pattern much better than a sponge or rag.

The name doesn't matter to me, now that I'm here. But I think you might get a wider variety of members with Joeboater. The site does seem much more fish-centric than THT was.

All GPS units that I know of have a track screen that shows you a "breadcrumb trail" tracking back to your starting point. Chart plotters essentially add a background graphic of the appropriate chart or map of the area behind the breadcrumb trail. Your location is shown in the center of the chart, updated automatically. Chartplotter functionality is not really necessary, regardless of how far offshore you are, but is pretty useful. In reality, the more time you spend near shore the more useful the feature is, since when near shore you have more stuff to look out for that the chart will actually show. 20 miles offshore the ocean mostly looks the same on the chart. A chartplotter is not a substitute for paper charts; you still need to carry those. A cheapie GPS will work fine in conjunction with paper charts.

Did you talk to piranha about it? Maybe they sent you the wrong pitch or something. I do believe the plastic prop will have more drag than equivalent stainless, but I wouldn't expect that much performance drop.

I think you will like them. I have been using one on a 150 Evinrude for several years. The only thing is, they will ding up much easier than an aluminum prop, so figure replacement blades as an annual expense and be sure and check the prop if you dust the bottom, even a just little bit. My brother brought the boat home from a night fishing trip one time complaining of low power and overheating. He said he had hit some mud and maybe sucked some in the intake. I looked at the prop the next morning and the blades were down to about 1" long. Motor was fine though. Changed the blades in a few minutes and went for a ride. Didn't invite my brother.

Interesting discussion. Two points: I wouldn't completely write off the engines as uneconomical to repair. Just because they were underwater and seized doesn't mean you can't free them up and fix them with a couple days work and fooling around. Also, even if they are toast their scrap value may be pretty high if you are willing to seriously part them out and test the parts you resell. In addition to the LU, most of the electrical parts are probably good, and they are expensive retail. But rehabbing boats always coasts more than you think. After working up an estimate on paper I'd add at least 25% additional for "surprises."

If you are getting a loan for the purchase you will require insurance and will need a survey. Some insurance companies also require one before they will issue a policy, even if you pay cash for the boat. But beyond that it depends on the boat. What are you getting? It also depends on your ability to do the stuff a surveyor would do. After hanging around boats nearly all my life I probably wouldn't get a survey unless I was forced to by a bank or insurance company, but then I probably won't be buying any 40 footers anytime soon. Take a look at Pascoe's website www.yachtsurvey.com to get some idea of the kind of stuff a surveyor will be looking for.

I've never seen a homebrew plan like you describe, but I'd like to. I think it would be doable and practical for someone with a good junk box on hand. But you might consider old-school cable steering. It isn't seen any more, but was all the rage at one time. I have an old Whaler that was originally equipped with a steering wheel that linked to the outboard using a cable run through pulleys. A spring in the cable helped maintain tension in the system. It was not very positive steering, but when adjusted right it worked OK. Many small outboards made before about 1970 actually came from the factory with a hole in the handle to accept the standard cable steering bracket.

I remember a hell of a party at one of my favorite bars on June 9, 1969. Won't see one like that for another 60 years or so.

I think nicknames are more of an east coast thing, anyway. Among my east coast relatives, they have become a requirement, because half the men are names Richard and the rest are mostly named Bill. Without nicknames we'd never tell them apart. Thus, we have Little Ritchie, Big Richie, etc. In college I was known as OWJ, after Old Wierd Johnson, the Cosby character. Also, on occasion, the Undertaker, for reasons I won't go into here.

Probably less stuff in there than it looks like. The hull is full of water, so everything has floated to the top. The empty bushel baskets contribute to the cluttered look, but they are standard equipment on a crabbing boat. I'd vote for a broken thru-hull as the cause.

I have considered sealed lead acid, but had a bad experience with one several years ago (battery burst after a couple of years service and without warning, causing damage to the boat). I think my experience was just a freak manufacturing defect, but have been shy of them ever since. Research continues. I probably won't replace the battery for awhile yet; maybe I'll find a super-sale. I agreen the AGM price tag is a bit off-putting, but as it should only happen every 8 years or so it isn't too bad.

I notice the MD tag number... I often visit Cobb Island Maryland, home to Captain John's Crab House and Marina. I've seen many similar boats, and a few in similar condition. It isn't yachtie territory. Several years ago there was an old wooden cabin cruiser there, clearly a one-off boat, really sharp lines and cool looking but not maintained much. It was may favorite boat to look at while eating crabs and drinking beer. One afternoon when I arrived I found it on the sunk to the gunwales, only held afloat by its docklines. I disappeared not long after. Sic transit gloria mundi.

Can't use a normal wet cell on a sailboat, since the boat heeling may cause acid to spill. A normal battery box is not spillproof enough to endure a knockdown. Some kind of sealed cell battery is essential. I am open to other possibilities than AGM (and they are expensive) but if I can't safely hold it upside-down and shake it I can't use it in this application. Thanks for the suggestion, though.