Boston Whalers ?

[K-2]

I'm looking at a 1980 22' Revenge. What concerns are there with Boston Whalers? Does the foam absorb water? Do they get HEAVY when older?
Anything to rot, stringers? Transom?
Thanks

 

[Fleetwin]

I've owned several, no Revenges though.

I had one Montauk that was waterlogged. Some said it couldn't be saved but I did save her. She is still going today, 15 years later.

BW's are no more prone to transom rot than any other boat. Typically, you can tell by removing any mounting screw that is located below the water line. A transducer or speedo pitot tube mount is a perfect place to check. Remove the screw and look at what comes out. Water? Waterlogged shavings? You can also "knock" on the transom with your knuckles. It should sound like a solid core wood door.

Also, look at the splash well drains. any signs of weepage around them?

If the foam is saturated, it is going to be below the deck. Typically, this is not an issue unless the previous owner mounted something to the deck and did not seal it properly. Look for add on items mounted to the deck.

If you can see the boat in the water, a waterlogged hull will typically ride very low or, in other words, have excessive draft.

Even if it is waterlogged, it can be dried out, in my experience.

 

[ondarvr]

While it may be possible to dry out the foam in some situations, having been saturated means the foam is no longer doing it's job. The only way for foam to absorb water is for the cell walls to break down, which means it is now open cell foam and will absorb water again any time it's exposed to it, it will also be much weaker.

The correct repair would be to remove the foam and replace it with fresh product, this is even more important on a BW because they rely on the foam more than most other designs do.

Like any other brand, an older one will need a fair amount of work to get back in shape.

 

[Fleetwin]

While it may be possible to dry out the foam in some situations, having been saturated means the foam is no longer doing it's job. The only way for foam to absorb water is for the cell walls to break down, which means it is now open cell foam and will absorb water again any time it's exposed to it, it will also be much weaker.

The correct repair would be to remove the foam and replace it with fresh product, this is even more important on a BW because they rely on the foam more than most other designs do.

Like any other brand, an older one will need a fair amount of work to get back in shape.

I somewhat agree. When we say "Saturated foam" we all mean the foam HAS broken down. However, there may be water trapped in the hull, surrounding the foam-different story.

The hull that I saved had dry foam but water under and around the foam. The foam itself-core tested dry.

Yes, BW's do rely on the foam. If the core foam is dry, you're OK. Testing is a bit invasive. Just look for obvious signs of deck intrusions, as stated above.