I just purchased a 170 Montauk two months ago. It is one of the prototype Boston Whaler boats built for marketing and demos. It is stamped as a 2017 but is the new configuration and design. It was new when I purchased it and had 40-demo-hours on the 90hp Mercury.
The boat is totally loaded with factory options including fishing package, Axiom 9 3D Chartplotter/sonar, Raymarine Ray52 flush mount VHF, fusion stereo, Motor guide Xi5 tolling motor, Powermania onboard charger, Baystar hydraulic steering, dual aft jump seats, bow cushions, Karavan trailer with disc brakes and spare tire.
The great thing is that because it was a demo and never titled, all the warranties went into effect the day I purchased it including all the accessories.
This is a fantastic boat so far and we are enjoying fishing inshore on the east coast of Florida (Mosquito Lagoon area) and lake boating in Central Florida. The 90-HP is plenty of power for what we do and the range is great with the 25 gallon built in tank. I would highly recommend this boat to anyone.
Buying Prototype Boat From Boston Whaler
Re: Buying Prototype Boat From Boston Whaler
SLR wrote:I just purchased a 170 Montauk 2 months ago. It is one of the prototype BW boats built for marketing and demos.
ASIDE: I have never heard of Boston Whaler selling off non-production prototype hulls. Who was the seller that you bought this "prototype BW boat" from?
SLR wrote:I would highly recommend this boat to anyone.
Where could others buy a prototype BW boat? Again, I have never heard of these pre-production prototype hulls being sold. Usually they are retained by Boston Whaler and some are made available to employees for their use. But they're never sold to the public as "a Boston Whaler" boat.
Re: Buying Prototype Boat From Boston Whaler
jimh wrote:Who was the seller that you bought this "prototype BW boat" from?
Where could others buy a prototype BW boat?
It was purchased from MarineMax Cocoa FL. As I said it was technically a new 2017 demo boat. All factory warranties began on March 29, 2019, the day I purchased it. I'd be more than happy to give you the HIN so you can check it out and confirm with BW or you can call Alan LaRose the GM at MarineMAx Cocoa. Just because you never heard of it doesn't mean it didn't happen.
About the second part of your question I was talking about the 170 Montauk in general not my particular boat. Sorry if I didn't exactly specify that. I think most people got my point.
If I can provide you any more info, Bill of sale, sales order, Phone numbers. Pictures. Let me know.
Re: Buying Prototype Boat From Boston Whaler
I am sure dealers sell their demo boats to customers all the time. If the boat you bought was a regular production boat that the dealer ordered and used as his demo, that is quite normal and happens often. Or perhaps it was a boat used at a boat show as a display model or in-water demonstrator. Those boats are regular production boats, not prototype hulls.
Unless Boston Whaler has changed their policy, they used to never sell prototype pre-production boats, except perhaps to their own employees. A pre-production boat would be a boat built in their special fabrication shop as a test of the molds and of the design. Several years ago I inquired about buying a pre-production prototype hull while at the factory and being shown one-- a new model that had had just gone into production and just announced. My offer to purchase was politely refused as a matter of company policy. A pre-production prototype hull would not be sold as a used boat from Boston Whaler hull.
What element of the boat you bought from an authorized Boston Whaler dealer makes you think this boat was built as a pre-production prototype hull?
Unless Boston Whaler has changed their policy, they used to never sell prototype pre-production boats, except perhaps to their own employees. A pre-production boat would be a boat built in their special fabrication shop as a test of the molds and of the design. Several years ago I inquired about buying a pre-production prototype hull while at the factory and being shown one-- a new model that had had just gone into production and just announced. My offer to purchase was politely refused as a matter of company policy. A pre-production prototype hull would not be sold as a used boat from Boston Whaler hull.
What element of the boat you bought from an authorized Boston Whaler dealer makes you think this boat was built as a pre-production prototype hull?
Re: Buying Prototype Boat From Boston Whaler
jimh wrote:What element of the boat you bought from an authorized Boston Whaler dealer makes you think this boat was built as a pre-production prototype hull?
First of all because Alan LaRose told me how he had acquired my boat along with a prototype 150 and one other I don't remember from BW.
Secondly the BW marketing person confirmed what Alan had told me at the March 2019 boat show where we finalized the deal. The BW rep explained how they used the boat for videos, brochure pics, and BoatTest magazine. He also explained how the warranties would work and assured me that BW had taken care of all required maintenance during their possession. To be clear the boat was not at the boat show since it was a 2017.
Thirdly it was not sold as a "used" boat.
Re: Buying Prototype Boat From Boston Whaler
I assume you are talking about the model-year-2018 update of the 170 MONTAUK as discussed in a lengthy thread about two years ago:
Boston Whaler Introduces the 2018 170 MONTAUK
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2588
It sounds like Boston Whaler sold their demo boat to a dealer, probably at a good price, and he was authorized to sell it as a new boat to a retail customer, with the prior use as a demo being disclosed. If Boston Whaler used this boat for catalog photography, the boat would HAVE TO BE visually identical to normal production. And the same for use by on-water reviewers; there would not be much integrity in the review if the reviewer was provided with a boat that was different from the production models.
Q: Is there any element of your 170 MONTAUK boat that you describe as a prototype that differs from a regular production hull?
Also, I wouldn't object in any way to getting a early build of a boat from the production molds, but hand built by the special fabricators in the factory custom shop. I would expect the build quality would be the equal of regular production--if not higher.
What is really under discussion now is the meaning of "prototype." If the boat you have was molded on the production molds, then I would not consider it a prototype. It's just an early production hull. It may have possibly been built by a special team of assemblers in the custom shop, or maybe just built on the production line as an initial hull from the production molds.
