TOPIC: New member, new boat: '63 MFG Westfield Custom

I'm the newly appointed custodian of a 1963 Westfield Custom with Evinrude Lark V on Canandaigua Lake in upstate New York. It's in great shape having been lightly used and stored indoors its whole life. It came with the lakefront home my parents moved into in 1985. The previous owners built the house not long before the boat was built, so I'm thinking they bought the boat new, which makes me the third owner. It hadn't been wet since 2013 when my dad, sister, and her husband took it for a spin. Until today, I hadn't been in it since 2011. I had the pros give it the once over, and she's been declared fit as a fiddle. The horn works (lights not so much) and the motor runs like a top, pushing it along at a hair raising 24mph!

The canopy (bimini?) is shot (mice!), but it might be good enough to use as a pattern if I can find someone to make a new one. How hard is it to replace the worn white rub rail? Any advice for refastening the seats, because at least one set of bolts is stripped out. I'm sure my to-do list will grow longer as I look it over more closely.

This is actually the second MFG my dad left us. We also have a '57 Erie in Vermont, in much rougher shape.

Wow, wonderful boat!

My Dad's first boat was a 1963 Westfield in red, just like yours - brings back the memories! He also had a 1960 Corry Carefree (aqua), 1966 Westfield (blue), and a 1965 Edinboro (green). Long story why so many.

Canvas must be custom made. I suggest getting one made with the top raised like a bimini, but still a convertible top that attaches to the top of the windshield. Just had one made for my 1962 Edinboro (red) and will post a picture in a day or two.

White rub rail is no longer available, but black is. I went with the black for my Edinboro restoration.

The seats use well nuts that are available from West Marine and other sources. Had to replace them on the Edinboro.

I've included pictures of the Edinboro plus my original and unrestored 1966 Niagara. The latter was at the Keuka Lake Antique and Classic Boat Show two weeks ago. The seat upholstery is original in both, as is yours in your Westfield.

I'm active in AOMCI (Membership Services person) and president of our local (North Coast Ohio) chapter of ACBS. You should join both to plug into sources for info. See aomci.org and acbs.org.

Welcome Aboard!

Thanks for the kind words and advice. That is truly a lot of MFGs for one guy.

I've just joined the two organizations you suggested. Any idea what light bulb will fit the stern light? I bought what looked about right at the auto parts store, but it won't push down far enough to twist & seat. The bow light is working--maybe I should pull that bulb, see if it's a fit for the stern, and then try to match it.
Nevermind, I found debris in the socket. Bulb fits now. Hopefully I’ll get better at this.

Thanks,
Dan

Just checked. My ‘62 has the same stern light.

It is a W90. #1142 should work also. West Marine and likely others have an LED equivalent for $17. Expensive. But no filament to break or burn out.

Update: I now see you got it fixed. Yay!

Nice boat whizfish!
I will have to make my own introductory post with pics of mine, very similar to yours, a 1964 Westfield Deluxe in teal (as you can see in my avatar.)
I cheated though since I installed a recent motor on it, but I will elaborate on this in the post.
Cheers and enjoy the Westfield!

davnau6345 wrote: ...
White rub rail is no longer available, but black is. I went with the black for my Edinboro restoration.

...

Hi Dave,
Can you point me to a source for replacement rub rails? Maybe this is what you used?
tacomarine.com/rub-rail-vinyl-inserts-v12-0334

My boat actually has two sizes of rub rail, but that insert might work for both. It looks like a pretty good fit for the gunnels. I also have rails on the sides of the hull but that extrusion is about 1/8" taller inside and out, with about 1" interior dimension (vs about 3/4" for the gunnell), and a slightly narrow gap. The lower inserts are in pretty good shape but a little shrunken and probably stiff. I need to get them out anyway to replace the through bolts that hold the storage shelf inside the hull--they've all broken and the shelf is dangling! So I guess I would go with black on the gunnels and keep the white down below, assuming I can get them out and back in again without damage.

Thanks,
Dan

Yup, TACO Marine is the way to go.

My 1962 Edinboro has a wood spray rail painted white. 1963 was the first year for the extruded aluminum/vinyl insert-type spray rail, which was really just for decoration.

My 1966 Niagara is the base model which did not include that.

Going to look great on your boat!

Taco Marine sent me samples of V12-0317 and V12-0334 rub rail inserts. The latter is available only in black but the former is available in both black and white. Lucky for me it seems like the one available in white is actually a closer match to original insert, and white is the original color. If I measured correctly the 50' roll should just barely do the whole boat, both gunnels and spray rails. Maybe I'll get it done before I button up the boat for winter and head back to California. If not, I'll know where to start in the Spring.

Did not know about the former. White works, but gets scuffed more easily. I had white on my Edinboro originally, but was thinking of giong with black even if white was available, which it was not at the time three years ago. It's a personal preference thing and both look good. White keeps it original.

Please post pictures when done!

