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Author Topic:   27 Whaler Problems

highspeed_jd posted 06-02-2009 11:04 AM ET (US)
I am looking into moving up into some kind of 27-foot Boston Whaler boat. I just don't know which model yet. Are there any [problem] I need to be aware of when I go to inspect one for purchase? Any help is greatly appreciated.
Jesse
Tohsgib posted 06-02-2009 11:33 AM ET (US)
Make sure there was not a cabin fire.
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/017812.html
highspeed_jd posted 06-02-2009 02:59 PM ET (US)
I think something like that would be fairly easy to spot. Atleast I would hope so!
Tohsgib posted 06-02-2009 03:07 PM ET (US)
Probably easy to fix as well....could be a real nice boat when done. Should be bale to part it out for that price, tower, electronics, engines, etc.
Peter posted 06-02-2009 03:43 PM ET (US)
If there are scorch marks on the outside I'd hate see what the inside looks like. Too bad I'm not closer to that one as I'd pick off those motors for $5k assuming the number of hours is not excessive.
As the owner/operator of a 27 Whaler WD and other Whalers from 13 feet on up, the 27 doesn't have any unique problems. Given that most are now 20 years old or older, they will have the usual assortment of cosmetic stress cracks. It rides like most Dougherty V hulls but with a lot more weight. Extremely stable hull at rest It's the battle wagon of classic outboard powered Whalers for sure.
highspeed_jd posted 06-02-2009 07:36 PM ET (US)
Thanks, Peter. The model I am looking at right now is an '85 27 Whaler that was originally equiped with OMC Sea Drives, but the owner bought a Whaler Drive and new '99 225 Evinrudes. He died in 2003 and the boat has been sitting on the trailer ever since. It is dier need of work, so I would say that it is a project with some low hour motors on it. The man that owned treated pretty rough and he was the original owner. I know that the decks are soft and I am planning on (if I end up purchasing) re-wiring the whole boat.
TRAFFICLAWYER posted 06-02-2009 10:16 PM ET (US)
Get a reputable surveyor to accompany you.
jimh posted 06-03-2009 12:06 AM ET (US)

quote:
...the boat has been sitting on the trailer...
If the sight of a 27-foot Whaler on a trailer doesn't scare you off, you must be one very serious trailer boater. I imagine the 27-footer looks enormous on a trailer.
27 Black Dog posted 06-03-2009 08:36 AM ET (US)
I, just 9 months ago, after an exhaustive 7 year search, just got a 1991 27 Walkaround. The search took so long because:
1- There were only three hundred of these made between 1991 & 1993.
2- 90% of the ones that I did find were either too far gone or the motors were just crap.
I finally found one that had been treated very nicely with '07 E-tecs on it at a fair price. The things that I was looking out for the most were:
1- Hull condition
2- Interior plumbing condition
3- Deck surface condition
4- Age % hours of motors
After finding one that satisfied me on these four points I hired a good surveyor and then had him go over the boat from bow to stern. Good luck with your search.
3whaler posted 06-03-2009 01:45 PM ET (US)
Jesse,
That 27 whaler has a crack in the hull right when you step into the cabin. I would pass on that boat.
Chris
highspeed_jd posted 06-03-2009 02:21 PM ET (US)
Thanks, Chris. I knew Sam put that boat through some stuff, but I didn't know that it was that bad.
3whaler posted 06-04-2009 11:55 AM ET (US)
Jesse,
When I fished with Sam, you could watch water shoot about six inches high out of that crack every time we went into a swell.
Chris
Whaler27 posted 06-09-2009 06:16 PM ET (US)
"the sight of a Whaler 27 on a trailer"
I must say that the Whaler27 is a very trailer able boat.
