CONTINUOUSWAVE

My wife and I are downsizing from a NauticStar 2000 OS. She never really liked the way it handled and nowadays we stay in the sound and intracostal and don't go outside anymore. We mostly take the dogs to the sandbar, ski and wakeboard, and visit friends on the waterway. We are considering a 17-foot Whaler but are having a hard time choosing between the Montauk, the Super Sport, and the Dauntless. Any suggestions for Whaler newbies would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

The Dauntless probably gives you a better ride compared to the Montauks due to its deeper "V" when it gets rough. If you are boating when and where you say you will, I would recommend the center console 170 MONTAUK over a 170 SUPER SPORT; the dogs and crew will be able to walk around more easily.

I used the WHALER.COM website to build and price a 170 DAUNTLESS. With a few essential options, the MSRP was almost $46,000. Wow--that is a bundle of money for a 17-foot boat. A similarly-equipped 170 MONTAUK was $33,254, and a 170 SUPER SPORT was $27,797.

I'd pick the 170 MONTAUK. The Montauk center console has been in production for decades and remains an extremely popular boat with versatile uses. I suspect that if trying to sell a used boat, the MONTAUK would attract the widest interest.

They are all nice, but I would second the recommendation for a center console. Much more room to move around. I just got a 150 Montauk, and we love it.

Yes--but which center console? MONTAUK or DAUNTLESS?

Neither-find a well kept 96-99 17 outrage that has been repowered with 4 stroke snd you will have way better boat that any 3 you are looking at

If you're going new....for my money.....Montauk.
Overall, the lowest cost of ownership over time, and perhaps the #1 sought after boat in the used market when it gets time for re-sale. The 170 is a tough boat to beat for overall performance and long term quality. That spells value.
Before I'd spend $47K on a 17 Dauntless.......I'd move up to a 190 Montauk. That hull handles tough stuff when called upon.
I've driven the 190 on several occasions and was blown away with ride and dryness.

Tough choice but you probably can't go wrong either way. Judging by the type of boat you were accustomed to I think a Dauntless my be the closest to what you had. My wife and I went from a larger boat (Sea Ray 38 Sundancer) to a 16 Dauntless this year and what sold us was the ride in bumpy conditions - dry, solid, and confident as well as the yacht quality features such as built in gas tank, 7/8" bow rail (same as my 38 Sea Ray that weighed 22,000lbs), plenty of storage, etc. We were fortunate enough to have a friend who has both in his "fleet" so we sea trialed them before buying. I would think doing that before pulling the trigger on either one would be beneficial. We'd spent ALOT of money on our first boat so the Whaler was to be an all cash investment so a new one was not going to work for us. We found a 2003 Dauntless with low hours that was less than half the cost of a new boat.

Thank you for the advice. We may try a new Dauntless and a new Montauk to see which suits our needs & then see what is available in our area. Hopefully something "lightly used" will come available. At least we eliminated the SS.

I went from a 170 Montauk to a 180 Dauntless. You will have to weigh out your personal wants/needs. The Dauntless has more amenities, comfort features, and a much better ride. Well worth the extra money if you can swing it.

We are in our first season with a 2017 Montauk 170. Very pleased with it overall. Can get rough in higher waves and pound some so you need to slow down sometimes....I suspect the Dauntless would provide a smoother ride. But the lower cost of the Montauk sealed it for us and we have no regrets. For the higher cost of the Dauntless I also would get a Montauk 190.