posted 11-13-2008 08:19 AM ET (US)        

So, in the hope of using this forum to find the broadest number of Whaler owners, I’d like to propose swapping (even) my boat for a 170 MONTAUK.

I hope my offer is compelling, but you won’t know until you take a look:
http://web.mac.com/michaellloyd1

At the very least, it will offer some new discussion grist for the forum members. And it’s something to think about in front of the fireplace.

posted 11-13-2008 05:05 PM ET (US)            

The wife not liking the smell of diesel is a piss-poor reason for choosing gas. I'm sure there are other reasons, but that better not be the deciding one. First off, it's pretty rare that you would actually SMELL diesel fuel, unless you have some sort of fuel leak. In the event that, for some reason, you did regularly smell the fumes, I would submit to you that the health risks of inhaling the equally-nasally-offensive gasoline fumes far outweight any distaste for the odor of diesel.

And is your wife aware of the significant safety disparity between the two fuels? Gasoline is highly explosive. Diesel is not. Heck, throw a burning match down the deckpipe of a diesel tank and it won't even ignite the fuel. That alone is reason enough to want diesel power.

When it comes to performance, in most cases, a diesel engine, with it's high torque, is much more suited to the marine application. I will concede that on smaller boats, the extra weight of a diesel block often makes it impractical, but for larger boats, it's no-brainer. Diesels perform better.

And lastly, my experience has been that comparably sized diesels are far less expensive to maintain, particularly in a marine environment. There are no plugs to foul or corrode, no carburetors to clog, no plug wires that need replacement every few years. And even if you ignore all of that, you will generally find that marine diesels are specifically designed for the marine environment, rather than adapted from an automotive design. They tend to incorporate features that make them better suited to marine applications, like starters that are placed on the top of the engine, rather than the bottom, corrosion resistant heat exchangers rather than raw water cooling, and exhaust ports that are oriented up, rather than down, to encourage proper flow into marine style manifolds.

posted 11-13-2008 05:10 PM ET (US)            

And I often think that peoples' fears surrounding maintaining diesel engines stems from a lack of understanding or experience working on and around them. When my dad bought his first diesel-powered boat, I think he was pretty apprehensive. He wasn't really sure what he was in for. But he, just like everyone I've known who's made the same leap, has become 100% convinced. He'll never buy another gas boat, period.

posted 11-13-2008 08:22 PM ET (US)            

And get a bio-diesel and the complaints will go away.

posted 11-14-2008 12:14 PM ET (US)            

The cabin has just a V-berth with a porti-potti enclosure under the center cushion. It has a couple of reading lights and that's about all. I had a boat with a small galley one time and it never got used. Better to have more room for fishing rods and gear.

posted 11-20-2008 09:00 AM ET (US)            

I will spread the word around after the holidays on Craigslist and THT. I have lurked on THT for a while and find a lot of the information is about boats like "42ft Yellowfin w/ Quad 350's" or whether my 60 foot Bertram needs another 50 inch plasma TV in the guest suite. And then there is the unbelievable bickering about who has the fastest, best or newest rig or how stupid someone was for buying the fastest, best or newest rig. Don't get me started on the size of the avatars. Way too much testosterone for me!

CW offers a much more civilized and gentlemanly (not p.c. correct) approach to sharing information about a great boat brand. Jim's active management of the forum keeps the tone informative and enjoyable.

And the size of the boat just doesn't seem to matter. They are all Whalers.