Traveling many years on the highway from Baja, MX to Morro Bay, CA with zero problems.
http://www.bloodydecks.com/gallery/files/4/5/2/6/copy_of_p1010067.jpg
http://www.bloodydecks.com/gallery/files/4/5/2/6/w27port.jpg
http://www.bloodydecks.com/gallery/files/4/5/2/6/p1010060.jpg
Even a 1991 Walk Around 27 w/wd with full tower was just fine on the road.
http://www.bloodydecks.com/gallery/files/4/5/2/6/whaler_bow.jpg
They catch fish too!
http://www.bloodydecks.com/gallery/files/4/5/2/6/copy_of_fish010.jpg
devildog posted 06-09-2009 07:23 PM ET (US)
Whaler 27,
That rig rocks!!!
fishgutz posted 06-09-2009 07:53 PM ET (US)
So, what are the 27 problems?
Whaler27 posted 06-10-2009 12:20 AM ET (US)
“So, what are the 27 problems?”
They need at least 400hp to make them get up and run well, imho.
You need more than 170gals of fuel so get one with the extra or larger tank.
A few of the factory options are non-functional for some types of fishing. Aka: lean post/live bait tanks & rigging stations. The anchor locker door is a nuisance to deal with.
Otherwise, it was the best Boston Whaler of the 18, 22, & 25 outrages I have run.
It will give you a sense of security that allows you to go almost anywhere, including 100+ miles offshore in the Pacific…

http://members.cox.net/fishingcalif/l2118.jpg
Peter posted 06-10-2009 08:16 AM ET (US)
"You need more than 170gals of fuel so get one with the extra or larger tank"
A modern 4-stroke or DFI 2-stroke cures this problem for the most part.
My 27 Whaler WD has the optional 310 gallon fuel capacity and with both DFI 2-stroke engines in gear at idle running at approximately 4 MPH, my Navman F3100 computes a full tank range of over 1800 miles! Based on a 50/50 slow troll/cruise running time, a modern 4-stroke or DFI 2-stroke will improve fuel consumption by nearly 50 percent over the old 2-strokes shown in Whaler27's photos.
highspeed_jd posted 06-10-2009 03:30 PM ET (US)
Peter, what is your range with that boat?
Peter posted 06-10-2009 04:06 PM ET (US)
If all at cruise, calm water, full tanks would give about 400 miles to empty. 50 percent cruise time / 50 percent slow troll time would probably bump that up 500 to 600 miles depending on conditions.
Peter posted 06-10-2009 04:13 PM ET (US)
Should add, running in gear at about 3 MPH on one engine with the other off I'm seeing about 9 to 10 MPG on the Navman display. If you want to go real slow, you've got almost 3000 miles of range!
Whaler27 posted 06-10-2009 05:08 PM ET (US)
With all due respect, who travels at 3 mph in a boat?
During night time transit we go 10-12 knots.
What do you get at 30 mph under full load, that is what I would love to know. Thank you in advance for your feedback.
Peter posted 06-10-2009 06:30 PM ET (US)
My typical cruise speed is 28-29 MPH at 4000 RPM. Navman usually shows about 1.35 MPG running with 200 gallons. Keep in mind this is a Whaler Drive version which is 3 feet longer than the 27 Whaler.
Whaler27 posted 06-10-2009 08:13 PM ET (US)
Once I went with tuned four blade props I was getting an average burn of 1.2-1.3 with those old Yamaha carbed 200’s. At 4000 rpm the Whaler27 under full load of 200 gals fuel, 4 anglers, 500 lbs of ice and another 300 lbs of fishing tackle would run along at 35-38 mph depending on sea state. If you went up to 4250 it was approx 40-42 mph.
My brother had the 27 Walk-around with WD and it was definitely more thirsty! It also had a full tower and more weight to push around. With twin Johnson 225’s from 1992 she barely got an average of .8-.9 mpg and never ran as fast as the Whaler27
Contender25 posted 06-11-2009 08:09 AM ET (US)
The only issue I have had with my Offshore 27 is transporting it to and from Florida. I do not have a large enough truck to move it myself so I rely on shipping companies and that has caused me 2 months of my season this year alone and caused me some major headaches. This is the last time I will ever ship her down south and back.
Great hull I have twin 225 Carb'd Evinrudes and see 1 nmpg in prefect conditions otherwise it stays between .8 and .95nmpg. I have a video of her running in the Keys but it is too large to load.
