Looking at purchasing a Boston Whaler Montauk170 or possibly new model 190

[jbm]

I'm considering purchasing a Boston Whaler Montauk170 or possibly the new model Montauk190. I presently operate a Zodiak, and this will be my first hard boat other than sailboats.
The boat will be used for diving (max 3 divers and equipment and 1 surface support), fishing (angle and spear) and general recreational boating. The boat will see equal time in salt and fresh water.....from alpine lakes to light offshore work.
The boat will spend all dry time on a trailer pulled behind an RV 12 months of the year.

Looking for any imput the this forum can provide. Any Montauk owners out there?

Also looking for any modification ideas that would facilitate diving off this boat.

Thanks in advance for all replies....... jbm

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

I dive off the earlier (16' 7") version of the Montauk and love it. Here's a bunch of
info about what I did to it: http://www.garlic.com/~triblet/whaler/ And I dive some
off a buddy's Montuak 170. I suspect that the 170 will be a bit crowded with three
divers, two tanks each, and the surface person. Mine gets crowed without the
surface person, and the 170 isn't really any bigger on the inside. I did four divers
with two tanks each, stages, and two Gavin scooters ONCE. It was REAL crowded
and I was glad we were only going about a half mile. I've had mine out to Nooday
rock at the Farallones several times, which is 39 nm one way.

The whaler crowd hangs out at http://continuouswave.com/whaler/

I can't comment about the new 190 as they have just started turning up at dealers
in the last couple of weeks.

 

[Nemrod]

jbm, I run a Boston Whaler Outrage/Nantucket 190. I have always liked the Montauks and I know Chuck really gets serious use out of his. I have found my Nantucket 190 gets really crowded with four divers on board. In fact it is a limit I think by the time I get tanks, fuel, equipment and an ice chest onboard it is a lot of gear. My 190 is equipped with the Mercury 150 OptiMax, an engine known for light weight and strong power. I get up to 5.5 MPG with a light load, just my wife and myself. Loaded the 150 is put to work but handles it fine. Thing is, I don't think that new Montauck 190 with a 115 horse engine is going to cut the mustard. I don't think so loaded for diving. A 115 would not be enough engine for the Outrage/Nantucket 190 so I don't see it working out on the Montauk 190.

I have a Novurania 13.5 foot inflatable BTW. It has served well, still have it.

Well, I see you intend to tow it all the time behind an RV, maybe all you need is the 170. I think it would work, especially if you were only doing single tank dives. N

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

The 16' 7" Montauk was rated for max 100 HP, and typically had a 90. When the
slightly larger Montauk 170 came out with a max 90 HP, all the whaler folks said that
90 wouldn't be enough, but it was. My budies 170 is maybe a half not slower than
mine, both with 90s. I think think the 115 will be fine on the 190. Remember the
Nantucket/Outrage 190 has a deeper V. (For the non-whaler folks, BW renamed the
Nantucket 190 to Outrage 190 this year. It's a more consistent naming scheme).

 

[Nemrod]

Though I have a Boston Whaler I might suggest you look at a few other boats of similar type just for comparison sake, perhaps you already have. Boston Whalers cannot sink, they are very solid boats as well, they are designed to float level even when swamped with the engine above water. Their unusual foam integrated hulls must be kept watertight to prevent damage to the structure. This means any gouges or gashes into the glass that might by chance occur to your boat must be repaired properly. Boston Whaler boats are expensive.
That website for Whalers that was mentioned, well, yes, there is info there, mostly for the older Whalers. Used boats are often a good way to go but not everyone wants to take on a project especially if they already have several dozen large projects. I just wanted a new boat that was ready to go, required no rework or repairs or paint or iffy engine. Perhaps that is what you seek also. If so and you have the money the boats you mentioned should do great for you. They come with a warranty, they have significant REAL improvments over the older Whalers (that just POs the old Whaler crowd), they ride softer, they come with NEW engines also with a warranty, they have less wood content and they tend to be deeper and wider for a given length. They are factory rigged out and all you need to do is add some electronics and fuel and away you go.--in a boat that is still built to go out and if bad weather things happen still get you back. Good luck with your purchase. N

 

[jbm]

Thanks for the rapid replies......I appreciate it.

The BW Montauk line caught my eye as possibly the ideal boat for my purposes, but I am not yet ruling out others. Empty weight and LOA (trailer and boat) is a consideration since it will be towed behind a Dodge 3500 and a fifth-wheel trailer.

I am looking forward to seeing the Montauk190 (they have not showed up at Canadian dealers yet.) If the combined overall length of truck, trailer and boat works, I would favor the larger Montauk. I have been around boats long enough to know what a difference 2 feet can make, especially when it comes to diving.

Chuck Tribolet......thanks again for the reply. the link you provided was exactly what I was looking for. The forum link is great too.

Nemrod.......thanks again for the reply. I am not looking for a project boat ( I'm not that handy!) I figure this boat will do us for the next 10-15 years and I am willing to spend the money on something that is new and totally suited to our purposes.

Thanks for your opinions regarding the Merc115HP. I'm guessing that 75% of the time the boat will loaded with just myself, my wife, my dog and some fishing gear. The other 25% of the time will be spent loaded up for diving.

Just wondering how you would describe the level of comfort (ride-wise) when the seas get a bit lumpy, for both the Montauk and the Outrage. My wife wants to know!


Thanks.

jbm

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

You will want to check the legalities of towing a trailer behind a trailer. There's one
fellow on continuous wave that does it, and IIRC, it requires a 18-wheeler license and
some other stuff.

 

[Nemrod]

jbm, my neighbor in Houston would tow a 18 footer behind a fith wheel. Did it all the time, in fact, I have seen it quite often.

I cannot answer how a Montauk would handle rough water compared to our Outrage 190. We did test them both side by side and both were good boats but the 190 was so much larger and roomier and stable feeling. You can just about put a Montauck 170 inside a Outrage 190. There is a signficant difference in the foward keel depth and sharpness at entry. The Outrage 190 (for a 19 foot boat) handles rough water exceptionally well. In fact, it flattens out stuff that would rattle your teeth in other boats of similar size. Boston Whaler are exceptionally solid boats and the Outrage 190 is no exception, should be because it has become a fairly expensive boat.

We have some friends with a Trophy 19 footer, same engine, our boat rides much more firmly and feels significantly more solid especially in rough mixed chop, runs a touch faster on top and plans a little slower, much of which is probably the prop.

Remember, these are small boats that can be trailered, they have their limits on the sea that should not be taken lightly. N

 

[Gamehunter]

This spring I bought a Shamrock 20 CC with 8'6" beam. I am setting it up for diving on the Great Lakes but it is a boat for the ocean. They have a great reputation and are inboards so it makes for a easy on and off boat for diving, also a lot of deck room. Check them out at www.fishtheclassic.net . Good luck with finding a Great dive boat.
Tim

 

[jbm]

In my home province, one has to be licensed to tow a trailer over 10,000 lbs or combined trailers over 10,000 lbs. One does not require a complete CDL though. The first towed vehicle must be tandem axle and the total length is 75 feet maximum.

I am told this is a legal set-up in most states, but that there are a few states where max length is 65 feet.

THis will require some more research on my part.