Whizfish, for my 64 Westfield Custom I had a new bimini (w wrap storage cover for laying down on dashboard), vinyl side curtains, stern mooring cover, under-splashwell cover, and towing cover made by a guy in Bath, NY. That is not too far from Canandaigua. He did an excellent job, but to be honest he took much, much longer than he said he would. He had some family issues + all the COVID impacts, but almost a year vs a month is too much. I had him create more headroom than the original bimini. It does not look racy anymore but is more practical (dry and comfortable) for the rear seat passengers. If you are interested in his info let me know.

The adventure continues. We've sold Dad's house on Canandaigua Lake in NY, including the boathouse where our Westfield has lived its entire life. Near the end of last season, the ancient rusty launch track failed catastrophically, so the boat was stranded in the boathouse for a while. I got some new pieces made, assembled it last week and successfully liberated the Westfield.

But wouldn't you know it, out of the blue the boat now appears to be leaking. I'm not sure where it comes in, but nothing drains from the plug between the cockpit floor and hull. Somehow it's like it's getting directly into the cockpit. Our new place in Maine on Kezar Lake will be a great place to use the boat, but we won't have nearly as nice a way to store it between uses. No boathouse, and no chance of getting a permit to build one. It seems everyone on that lake just ties their boat to their dock and lets it float for the summer. Not an attractive prospect given the vulnerability of these transoms to water incursion and rotting, not to mention this new leak.

Our shoreline does not lend itself easily to installing a boat lift that comes out in winter (and a permanent one is off limits), except maybe right smack dab in the center of our view. I love boats, but neither my wife nor I want the lift, dock, and boat positioned where we have to stare at it all day every day. It's a quandary we'll have to solve, and if we float it like everyone else, some serious preventive measures around leaks and such will be required I think.

I read the other recent leak thread that just showed up, but it doesn't yet shed any light on my problem. Any advice for how best to chase the source of this problem would be much appreciated. Would also appreciate ideas about how to seal and prevent water intrusion into my all original and as yet undamaged transom. I credit the condition of this transom to light use over the years, and maybe even more so the year round indoor storage provided by the boathouse.

Cheers,
Dan

Hi there- leaking during a normal sunny day outing wo drainage from lower plug afterwards? I’m sure you’ve given it the once over after the boathouse problem. The bow winch eyehook can come loose and let water in during spirited boating. Make sure it is secure for towing!! But if you’re puttering I highly doubt it. A little or a lot of leaking? Lower plug hole isn’t plugged itself with mud wasps or something weird when it may have been open? Deck cap sealing is all good?
My Westy had very low hours but was stored covered outside for years, and in the 90’s sitting at a dock on moose Pond ME. and the transom rotted anyway.
Interested in any more info you can give us.
Cheers chris
Ps. I golfed at Kezar country club in 2018!

Woody550, thanks for the reply. Some new information has come to light, but still inconclusive.

Yesterday I took some friends for a long boat ride, maybe 90 minutes. A lot of water came in (stupidly I had no bailer with me--never again). It wasn't dangerous or anything but it was substantial. This time when I pulled both plugs some water came out of both plugs. A lot less water came out of the lower drain hole, but way more than "none". One difference, in addition to the higher volume of water after a longer period of use, is that the boat was low on the launch rails when I pulled the plugs, and I think the boat is at a steeper angle there than in the boathouse, i.e. higher bow. I put my finger in there so I know the hole is clear, and I felt that there's a bit of a shelf just inside, meaning some water could pool there, especially if the boat is nearly level.

Today I'm putting it on the trailer for the relocation and I hope to be extra observant to see if I can get any clues where it's coming in as I make my way to the launch ramp. I'll also give the whole thing a good inspection when it's out of the water and in good light. Checking the bow eye is a good idea, although I saw no water moving from bow to stern during use. It's very easy for me to believe that the seat fasteners and other fasteners through the cockpit sole need re-sealing or re-fastening, at the very least. But still clueless as to how water gets past the hull skin.
Thanks,
Dan

Unfortunately I would say it’s the transom. Of course that is a guess but I had some amount of water drab after lake days as the norm for a number of years before the transom became unsafe. Good luck!
You may already have a favorite shop in Maine but if not I can ask my relatives on Moose Pond where to go or where to stay away from. Cheers

Problem “solved”. Embarrassing, but easily remedied. I had one splash rail off in preparation for refastening after refurbishing some shelf brackets. Water was being forced in some of the aft holes at speed. I wouldn’t have predicted this, but in retrospect it’s obvious. I verified by covering the holes with good old duct tape and going for a spin. No water came aboard on the way to the ramp. As of yesterday the boat sits on a trailer in our Kezar Lake driveway. I have a few things to attend to before launching here for the first time.

Thanks for the help with brainstorming/diagnostics.
Dan

Woody, I would love to have local knowledge about good shops in the Lovell/Bridgton/Fryeburg general area, especially those willing and able to service or repair my 63 Evinrude Lark V with electric shift when the need inevitably arises. I also need to have a good cover made. Post here or email me directly:

whizfish2 at scshop dot com

Thanks!