There is/was a 27' cuddy for sale here in RI recently with twin 96 Evinrude 225's for $6500 a tree messed up the cuddy but the rest looked decent. It was on craigslist in RI
bwguardian posted 06-13-2009 12:17 PM ET (US)
Whaler27, is that a Vigilant in the background of that first picture? Nice looking Whaler...was the black rub rail painted, or were you able to find one that color?
bwguardian posted 06-13-2009 12:20 PM ET (US)
highspeed_jd, I moved up from a 25 Outrage to a 27 WD that I customized into a straight center console like a Guardian because I liked the Outrage so much. Find a cuddy WD model and zip the cabin off, pull the deck out and redoe it...yes it is alot of work but well worth it...100 sq. ft. of open level deck!
Whaler27 posted 06-14-2009 12:15 AM ET (US)
BWGuardian, good eye...
Vigilant '32 Pilot House. Commercial grade hd black rubrail was standard equipment.
http://momentoffame.com/photopost/data/503/medium/P6250024.JPG
Captain Billy posted 06-14-2009 11:19 AM ET (US)
We own a 1992 27WA. Repowered 2 years ago with Yamaha's 300 HPDI. Towing is something that has to be planed out, with a 10' beam you have to have a wide load permit.
bwguardian posted 06-14-2009 01:24 PM ET (US)
Whaler27, my verbage may have been confusing...the rub rail I was speaking about was the one on your center console cuddy forward. The first couple of pictures depict it as being the color of the hull with the stainless steel insert. Did you get another rub rail that matches the hull or was it painted?
TransAm posted 06-14-2009 02:03 PM ET (US)
Capt. B,
What type of performance do the 300 HPDI's give? Fuel Economy, Top End, Etc.
Whaler27 posted 06-14-2009 07:01 PM ET (US)
BWG:
On the Whaler27 the rub rail was a white hard plastic with s.s. insert strip. That was the stock rub rail that came with the boat, model year 1987.
I always wanted to put a black commercial style on it, but never got around to it..
bwguardian posted 06-14-2009 07:34 PM ET (US)
Whaler27, interesting...mine has a black hard plastic with a stainless steel insert. Yours is actually the first one I have seen in that light hull color...I like it.

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Author	Topic: 27 Whaler Problems
highspeed_jd	posted 06-02-2009 11:04 AM ET (US) I am looking into moving up into some kind of 27-foot Boston Whaler boat. I just don't know which model yet. Are there any [problem] I need to be aware of when I go to inspect one for purchase? Any help is greatly appreciated. Jesse
Tohsgib	posted 06-02-2009 11:33 AM ET (US) Make sure there was not a cabin fire. http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum2/HTML/017812.html
highspeed_jd	posted 06-02-2009 02:59 PM ET (US) I think something like that would be fairly easy to spot. Atleast I would hope so!
Tohsgib	posted 06-02-2009 03:07 PM ET (US) Probably easy to fix as well....could be a real nice boat when done. Should be bale to part it out for that price, tower, electronics, engines, etc.
Peter	posted 06-02-2009 03:43 PM ET (US) If there are scorch marks on the outside I'd hate see what the inside looks like. Too bad I'm not closer to that one as I'd pick off those motors for $5k assuming the number of hours is not excessive. As the owner/operator of a 27 Whaler WD and other Whalers from 13 feet on up, the 27 doesn't have any unique problems. Given that most are now 20 years old or older, they will have the usual assortment of cosmetic stress cracks. It rides like most Dougherty V hulls but with a lot more weight. Extremely stable hull at rest It's the battle wagon of classic outboard powered Whalers for sure.
highspeed_jd	posted 06-02-2009 07:36 PM ET (US) Thanks, Peter. The model I am looking at right now is an '85 27 Whaler that was originally equiped with OMC Sea Drives, but the owner bought a Whaler Drive and new '99 225 Evinrudes. He died in 2003 and the boat has been sitting on the trailer ever since. It is dier need of work, so I would say that it is a project with some low hour motors on it. The man that owned treated pretty rough and he was the original owner. I know that the decks are soft and I am planning on (if I end up purchasing) re-wiring the whole boat.
