13 ft Boston Whaler

[coldwaterlloyd]

I have seen a few threads re: diving out of 13 foot Boston Whaler .
Those that do it could you provide me with a little feedback , I am curious on if they take a ladder etc .

They look real compact , if they worked for diving I would certainly entertain the thought of getting another boat .
Thanks

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

I have a 17' whaler. I consider the 13' a two-diver calm conditions boat.
But I've seen four guys, one tank each, head across Carmel Bay from Pt.
Lobos.

Chuck

 

[East West]

Check the total combined motor, passenger weight capacity , then do the math . Keep the boat light as possible . A 25 or 40 hp tiller 2 stroke are light and plenty of power . A ladder is necessary and put it on the transom . you can add steering to a tiller outboard . I use a rope pull outboard . You will never have a dead battery .

 

[Nemrod]

Frankly, having had a 13 footer growing up and later (and still having a 13 foot Novurania Cancuro inflatable and a Boston Whaler Outrage) in the 13 foot range I would look into an inflatable (not an RIB) with about a 25 horse engine like the Yamaha two stroke 25.

But a 13 foot Whaler is a classic and a solid investment if you shop for a clean boat and keep it stock.

N

 

[Peter_C]

We have done three divers out of a 13' Whaler and it is definitely a flat water boat. No issues with space and there is not need for a ladder as it sits very low to the water line.

 

[smellzlikefish]

I have been out in a 13 foot Whaler with three other divers plus myself in somewhat rougher seas. The flatter bottom means you get bounced around a little more and just aqbout everyone started going a little green once the boat stopped, but we didn't have any issues otherwise. Those really are standard work-horse boats for the research community. The low gunwales make entry and exit without a ladder easy. Hang a clip over the side to attach your BC and you're in like a seal! I'm sure a hang-over-the-side ladder could be fashioned if deemed necessary.

 

[DavidG]

I love mine. It's a SuperSport with a 2 stroke 35 hp Evenrude. I'm in the Puget Sound and dive dry - usually with camera gear. The Whaler has to also serve as tender to a 40' Nova so I needed to keep it pretty much as is at 825# for the davit. I also use it for fishing and running my first mate / dive buddy back and forth for shopping excursions

My SuperSport comes with stainless railing so I mounted a Garlic dive ladder off the transom. I am thinking of removing the bow section of railing for dive entry and for ingress / egress issues at shore. I also clip my gear off over the side. As far as it being a flat water boat... I OFTEN us it in 3' seas which I don't consider flat. Yea, it's a bit bumpy but I just run it slow and it's fine. Pulling crab and shrimp pots in a 3' chop does get a bit challenging but it just makes them taste all the better

Combine all that and I end up liking my whaler so much that if I sold the Nova I'd keep the whaler.

 

[Peter_C]

I OFTEN use it in 3' seas which I don't consider flat.

I don't think I have ever seen 3' seas Okay so once in a great while the ocean will get down to 3'-4' (Of course this is only during the week and never on a weekend). Usually though it starts at around 4' and goes UP from there. Typically we dive in 5'-7' seas. Then again we dive in the open Pacific Ocean.

Shoot a 15' inflatable with a 50hp motor on it would only weight about 750 lbs.

 

[DavidG]

Yea, but I suspect you have just a few more feet between waves And as far as a new tender goes I'm already wider than the beam on the Nova so I'm kind of limited there - and NO, I'm not moving up to a 60-70 foot motoryacht to handle a larger tender If I put out any more money it'll be for a rebreather.

 

[Nemrod]

Three foot seas three feet apart are not the same as three footers 30 feet apart. N