FAQ

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

 

 

Great Resource for Whaler care: Boston Whaler Maintenance Manuals

 

1. Where is the wood located in my boat?

You can review the Whaler Wood Locating diagrams provided by Continuouswave.com. You must be a member to view their files. Membership is free and Continuouswave is a great source for many Whaler questions.

2. What are the best Whaler forums?

ContinuousWave.com
WhalerCentral.com
TheHullTruth.com

3. What year is my boat?

You will want to refer to the HIN (hull identification number) either on the boat or the title. You can review a full break down of reading HINs here (Continuous Wave login required). Remember that if you have a boat and title with no HIN listed; be weary of assuming the written year is completely accurate on the title. These boat can be over 50 years old and if the HIN is worn off prior to the title being produced someone may have used a "best guess" method to input the year.

4.  What are the specs for my boat?

Click here


5. What kind of mahogany and teak are used?

We have chosen to use kiln-dried 'Philippine Mahogany" known as Meranti which the major older boat brands, such as Boston Whaler and Chris-Craft, used during original manufacturing. We have chosen this species not only to remain OEM but because it is not on the endangered species list and is considered to be ecologically friendly and sustainable. Meranti is also a superior choice for marine environment, same with sapele, which is the African equivalent and was used for all the original whaler veneer. "Naturally occurring true mahogany species in their native countries are all listed in Appendix II of the International Trade in Endangered Species. Meranti is not. There are plantations, but only a small percentage of the current world market is coming from plantation-grown mahogany. Based on this,“Philippine mahogany” would be the more ecologically friendly choice"

The teak is Java Teak from Central Java, Indonesia.  The unvarnished (bare) version of the wood is finished with 320 grit sand paper.

The vast majority of our products are solid mahogany or teak, however, to reduce waste and to create specific shapes, many products are comprised of multiple pieces of solid wood epoxied together with West Systems.

 

6.  What stain is used?

We typically do not use stain and instead use the Captain's ZSpar varnish which has an amber tint. You can find links to that here.  However, due to us purchasing lumber from multiple forestries we do sometimes have to custom mix stain to create cohesive colors.  If you are trying to match new wood with existing wood, it is recommend to do test swatches on the underside of your pieces first.  Start with 5 coats of Zspar and compare.  If the color is not deep enough, test stain pens like Miniwax red mahogany or golden oak plus the 5 coats of ZSpar and experiment from there.


7. Are consoles pre-drilled for steering?

No, we do not (and cannot) drill holes in the consoles or other wood pieces prior to shipment. We do not put holes in ANY of the wood to allow for flexibility in holes patterns between customers.


8. Can Specialty Marine do custom work?

No, unfortunately we do not do any custom work.

9. How do I repair my boat's gel coat?

Click here to see a video on the process as well as here if your boat has larger cracks. 

Click here to see John Richardson's video depicting the beginning stages of inside hull restoration of a 1971 16'7".  Includes removal of console/seating, cleaning hull and cable channel, removing drain tubes.

Click here to see John Richardson's video depicting the outside hull restoration.  Includes transom delamination restoration, hull sanding/filling to repair crazing, priming and paint.

 

10. Reference material for 1958-2002 hulls

Click here to view Continuous Wave (login required)

11.  Are the female snaps already on the cushions?

Yes, however snap locations may vary depending on year and factory your hull was assembled.  In this instance, there are male snaps/screws provided which can be added to the boat or you can use snap extenders.

12.  What size pilot hole?

Snaps: 1/16"

Rail Hardware: 1/8"

Wood to fiberglass: 1/8"

Drill bit for rub rail using screws in place of rivets: 7/32"

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