Stability of 13'-15' Boston Whalers

A conversation among Whalers
amsurvey
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Stability of 13'-15' Boston Whalers

Postby amsurvey » Sun Jul 12, 2020 7:08 am

Hi,
My first boat was an 18' Cobia back in the 80's. A few years ago I lost a 38' Tiara due to Maria Hurricane (Puerto Rico), so I have been around boats for a while.
I am a land surveyor and I am looking into buying a small Boston Whaler for hydrographic surveys near shore, which we don't do very often, but do some from time to time. We use a 12' aluminum boat for this, but it is very unstable. It becomes difficult for 2 men carrying expensive equipment on board. All it takes is for one man to stand near one side, and yes, it could take water.

Can two grown men stand and walk freely on a 13- or 15-foot Boston Whaler boat without the risk of the boat turning to one side too much and taking in water? Assume the boat is now underway and there are no high swells.

Thanks—Tony

jimh
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Re: Stability of 13'-15' Boston Whalers

Postby jimh » Sun Jul 12, 2020 9:55 am

I would expect the lateral stability of a 13-footer to be greater than a 15-footer—speaking of the classic era hulls.
The hull forms are quite different.

You might be better served with a classic 16/17 hull if your work requires standing up all the time.

LCnSac
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Joined: Tue Mar 29, 2016 7:42 pm

Re: Stability of 13'-15' Boston Whalers

Postby LCnSac » Mon Jul 13, 2020 1:28 am

I have a 2004 Sport 150, and of the 26 boats including four Boston Whalers I've owned, this one is by far the most stable for standing and casting (I am a fly fisherman). It's not as cool looking at the classic 15, but it's lateral stability is far better. I have it rigged as a flats style boat and it's perfect for me. Previously I had a 170 Montauk, and the 150 Sport rides much better.

macfam
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Re: Stability of 13'-15' Boston Whalers

Postby macfam » Mon Jul 13, 2020 8:09 am

We have a 2008 Montauk 150. It is remarkably stable for a 15 footer.
The beam is 6’6”, which is 4” WIDER than the typical 17 Montauk, which is 6’2”, and weighs 100 pounds more!
This is a beefy 15’ boat that handles superbly, plus the benefit of a center console, allowing mobility around the entire hull.

goldstem
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Re: Stability of 13'-15' Boston Whalers

Postby goldstem » Mon Jul 13, 2020 11:21 am

The classic 13-foot hull is more stable than the classic 15-door hull. The classic 16/17-hullis even more stable, but substantially larger.

i've had them all. I currently work with all three at our sailing club. For your purposes the 13 is probably quite suitable.

biggiefl
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Re: Stability of 13'-15' Boston Whalers

Postby biggiefl » Mon Jul 13, 2020 11:35 am

If you are asking about classics, the 13 is more stable than the 15 and is night and day compared to a 12-foot aluminum boat.

The 13-foot hulls are much cheaper and easier to find, are lighter, and can be tiller steered.
On my 24th Whaler. Currently in the stable: 86 18' Outrage, 81 13' Sport(original owner), 87 11' Sport, 69 Squall(for sale cheap).

LCnSac
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Joined: Tue Mar 29, 2016 7:42 pm

Re: Stability of 13'-15' Boston Whalers

Postby LCnSac » Mon Jul 13, 2020 11:48 am

Based on the needs mentioned, a classic pre c.2000 13-foot hull would be more than adequate and much less expensive than the newer hulls.

As previously stated, in the classic line the 13 and 17 have similar hulls and are much more stable than the 15. In the post classic models, the hulls are similar for the 13-15-17 and all are very stable. Many post-c.2000 Boston Whaler boats will come with a four-stroke-power-cycle outboard engine, and the engine will drive up the cost substantially.