I have (and have owned) the following whalers: 25' revenge cuddy 18' outrage 17' montauk 11' tender
The 25 eats gas like no tomorrow with twin 225's on it. I no longer have the 18, but that was a nice boat and VERY differnet than the 17'. (sold it to get the 25 as the wife was too cold when we went pleasure boating). The 17' is a nice rig, and easily trailerable. I am selling it now, and have just had the pwerhead redone (email meif interested). The 11' is a great, light(er) weight toy i keep to truck to small lakes and rip around. With a 25hp on the back, it will get 2 adults to 25mph if the water is flat, but it is a wet ride otherwise. My favorite of all was the 18'. Had a one foot wider beam than the 17, and overall length is almost 2 feet longer (yeah, the 17 is really 16'7" and the 18 is 18'6" so the whaler lengths are a misnomer). I have rode the 25' in the troughs of narrow 6-8 footers in the sound, but i am not sure i would like to do that with any of the others listed except maybe the 18'. and that is a maybe. the modified trihull of the whalers gives it a great, stable ride EXCEPT if you are angling into the waves. Then you need a mouthguard and strong knees. On the other hand, i hit a no wake buoy one day by accident in the 25 and all it did was dent the hull and put a small tear in the outerglass (easliy fixed). in an aluminum or single hull boat, it would have ripped it open pretty darn good. the tradeoffs between the whaler and everything else out there is weight, cost and unsinkability. i pay a little more, but i like the idea that if i stay with the boat, it will stay with me no matter what... dan --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > Willy, > > Mike Santangelo has just offered you the most objective and informative > advice possible. Just adding a few addional comments: > > The 15-footer might be Ok on calm days or in protected bays, but it won't > be > much fun in the open Sound with a wind (which is pretty much most days of > the > year.) > > The deep V hull is able to handle "chop" better than something like a > cathedral hull. However, that comes at the cost of lateral stability. > What > this basically means is that if you're flyfishing from a boat, the > cathedral > hulls will not rock & roll like a V-hull. Additionally, the deep-V will > have more draft. Like Mike said, you need to get a good idea of what you > > want the boat to do for you. > > An entire sub-culture exists around the classic Boston Whalers. This is a > > link for the Classic Whaler Forum, a collection of Boston Whaler > afficionados > (and a number of industry experts that participate on that forum) with > just > about everything you ever wanted or needed to know about Boston Whalers > both > old and new: <A > HREF="http://continuouswave.com/whaler/";>http://continuouswave.com/whaler/</A> > Some great photos of the > classics in the Cetacea section and outstanding advice in the maintenance > and > performance sections. > > I own a 1978 Boston Whaler Montauk powered by a 70-hp Mercury with a 15hp > Mercury kicker. I flyfish fish the Central and South Sound from it. > Everything in the area is within easy reach and there's no access issues > to > contend with. My boat does everything I want it to do for me especially > since I added a casting platforms both forward and aft. I've not taken it > to > Neah bay or even into the straits yet though I have been virtually > everywhere > in the Central and South Sound. One of the contributors to that classic > Whaler site is a guy from Seattle who had his 18' Boston Whaler Outrage > out > in rough weather there several years ago. If anyone tells you the classic > > Whalers can't handle chop, have them check this photo and article out: > <A HREF="http://continuouswave.com/whaler/cetacea/cetaceaPage40.html";> > http://continuouswave.com/whaler/cetacea/cetaceaPage40.html</A> He's > either got > brass b*##s or a screw loose! > > I've not found my Montauk to be a wet ride, but when the seas get to about > 3 > or 4 feet I find its a its a blast skipping the waves, but I pay for it > the > next day in my knees and lower back. I have canvass that will enclose the > > bow and the center console if needed in inclement weather (downpours > actually) and it stores easily within the console when not needed. I find > it > very comfortable to flyfish from with plenty of room for one forward, one > aft > and one driving. It does take some getting used to, however. I can > easily > navigate the shallows since it has a 9-inch draft. Fully loaded, the > boat, > motors, trailer & gear weigh about 2100lbs which is easily trailerable by > my > Ford Explorer that has an out-of-the-showroom 3500lb towing capacity. > What's > really important to know about these boats is that they are usually more > expensive, even used. The reason for that is the quality construction, > unsinkability, and demand. Monitor Boattraderonline.com for a month or > two. > Great deals can be found there if you are patient. That's where I found > mine > at (from a guy in Seattle) and at quite a steal, I might add. > > Again, Mike's advice is right on! Opinions are like a$$h*&@s and > everybody > has one. I agree to shop around for a used boat - the best deals (and > steals) are out there. Ask boat owners questions about their rigs - > they'll > be more than happy to give you a complete rundown....but be wary of overly > > glowing endorsements. Get it clear in your mind where you will take the > boat > and what you want it to do for you. Be really clear on how much you want > to > spend for the package (boat, motor, trailer, etc.) and what you want > included > in that package. GPS, Fishfinder and Marine VHF included? Could easily > add > an additional $1K depending on the units and needs if you buy new. Safety > > equipment included (flares, life jackets etc.?) Extra expense if not. > Don't let the $$ burn a hole in your pocket; be patient, know your > needs/wants and then jump on it when you find it. > > Boats less than 17-feet have different requirments that those over > 17-feet. > Here's a link to a site that will get you linked to plenty of Washington > specific info: http://boatwashington.org/ . Additionally, I strongly > suggest enrolling in a Boating Safety Course even before you buy a boat - > > the additional benefit beyond learning requirements and rules of the road > is > completing a course will get you a 10% discount on your boat insurance. > > I hope you find the boat you want and one that meets your needs. I can't > > begin to tell you how much I have enjoyed mine since buying it in March of > > this year...a whole, new (uncrowded) flyfishing world comes into reach. > I'm > sure Mike is equally pleased with his 20-foot Revenge. > > Greg > Gig Harbor, WA > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Buy the perfect holiday gifts at Yahoo! Shopping. http://shopping.yahoo.com