Boston Whaler Introduces the 2018 170 MONTAUK
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2588
It sounds like Boston Whaler sold their demo boat to a dealer, probably at a good price, and he was authorized to sell it as a new boat to a retail customer, with the prior use as a demo being disclosed. If Boston Whaler used this boat for catalog photography, the boat would HAVE TO BE visually identical to normal production. And the same for use by on-water reviewers; there would not be much integrity in the review if the reviewer was provided with a boat that was different from the production models.
Q: Is there any element of your 170 MONTAUK boat that you describe as a prototype that differs from a regular production hull?
Also, I wouldn't object in any way to getting a early build of a boat from the production molds, but hand built by the special fabricators in the factory custom shop. I would expect the build quality would be the equal of regular production--if not higher.
What is really under discussion now is the meaning of "prototype." If the boat you have was molded on the production molds, then I would not consider it a prototype. It's just an early production hull. It may have possibly been built by a special team of assemblers in the custom shop, or maybe just built on the production line as an initial hull from the production molds.
Re: Buying Prototype Boat From Boston Whaler
SLR wrote:...it was not sold as a "used" boat.
In automobile manufacturing, certain vehicles are pulled off the production line and are driven for perhaps 100-miles--usually by plant production management--as a means of verifying production line quality. Those vehicles are sold as new, but usually are provided with some sort of disclaimer to explain why they are being delivered with higher-than-normal mileage on the odometer.
Re: A 170 Montauk for South Florida Boating
jimh wrote:Q: Is there any element of your 170 MONTAUK boat that you describe as a prototype that differs from a regular production hull?
The boat is identical to the one in the 2018 brochure and video ( according to the BW rep it is that boat) and the same base configuration as all the other 2018 170 Montauk's. I only use the word "prototype " because that is the word both BW and the MarineMax general manager used. They explained that the boat had a 2017 HIN because the 2018 numbers were not set up yet so they had to use a 2017 HIN. The boat is the 2018 configuration.
Last edited by SLR on Sun Jul 07, 2019 2:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Buying Prototype Boat From Boston Whaler
Regarding word usage, M-W.COM says this about "prototype."
In this case, definition number four seem the most appropriate.
Enjoy the fine boat. That the boat is loaded with options is a very nice plus.
ASIDE: also in automobile manufacturing, the first car built on an assembly line is referred to as "Job One." If you are old enough, you may recall that FORD used this car-maker lingo in their image-building advertising, using a tag line that "Quality is Job One" beginning in the 1980's and lasting about 17 years. However, I would expect that the real first car built on an assembly line as a new model would probably never be sold to a retail customer. It probably would go right to engineering for very careful evaluation.
- an original model on which something is patterned : ARCHETYPE
- an individual that exhibits the essential features of a later type
- a standard or typical example
- a first full-scale and usually functional form of a new type or design of a construction (such as an airplane)
In this case, definition number four seem the most appropriate.
Enjoy the fine boat. That the boat is loaded with options is a very nice plus.
ASIDE: also in automobile manufacturing, the first car built on an assembly line is referred to as "Job One." If you are old enough, you may recall that FORD used this car-maker lingo in their image-building advertising, using a tag line that "Quality is Job One" beginning in the 1980's and lasting about 17 years. However, I would expect that the real first car built on an assembly line as a new model would probably never be sold to a retail customer. It probably would go right to engineering for very careful evaluation.
Re: Buying Prototype Boat From Boston Whaler
jimh wrote:
Enjoy the fine boat. That the boat is loaded with options is a very nice plus.
Thank you jimh
Re: Buying Prototype Boat From Boston Whaler
It would be cool to see some photos so we can see some of the new features of the latest style of Montauk. Sounds like a great boat and a pretty sweet deal for you.
1989 Outrage 22 Cuddy
Re: Buying Prototype Boat From Boston Whaler
ANDY--there are details about the 2018-model-year 170 MONTAUK changes and links to photos at
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2588#p14681
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2588#p14681
Re: Buying Prototype Boat From Boston Whaler
SLR, glad you got a prototype, demo, show floor boat. I hope and wish you got a good deal on it. JimH, stop beating on this guy over his descriptions of what he has purchased or done with his new boat. He is obviously a proud new owner of a sort of new Boston Whaler boat that should be a great boat for him and his family on the waters.
Re: Buying Prototype Boat From Boston Whaler
Frank—no “beating”, just trying to figure out what was different about the “prototype” model.
There are a few one-of-a-kind Boston Whaler boats out there that perhaps were prototypes or trial models, but, as I understand the narrative here, the boat under discussion is a 2018-model 170 MONTAUK, made in 2017, used for catalog photography, loaned out to boating writers for testing, then sold by Whaler to a dealer, who sold the boat as a “new” boat but disclosed its prior use and running time.
The price paid has not been mentioned, but, as several have speculated, perhaps there was “a good deal” for the buyer in the transaction. I consider the selling price to be a private matter, and would never inquire about it.
There are a few one-of-a-kind Boston Whaler boats out there that perhaps were prototypes or trial models, but, as I understand the narrative here, the boat under discussion is a 2018-model 170 MONTAUK, made in 2017, used for catalog photography, loaned out to boating writers for testing, then sold by Whaler to a dealer, who sold the boat as a “new” boat but disclosed its prior use and running time.
The price paid has not been mentioned, but, as several have speculated, perhaps there was “a good deal” for the buyer in the transaction. I consider the selling price to be a private matter, and would never inquire about it.