Which Whaler

A conversation among Whalers
drysideshooter
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Nov 17, 2018 3:33 pm

Which Whaler

Postby drysideshooter » Sat Nov 17, 2018 3:46 pm

Hello All. I live in eastern Washington [state]. My wife and I fish a lot, often five days per week. We have a 21-foot welded-aluminum boat that works great for most of our fishing, the majority being in the Columbia and Snake rivers.

We really enjoy traveling to areas like Pensacola and Galveston to fish. We typically charter, but have been thinking about getting another boat that we could use in western Washington, such as for crabbing and fishing in the San Juan Island and Grays Harbor, as well as tow behind our truck camper to fish the Gulf from Galveston to Pensacola. The most popular boats in those areas are bay boats, with some having a bit more deadrise so they can go offshore and nearshore on good days. We don't see a lot of Boston Whaler boats, but we think for use here in the northwest--as well as bays down south and nearshore on good days--a Boston Whaler could make a lot of sense.

My truck is a dually crew-cab diesel, but with the camper on I like to keep the towing weight to 4,000-lbs or less. Two Boston Whaler boats that look like they might be ideal are the 190 Montauk or 190 Outrage. I probably lean more towards the Outrage as it will handle chop and snotty weather a bit better. I've never owned a Boston Whaler and would appreciate any advice from those with experience.

jimh
Posts: 11673
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2015 12:25 pm
Location: Michigan, Lower Peninsula
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Re: Which Whaler

Postby jimh » Sat Nov 17, 2018 5:20 pm

I have owned three Boston Whaler boats and have towed them on the highway by trailer for thousands of miles, probably at least 80,000-miles.

The most significant difference between a Boston Whaler boat and a welded-aluminum-hull boat is the durability of the hull to tolerate impacts. A Boston Whaler boat has a relatively thin outer laminate skin, and it does not tolerate any sort of impact with a hard surface. A welded aluminum hull will be much more forgiving of any impact with a hard surface.

Towing a boat on a trailer from Washington (state) to the Gulf of Mexico is a very long haul. Your dual-wheel truck can certainly tow a 190 MONTAUK or 190 OUTRAGE. The time required to make such a long drive, the fuel cost, the wear and tear on the truck and trailer, and the need for several nights of on-the-road accommodations will add up to a substantial cost for those trips. Unless you were planning on driving the truck anyways, you should look closely at the actual costs.

I did once tow my Boston Whaler from Michigan to La Conner, Washington and back, a round trip distance of about 4,800-miles. It took seven nights of overnight accommodations on the highway, and many long days and nights of driving. At that time (2003) gasoline fuel was only $2-per-gallon. I would not undertake this same trip again. Instead I would fly out and charter a boat.

Tacky79
Posts: 130
Joined: Wed May 03, 2017 1:49 pm

Re: Which Whaler

Postby Tacky79 » Sat Nov 17, 2018 8:07 pm

We have a 2017 190 Montauk and we enjoy using it for fishing, skiing with the kids, and hanging out/sunbathing/messing around/jumping off/cruising.

The advantage that I can see, for the Montauk, is the bow has that big flat deck which is great for fishing in calm waters (as well as sunbathing, napping). If that's not important to you, then the Outrage is great given the off-shore capabilities.

The Montauk is very thrifty on fuel, too, by the way.
2017 Boston Whaler Montauk 190 w/ 150 Merc/Fish Pkg/Bowrail delete/aft seating
1979 Boston Whaler Harpoon 5.2 sailboat with sails and a tiller :D

drysideshooter
Posts: 2
Joined: Sat Nov 17, 2018 3:33 pm

Re: Which Whaler

Postby drysideshooter » Sun Nov 18, 2018 8:03 am

Thanks for the info tacky. Jimh, as I mentioned, we mount a self contained camper on my truck when traveling with the boat, so overnight accommodations are taken care of. We aren't going to get rid of our current welded aluminum boat, just add another boat for a different style of fishing in different areas. The time and cost of travel isn't a consideration. It's what we enjoy doing.