TRAFFICLAWYER	posted 06-02-2009 10:16 PM ET (US) Get a reputable surveyor to accompany you.
jimh	posted 06-03-2009 12:06 AM ET (US) quote: ...the boat has been sitting on the trailer... If the sight of a 27-foot Whaler on a trailer doesn't scare you off, you must be one very serious trailer boater. I imagine the 27-footer looks enormous on a trailer.
27 Black Dog	posted 06-03-2009 08:36 AM ET (US) I, just 9 months ago, after an exhaustive 7 year search, just got a 1991 27 Walkaround. The search took so long because: 1- There were only three hundred of these made between 1991 & 1993. 2- 90% of the ones that I did find were either too far gone or the motors were just crap. I finally found one that had been treated very nicely with '07 E-tecs on it at a fair price. The things that I was looking out for the most were: 1- Hull condition 2- Interior plumbing condition 3- Deck surface condition 4- Age % hours of motors After finding one that satisfied me on these four points I hired a good surveyor and then had him go over the boat from bow to stern. Good luck with your search.
3whaler	posted 06-03-2009 01:45 PM ET (US) Jesse, That 27 whaler has a crack in the hull right when you step into the cabin. I would pass on that boat. Chris
highspeed_jd	posted 06-03-2009 02:21 PM ET (US) Thanks, Chris. I knew Sam put that boat through some stuff, but I didn't know that it was that bad.
3whaler	posted 06-04-2009 11:55 AM ET (US) Jesse, When I fished with Sam, you could watch water shoot about six inches high out of that crack every time we went into a swell. Chris
Whaler27	posted 06-09-2009 06:16 PM ET (US) "the sight of a Whaler 27 on a trailer" I must say that the Whaler27 is a very trailer able boat. Traveling many years on the highway from Baja, MX to Morro Bay, CA with zero problems. http://www.bloodydecks.com/gallery/files/4/5/2/6/copy_of_p1010067.jpg http://www.bloodydecks.com/gallery/files/4/5/2/6/w27port.jpg http://www.bloodydecks.com/gallery/files/4/5/2/6/p1010060.jpg Even a 1991 Walk Around 27 w/wd with full tower was just fine on the road. http://www.bloodydecks.com/gallery/files/4/5/2/6/whaler_bow.jpg They catch fish too! http://www.bloodydecks.com/gallery/files/4/5/2/6/copy_of_fish010.jpg
devildog	posted 06-09-2009 07:23 PM ET (US) Whaler 27, That rig rocks!!!
fishgutz	posted 06-09-2009 07:53 PM ET (US) So, what are the 27 problems?
Whaler27	posted 06-10-2009 12:20 AM ET (US) “So, what are the 27 problems?” They need at least 400hp to make them get up and run well, imho. You need more than 170gals of fuel so get one with the extra or larger tank. A few of the factory options are non-functional for some types of fishing. Aka: lean post/live bait tanks & rigging stations. The anchor locker door is a nuisance to deal with. Otherwise, it was the best Boston Whaler of the 18, 22, & 25 outrages I have run. It will give you a sense of security that allows you to go almost anywhere, including 100+ miles offshore in the Pacific… http://members.cox.net/fishingcalif/l2118.jpg
Peter	posted 06-10-2009 08:16 AM ET (US) "You need more than 170gals of fuel so get one with the extra or larger tank" A modern 4-stroke or DFI 2-stroke cures this problem for the most part. My 27 Whaler WD has the optional 310 gallon fuel capacity and with both DFI 2-stroke engines in gear at idle running at approximately 4 MPH, my Navman F3100 computes a full tank range of over 1800 miles! Based on a 50/50 slow troll/cruise running time, a modern 4-stroke or DFI 2-stroke will improve fuel consumption by nearly 50 percent over the old 2-strokes shown in Whaler27's photos.
highspeed_jd	posted 06-10-2009 03:30 PM ET (US) Peter, what is your range with that boat?
Peter	posted 06-10-2009 04:06 PM ET (US) If all at cruise, calm water, full tanks would give about 400 miles to empty. 50 percent cruise time / 50 percent slow troll time would probably bump that up 500 to 600 miles depending on conditions.
