posted 10-03-2013 07:52 AM ET (US)        

However, I was thinking back to my boat ownership experiences and memories, during my boating life of 2000 through 2013, and have come to the conclusion that sticking with one of those boats would have saved me so much money. It was in fact the one boat I totally regret selling. Of course, when I sold her I had "good reasons", such as needing more room, or needing to "expand my boating experience". What hogwash.

I wish I still had my 190 Nantucket. Here are a few pictures of her:

http://home.comcast.net/~sarnuk/WhalerAdventures.html

posted 10-03-2013 09:21 AM ET (US)            

I wish there was a way I could have afforded to have both of them, the best of both worlds. The Montauk for local spur of the moment boating, and some big water small boat adventures, and the Revenge for the week long boat camping trips, ahh the comfort...

posted 10-03-2013 11:44 AM ET (US)            

I'm glad I recognize this now while I own her and not in retrospect. I'll never sell her.

Dave

posted 10-03-2013 11:52 AM ET (US)            

Sold it the next day in 1990 for a 1977 fully dressed Newport with rear deck , two steel tanks and front pedestal seat and a 94 cooler seat and a 90 hp. This boat fits me very well as I take 6 or 8 hour trips and can sit and see over the wind shield. Sold the deck and front seat and put a 28 gallon fuel tank under the console.

Have owned a 13 Sport and a 1997 Montauk and ended up selling those while keeping the Newport. Have a friend that dropped off his 1986 Montauk with a 2009 90 Etec to keep at my dock forever maybe that I also have unlimited use of. He does not care to boat any longer due to health issues but wants to keep the boat

So now on engine number four on the Newport , a 2000 F100 and it will stay with me until I no longer boat. I like it better than the 1986 Montauk but they both are great boat's for the things I do in Tampa Bay and the local rivers.

posted 10-04-2013 08:12 AM ET (US)            

That Nantucket was perfect for Barnegat Bay. It was beefy enough to handle chop, small enough to maneuver anywhere easily, and maintenance-friendly. The bow dodger and leaning post were awesome. It also was self bailing, so tied up to the dock I never had to worry about rain and bilge pumps, etc.

posted 10-08-2013 02:14 PM ET (US)            

I have some moments of missing the 15, like jimh does; it was nice having her in the garage. But, I can do so much more with the bigger boat that there is no remorse.

I think I would have remorse selling this one, though. So, I plan on keeping her and continuing to tweak and trick her out. That makes it less and less likely I would move up.

~Tom

posted 10-18-2013 01:27 AM ET (US)            

But damn. It's the only boat I own that I have, dare I say, actual feelings for. It's shape is simple and traditional for a speed boat, but almost surreally perfect. I'm not an artist, so i can't describe it beyond that. It's layout is also perfect. A single backrest, no higher than the gunwales, with a bench seat on either side of it. Even with the shredded bottom, it'll go over 50mph with it's old Evinrude 135, (probably 110hp in today's numbers). That's a lot of fun with so little freeboard. Oh and by pure happenstance, I met the oldtimer who was the foreman of the shop where she was built. What a guy. We were email pen pals until I stopped hearing from him a couple of years ago when he too, "crossed the bar". But I learned that the hull was all hand laid and fully encapsulated, no chopper guns. And the owner of the company demanded no compromise. He would rather go out of business than take shortcuts to maximize profit, which is exactly what happened. Having a string to the guy that built it, and reading his stories about the development of that hull clinches the deal.

With the ugly paint and the rough hull, she's no prettier than a bikini model in Carhartt coveralls. But it's what's underneath that counts and I can see right through her battle damage, to what she was in better days. But I may be the only one who does, and what does that say about me? Pretty nutty huh?

I love my Whalers and their unflappable competence in an entirely different way.

posted 10-18-2013 12:52 PM ET (US)            

I miss the fish ability of the outrage 22". A navy seal drove it away and headed 140 miles north, on the water maiden run!

I miss the speed and offshore runs of the Outrage 25'. Those were my first long runs for albacore and trailering south of the border.

posted 10-19-2013 11:55 AM ET (US)            

It has the bench seat in the stern, with the full cushion package in the bow. It easily seats up to seven. It is great for what I like to do most, cruising, and anchoring and hanging out. The fact that I can stand up at the console and run it, is also a great feature. I had a 13 sport before the Montauk and my back suffered in that boat.

And for those days I want go offshore in decent weather the Montauk is great. Or, if I want to trailer it somewhere it is easy to deal with. It's also not bad on gas, even though it has the original 90 Johnson, that still runs great.

And, it is in my garage, with no storage or docking fees, protected from the elements and any hurricanes that might come along here in Miami.