A 170 Montauk for South Florida Boating

A conversation among Whalers
House All Life
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Mar 19, 2019 4:45 am

A 170 Montauk for South Florida Boating

Postby House All Life » Thu Mar 21, 2019 9:14 am

We are considering a new 170 Montauk. Our first boat. We live in the Miami area.

We would store the boat at home and would trailer it around and launch all around South Florida.

My wife and I love to fish. But we are not avid fishermen. With a boat we would fish a lot more. We do Scuba dive often. Mostly shore diving in Broward and occasional boat dives in the Keys.

In our first boat we look for:

  1. a boat that could get us to the reefs in the keys and the reefs we usually dive from shore in Broward. Plus find other places to dive that we could only get to with our own boat.
  2. a boat good for inshore fishing. After more boating experience, possibly off shore in the right conditions.
  3. a boat good for hitting the sand bars with our seven-year-old daughter.
  4. a boat that would be good for a first time boater.

From what we have researched the 170 Montauk seems like a type of utility boat that could be used for a variety of activities.

Would love to hear anyone's comments. Especially experienced boaters from the south Florida area and the limitations we would have on this boat in our area.

Thank you for your time.

ConB
Posts: 248
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2015 2:52 pm
Location: Suttons Bay, MI

Re: Considering a 170 Montauk in South Florida.

Postby ConB » Thu Mar 21, 2019 7:37 pm

A Montauk 170 would be perfect for your use in Northern Michigan.

I bet it will be in Florida too. Easy to tow, launch and maintain.

Con
!987 Outrage 18 / 2011 Yamaha F150
1969 13 / 30hp Johnson tiller

Divin'Ivan
Posts: 61
Joined: Tue May 03, 2016 12:00 pm

Re: Considering a 170 Montauk in South Florida.

Postby Divin'Ivan » Thu Mar 21, 2019 11:26 pm

A 170 Montauk will do very well for cruising and fishing the bay and Intracoastal waterway, as well as trips to the sandbars ,but your days out of the inlet will be limited.

Honestly, if it's within your budget and you have a vehicle capable of towing more, I would suggest going with a 190 Outrage or 190 Nantucket. Even a 190 Montauk, you'd be surprised what difference two-feet make in ride comfort and overall experience.

I live in south Florida as well and have done everything you mentioned on my previous boat which was a 190 Outrage. Feel free to ask any questions you may have. I will do my best to answer them.
Current boat - 2018 270 Dauntless, Twin Mercury 225 Verado
Previous boat - 2013 190 Outrage, Mercury 150 EFI - SOLD

EricH
Posts: 9
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2019 6:34 pm

Re: Considering a 170 Montauk in South Florida.

Postby EricH » Fri Mar 22, 2019 6:47 am

Great boat--I have the 2019 170 Montauk and couldn't be happier. The total length of the new design is 17' 4". Go with the 115 Merc, Raymarine, rear port and starboard seats at a minimum. The other thing that is nice about this boat is it fits in the garage.

Xray51
Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Mar 24, 2019 1:58 pm

Re: Considering a 170 Montauk in South Florida.

Postby Xray51 » Sun Mar 24, 2019 2:09 pm

I also live in South Florida. I would go for the new [2019] 170 Montauk in a heartbeat. [The 2019 170 MONTAUK] is far more boat than the previous models, yet is nearly the same size. To me the [2019 170 MONTAUK] looks like the best small boat in the industry.

The new [2019 170 MONTAUK] is better because it rides better than [my 1994 MONTAUK 17].

I also would like the built-in gas tank.

In 1994 I bought a new Montauk 17 and still have it. It is a great boat. You can stand up in it, fish inshore or offshore, just take a ride, go to a beach, meander up and down the intracoastal, tow a water skier, trailer it anywhere (like to the keys or the west coast of Florida), and it still fits in a garage. It is also an economical boat to own. Most of the boats that I see in south Florida burn more gas in a day than mine uses in a year.

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

Re: A 170 Montauk for South Florida Boating

Postby jimh » Mon Mar 25, 2019 2:19 pm

As can be deduced from the 60-years of production, a 17-foot center console outboard like a Boston Whaler MONTAUK is a very versatile boat. The recent revision as the 2019 170 MONTAUK should continue that tradition.

As mentioned, the appeal of a 17-foot center console is the ease of storing it, trailering it, launching it, and paying for it.

Clay
Posts: 37
Joined: Sat Aug 27, 2016 8:58 pm

Re: A 170 Montauk for South Florida Boating

Postby Clay » Wed Jul 03, 2019 9:00 pm

My wife and I purchased a new 2017 Montauk 170 and have been more than happy with it. We are in our late 60s and it is our first (and likely last) powerboat. It is easy to trailer, launch, recover, and has been flawless. We knew an upgraded model was coming but chose this one for its 3" less draft, 4" less length, and a bit less weight. It enables us to put in where deeper draft boats cannot. Others have recommended getting the 115 hp motor, but the 90 has more than enough power for what we do...cruising New England lakes, fishing, swimming, etc. we don't pull skiers. I actually prefer the portable tanks for removing for winter storage...and the 12 gallon capacity has never been a problem. These are not heavy weather boats so your offshore trips will be limited to calm conditions...but the boats are rugged and can take it. But they do pound in heavy weather and can get you pretty wet. I cannot recommend these boats any higher... they are classics for good reason.