I'm going to try to sea trial both boats when I can. Just trying to decide between the Mountauk, which would probably be better in bays and easier to bow mount a trolling motor, and the Outrage, which would be better offshore/near shore and handle chop better. Would really enjoy hearing from someone that has run both boats.

msirof2001
Posts: 86
Joined: Sun Oct 18, 2015 11:23 pm
Location: Southern California

Re: Which Whaler

Postby msirof2001 » Mon Nov 19, 2018 2:53 pm

My vote is the Outrage 190 for the deeper V-hull which will come in handy when you hit the bigger chop. You have huge lakes on the Idaho side of the border, plus Puget Sound, and the other places you are considering, there is the possibility of a long fetch of high winds and relatively small bodies of water can get really big waves. In Puget Sound, you have current and wave interactions which can cause the waves to stand taller. I had a 1995 OUTRAGE 21 and in Southern California, the typical afternoon Seabreeze was 10-15 knots. This would generate a solid 2-foot wind chop. I remember the pounding, and the impact of those seas no matter what direction they were coming at me from. I would envision myself more comfortable and secure in the Outrage hull vs. the Montauk. For me, it's all about being caught in conditions that change for the worse, and worse than forecast. E.g., Forecast is calm in the morning and 10kt in the afternoon. So you go out and it becomes 20kt in the afternoon. Which boat would you rather be in? And, are there features or configuration that the Montauk has that makes it worth the incremental beating in rougher conditions? I would make sure to factor bad-case scenario planning into this.
Current: 2017 Everglades 295cc, Previous1: 1995 Boston Whaler Outrage 21, Previous2: 1974 Sevylor Caravelle 3-man liferaft.

Ridge Runner
Posts: 199
Joined: Sat Oct 24, 2015 12:12 pm
Location: Florham Park NJ / Punta Gorda FL

Re: Which Whaler

Postby Ridge Runner » Mon Nov 19, 2018 5:45 pm

I have a 210 Montauk and use it on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Charlotte Harbor out into the Gulf up to ~25 miles offshore on a nice day - I will tow it to the keys every once in awhile. If your doing a mixed of inshore flats with some offshore reef fishing on nice days, the Montauk is a good platform with it's large elevated bow deck - on the flats this make a excellent casting platform to sight for reds - easily holding two people fishing. It's hull design also makes it very stable at rest.

Going offshore - it's a bit about planning your trips around the weather, the Montauk will certainly pound in a heavy chop while the Outrage will handle this better. In the end they are still "smaller" boats and your will get a bit beaten up in nasty weather. I have been out when a nasty front has rolled through and it's all about managing the running speed - I never felt unsafe.

I looked at the 190 Outrage and 190 Montauk but went with the 210 Montauk instead, I really like the lay-out and the extra space in the bow for fishing, plus the 210 Montauk has a nice size fish box.

Couple of pictures of her on the lift:
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DSCF0147.jpg (31.78 KiB) Viewed 5877 times

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DSCF0146.jpg (37.27 KiB) Viewed 5877 times
Member since 2005
2005 170 Montauk, 2010 E-TEC 115 H.O.
2016 210 Montauk, 2017 E-TEC G2 200 H.O.

"Red sky at night, sailor’s delight - Red sky in the morning, sailor’s warning”

zigzag930
Posts: 83
Joined: Thu Nov 08, 2018 2:04 pm

Re: Which Whaler

Postby zigzag930 » Sun Dec 09, 2018 12:25 am

To Ridge Runner....

Just a quick post to say hello. You are probably a neighbor of mine in PGI? I just purchased a 210 Outrage last week. Had it out a few times since then and I absolutely love it. Hope to see you on the water.

Jim

Ridge Runner
Posts: 199
Joined: Sat Oct 24, 2015 12:12 pm
Location: Florham Park NJ / Punta Gorda FL

Re: Which Whaler

Postby Ridge Runner » Sun Dec 09, 2018 9:48 am

Hey Jim - I just sent you a PM!
Member since 2005
2005 170 Montauk, 2010 E-TEC 115 H.O.
2016 210 Montauk, 2017 E-TEC G2 200 H.O.

"Red sky at night, sailor’s delight - Red sky in the morning, sailor’s warning”