"Cea Pea" (1968 Boston Whaler 16')

16' 7" OVERALL LENGTH | 6' 2" BEAM
9" DRAFT | 850 LBS DRY WEIGHT

 
*Shop the entire Boston Whaler x Tombolo collection here. 
 
The comprehensive restoration of this Boston Whaler 16' was undertaken by Tombolo, LLC® in partnership with Boston Whaler® and Mercury Marine®, along with their parent company Brunswick Corporation®. 
  
All additions were designed with input from Charlie Foss, Vice President of Design at Brunswick Boat Group.
  
The restoration was completed in May 2025.


 
Part I of Tombolo's ongoing partnership with Boston Whaler featured a 16' Whaler from that Tombolo salvaged from a yard on Shelter Island, New York. The exact year of the boat's production is unknown because the Hull Identification Number - painted onto the transom these older models - had long since faded away. Our best estimate is that it is from 1968. 
 
 

 
The boat, named “Cea Pea,” had seen better days after many years of neglect. Unassuming Cea Pea became the backdrop of the Part I photoshoot in all of her dilapidated glory.
 
 

 
The 16' model, originally introduced in 1961, changed boating forever by popularizing the now ubiquitous center console layout. It featured a forward-leaning windshield more commonly see on commercial vessels. This idiosyncratic feature -- purpose-built for glare reduction and spray deflection -- became an iconic and charming feature of the model that made it instantly recognizable. 
 


 
For Part II of the ongoing partnership, we upped the ante: along with 18 new items (and the return of select best sellers from Part I), Cea Pea was reborn and reimagined after a loving restoration. 
 

 
The restoration process involved an ecosystem of talented New York boatworkers, including Chuck’s Fiberglass, Albertson’s Marine, and Wm. J. Mills & Co. – America’s oldest sailmaker. You can read more about the process by clicking the "Restoration Details" tab. 
 
We featured Cea Pea on two garments from the collection. The 1961 Cabana includes a chain-stitched image of Cea Pea on the back, and the Sunburst Souvenir Tee features our favorite vintage catalog image of the 16' model, shown below. 
 

  
Today, Cea Pea looks as buoyant and beautiful as ever at over 50 years old, stealing the show as the centerpiece of this ongoing partnership.
 

Cea Pea's restoration included the following: 

A much-needed re-powering by Mercury Marine^®, equipping her with a new 75hp fourstroke Mercury outboard that delivers the boundary-pushing performance for which the 16-foot model remains famous.

Albertson’s Marine handled installation of the mahogany interior and rigged the new engine with controls, harnesses, hydraulic steering, battery, fuel tank & hose. Albertson's Marine is also credited with finding and powder-coating the period-accurate 1960s steel steering wheel. 

All mahogany interior parts, white rub rail, bow rail and side rails provided by Specialty Marine. 
 

 
Chuck's Fiberglass handled all repairs to the fiberglass and foam core, followed by priming and painting the hull. We returned Cea Pea to the timeless color combination all lovers of classic Whalers appreciate: white on the exterior and a 'Whaler Blue' interior complemented by the varnished mahogany console and seating. It's a color combination that is as refreshing today as it was in 1961. 

Wm. J. Mills & Co. – America’s oldest sailmaker – developed a complete set of terry cloth cushions and a custom white bimini top with red screen-printed branding. Wm. J. Mills & Co. served as the creative bridge between the apparel collection and the boat itself, with their handiwork extending to the collection’s tote bags, tying the nautical heritage of the boat to the wearable garments.

Reflective Image in Greenport faithfully recreated the original name, "Cea Pea" and applied the Harpoon logo hull graphics matching the original 1960s specifications (14" long). 

'Boston Whaler by Tombolo' chrome-plated, laser cut badges were designed, fabricated and applied to both sides of the console. 

A commemorative plaque in un-lacquered brass was fabricated and installed on top of the helm seat. 

A custom burgee by Beaver Flags was sewn and flown off the stern pole.