Peter	posted 06-10-2009 04:13 PM ET (US) Should add, running in gear at about 3 MPH on one engine with the other off I'm seeing about 9 to 10 MPG on the Navman display. If you want to go real slow, you've got almost 3000 miles of range!
Whaler27	posted 06-10-2009 05:08 PM ET (US) With all due respect, who travels at 3 mph in a boat? During night time transit we go 10-12 knots. What do you get at 30 mph under full load, that is what I would love to know. Thank you in advance for your feedback.
Peter	posted 06-10-2009 06:30 PM ET (US) My typical cruise speed is 28-29 MPH at 4000 RPM. Navman usually shows about 1.35 MPG running with 200 gallons. Keep in mind this is a Whaler Drive version which is 3 feet longer than the 27 Whaler.
Whaler27	posted 06-10-2009 08:13 PM ET (US) Once I went with tuned four blade props I was getting an average burn of 1.2-1.3 with those old Yamaha carbed 200’s. At 4000 rpm the Whaler27 under full load of 200 gals fuel, 4 anglers, 500 lbs of ice and another 300 lbs of fishing tackle would run along at 35-38 mph depending on sea state. If you went up to 4250 it was approx 40-42 mph. My brother had the 27 Walk-around with WD and it was definitely more thirsty! It also had a full tower and more weight to push around. With twin Johnson 225’s from 1992 she barely got an average of .8-.9 mpg and never ran as fast as the Whaler27
Contender25	posted 06-11-2009 08:09 AM ET (US) The only issue I have had with my Offshore 27 is transporting it to and from Florida. I do not have a large enough truck to move it myself so I rely on shipping companies and that has caused me 2 months of my season this year alone and caused me some major headaches. This is the last time I will ever ship her down south and back. Great hull I have twin 225 Carb'd Evinrudes and see 1 nmpg in prefect conditions otherwise it stays between .8 and .95nmpg. I have a video of her running in the Keys but it is too large to load. There is/was a 27' cuddy for sale here in RI recently with twin 96 Evinrude 225's for $6500 a tree messed up the cuddy but the rest looked decent. It was on craigslist in RI
bwguardian	posted 06-13-2009 12:17 PM ET (US) Whaler27, is that a Vigilant in the background of that first picture? Nice looking Whaler...was the black rub rail painted, or were you able to find one that color?
bwguardian	posted 06-13-2009 12:20 PM ET (US) highspeed_jd, I moved up from a 25 Outrage to a 27 WD that I customized into a straight center console like a Guardian because I liked the Outrage so much. Find a cuddy WD model and zip the cabin off, pull the deck out and redoe it...yes it is alot of work but well worth it...100 sq. ft. of open level deck!
Whaler27	posted 06-14-2009 12:15 AM ET (US) BWGuardian, good eye... Vigilant '32 Pilot House. Commercial grade hd black rubrail was standard equipment. http://momentoffame.com/photopost/data/503/medium/P6250024.JPG
Captain Billy	posted 06-14-2009 11:19 AM ET (US) We own a 1992 27WA. Repowered 2 years ago with Yamaha's 300 HPDI. Towing is something that has to be planed out, with a 10' beam you have to have a wide load permit.
bwguardian	posted 06-14-2009 01:24 PM ET (US) Whaler27, my verbage may have been confusing...the rub rail I was speaking about was the one on your center console cuddy forward. The first couple of pictures depict it as being the color of the hull with the stainless steel insert. Did you get another rub rail that matches the hull or was it painted?
TransAm	posted 06-14-2009 02:03 PM ET (US) Capt. B, What type of performance do the 300 HPDI's give? Fuel Economy, Top End, Etc.
Whaler27	posted 06-14-2009 07:01 PM ET (US) BWG: On the Whaler27 the rub rail was a white hard plastic with s.s. insert strip. That was the stock rub rail that came with the boat, model year 1987. I always wanted to put a black commercial style on it, but never got around to it..
bwguardian	posted 06-14-2009 07:34 PM ET (US) Whaler27, interesting...mine has a black hard plastic with a stainless steel insert. Yours is actually the first one I have seen in that light hull color...I like it.