thinking about buying a Boston Whaler

rfuerst911sc · 06-20-2011, 03:42 PM

I've been thinking about buying a small used boat for maybe doing some fishing and lake fun but not too big. I've had several boats in the past as large as 24 foot and now just want something small, easy to handle and clean/maintain. There are several 13 foot Whalers for sale in the area and I've always liked them. Easy maint. with the glass inner hull and the unsinkable hull with the flotation foam. Most seem to have 30-40 hp outboards I would think they would scoot right along and still be decent on fuel. So any of you own small Whalers ? Good or bad or ? Generally it would just be me and the wife or me and the son/grandson and only on freshwater lakes. Educate me please

.

ODDJOB UNO · ODDJOB UNO's Garage

get the 26ft version with twin 300 mercs or johnsons or evinrudes(pick one). why? ask the national park service at lake powell. wayyyyy cool boats in any size.

gtilove · gtilove's Garage

I restored a 1972 13' sport last summer. Mine had a 1992 40hp Evinrude. It was fast and fun, but not vary comfortable on big water (it seems to go over chop, not through it). They hold their value well. I sold it to get a 17' Montauk in the future.

TimT · 06-20-2011, 03:59 PM

I had a 13 foot Whaler powered by a 40hp Evinrude when I was in high school.

Like you mentioned Boston Whalers are basically pieces of foam that are shaped in to a hull and covered with fiberglass.... you cannot sink the boat..

You can however flip it over LOL... as done by me trying to go out of Jones Inlet when wiser more seasoned skippers in larger boats turned back..

The boat is fast... the ride is harsh..Reflecting a 13' Whaler is a good boat for a teenager with some sea going savvy... not so much to bring a wife and son out on.

There is no shelter (yes you can get a Bimini top) except for peeing over the side... no place to relive yourself..And really a 13 foot boat is crowded with three people on board..

Its cheap to operate, will go almost anywhere... I did take my boat offshore after the inversion incident..not a comfortable ride...

One thing about buying boats is that its always a buyer market...

I'd look for a small cuddy... something with some semblance of shelter

rhogg · 06-20-2011, 04:47 PM

The 15 footer we have is a perfect lake boat. We can ski behind it, swim from it, cruise comfortably, and it is a fantastic fishing boat. The bigger the water the bigger the boat, but the 15'-19' whalers are great boats.

Check out thecontinuouswave.com for their whaler forum.

911mnypt · 06-20-2011, 04:51 PM

I had a 17 Montauk for many years and loved the hell out of it. Took it out in the salt for Salmon & Halibut and in fresh water too. Its the best boat I have ever owned. You can pick up an older one for cheap and they are bullet proof.

rfuerst911sc · 06-20-2011, 05:07 PM

Sounds like a 15-17 foot is the way to go. I'll keep looking thanks.

daepp · 06-20-2011, 05:23 PM

Spent many hours in my brother's 17' Montauk off of Newport/Laguna. A more stable platform, for the size, you will not find.

For the record, while I realize it's self-bailing, I do not like pulling the plug while under way, but YMMV!

911mnypt · 06-20-2011, 05:38 PM

The 17 is the way to go...the hull weights about 900 lbs so towing is not an issue. Had water up to my knees once, just run the bilge and your good to go.

rhogg · 05:52 PM

Our plug is never in... the boat lives on a hoist and so when it rains it just drains.

The 17's are beautiful but the 15 is a much simpler boat.

esample · esample's Garage

A Montauk or an Outrage are really nice boats. A 13' is low maintenance, cheap to operate, and a lot of fun. I had one in the Keys for a few years, along with a 20' Wellcraft. The BW was perfect for the creeks and mangroves but we also routinely took it eight miles off to the reef. Still have the Wellcraft, still miss the Whaler. My BIL has it in Lauderdale. He's a commercial captain and uses it to take his sons up and down the intercoastal. Agree with points made by others, bigger is sometimes better, but the little 13' is a lot of bang for the buck.

924slover · 06-20-2011, 06:53 PM

I loved our little 13 foot whaler was the most reliable boat ive ever had. Extremely stable. the trihull did tend to ride a bit rough and knock the chrome railing loose. If i had a chance i would buy another in a heartbeat.

EarlyPorsche · 06-20-2011, 07:06 PM

I'm not a boat guy but a couple of my friends are. Seems like boats are a money vacuum...I mean more so than a hobby car...be careful.

Roosterrusek · 06-21-2011, 09:27 AM

1- Whalers are great if you have the money. I would look for a Carolina Skiff Semi V Hull in the 17 foot range. Same thing, unsinkable and WAY great on gas.

2 - Boats are JUST like cars, if you don't pay attention to them they will fall apart. So, be a responsible boat owner, every year get the maintenance done, don't let gas sit in the engine or the tank for too long, CLEAN it and crimminy sakes keep it under some kind of cover!

3 - Here is a pic of my 18.5 foot Carolina Skiff...I love it and again, unsinkable, shallow draft, and just plain awesome....

Neilk · 06-21-2011, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 924slover

I loved our little 13 foot whaler was the most reliable boat ive ever had. Extremely stable. the trihull did tend to ride a bit rough and knock the chrome railing loose. If i had a chance i would buy another in a heartbeat.

We had a 13 or 15 ft Whaler with a 70hp. It was great in smooth water, but like 924s said, it is a very rough ride in any chop. Look for a later one that has a deeper V than the tri-hull.

Garp · 06-21-2011, 12:38 PM

Great boats IMO, the last time I took one out was in the Everglades. We got lost and were rescued by a fellow who was setting-out smoke pots for mosquito control bombers (B-25 IIRC). This was before GPS, cell phones etc. Good memory though.

chuckw951 · 06-29-2011, 01:24 PM

When I was about 14 my dad bought me a 13' Whaler with a 20hp motor. Several years later we sold the 13' and bought a 15 Whaler with a 55hp engine. I used it through high school but did have to replace the engine. Repowered with a 48hp engine, I kept the boat through college. After that I bought bigger boats, up to a 28 Formula with twin engines. Then gas went to $4/gallon so I sold it.

I went back to the basics and bought a 170 Montauk in 2008. It gets great gas mileage and should last a long time.

Normy · 06-29-2011, 03:27 PM

Overpriced.

What- You think you are going to sink your Larson boat?

N!

wcc · 05:51 PM

I heard the Titanic is unsinkable. I wonder what happened to that? Bueller, Bueller, anyone? LOL!

Seriously though, go thread! Because my son LOVES to fish and my 12' boat is too cramped for me. I like to fish too, but I need to be able to get up, stretch out, move around, etc. Somewhere to take a leak or poo would be nice as well. So I'm watching this thread to see some suggestions people come up with....

Not to hi-jack but give me some ideas based on my criteria (and nothing to big) and feel free PM me if you want to offer suggestions not to throw this to far off track. Those Whalers look nice to me too.

ramonesfreak · ramonesfreak's Garage

my brother has a mid-80s (i think) 17 Montauk. we fish in it all the time. great boat. they have some odd features that take getting used to.... the transom is very low and allows waves to flow over and into the back of the boat when your sitting still.. not a big deal really unless you plan to park it at a dock long term without a hoist which i would not suggest. also, it has no bilge pump etc...you remove onboard water by removing the plugs and accelerating so that the water flows out the drain hole...

personally, im not a big fan of center console boats. i prefer pilot house boats but i fish on lake ontario where the weather can get quite nasty