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Author Topic:   Used Dauntless 16
CJMANI posted 06-18-2003 09:44 PM ET (US)   Profile for CJMANI   Send Email to CJMANI  
Long time lurker and closet Whaler lover, but this is my first post here, and I would love to have some input from you Whaler experts.

My local dealer hear in SF BAy Area has a used Dauntless 16 for sale. It's a '99 he took on a trade and it has a 90 Honda 4 stroke. The engine has exaclty 74 hrs on it!

This would be our second boat, but our first Whaler. Our current boat is a 17' Reinell copy of the classic Montauk hull....down to the last inch, but without the internal foam. It's a rough rider and tends to be a wet ride here on SF Bay....and a bit cramped for 4 adults plus a few kids.

Anyway, the dealer wants $20,000 even. The boat has quite a few extras: galv trailer, bow pad, rear quarter seats, cooler seat, ski pylon, VHS, GPS/depth finder, 2 Canon electric downriggers, fishing package, bimini top with extra plastic clip on weather/windshield, doelfin.

We would mostly use the boat for cruising w/ friends on the Bay and on Donner Lake/watersports/fishing.

First question: is this a decent price?
Second, can I expect a drier and more comforable ride with the Dauntless.
Lastly, he has a brand new Montauk 170 with a 90 Merc 4 st for about 2k more, but with none of the extra stuff listed above.

Thanks in advance for your input....I'm taking it for a ride tomorrow.

best,

Chris Mani

JohnJ80 posted 06-18-2003 10:52 PM ET (US)     Profile for JohnJ80  Send Email to JohnJ80     
just for kicks, when you take it for a ride can you also note the motor position (holes up from full down) and then let us know what you think of the ride at several speeds (vs conditions)?

j

Perry posted 06-18-2003 11:59 PM ET (US)     Profile for Perry  Send Email to Perry     
I have a 2002 Dauntless with a Honda 90. My boat has about the same amount of hours on it so the one you are loking at is relatively brand new. In 2002 there was a hull change which improved the bow-up ride and porpoising. So I believe the newer models ride better. To answer your questions:
1.) I paid $25000 for mine without the extras so $20000 seems ok but not necessarily a great deal. maybe you can talk him down a couple grand.
2.)You can expect a much drier ride. I live in Hawaii and take mine out 15 miles in the open ocean.
3.)Take both the Montauk 170 and Dauntless 160 out for a test ride and compare them yourself.
CJMANI posted 06-19-2003 01:28 AM ET (US)     Profile for CJMANI  Send Email to CJMANI     
Thank you for the input so far. I will check the motor position in terms of which holes are being used and report back. The salesman mentioned that the Doelfin virtually eliminated the porpoising problem. We'll see tomorrow.

As an aside, the dealer had one 19' Nantuckett and wanted just over $32,000 for it. He said there were only 7 dealers with one each in the entire country.

rkong posted 06-19-2003 03:22 AM ET (US)     Profile for rkong  Send Email to rkong     
I take my Dauntless 15 onto SF Bay and its a pretty dry ride. I do take the waves head on though. I find that if I quarter the waves coming at me, it can get pretty wet as they hit the side of the hull which doesn't really deflect the water anywhere but up and right into me. The accutrack hull helps out a lot if you head right into them though.

I wouldn't say the price of the Dauntless 16 is great. (Outboard motor shop right?) But I think whalers out here generally cost more than other parts of the country.

If you plan on taking 4 people plus kids, its going to be pretty cramped.

Hugh Williams posted 06-19-2003 06:41 PM ET (US)     Profile for Hugh Williams  Send Email to Hugh Williams     
I have the 1999 Dauntless with a 90 h.p. Mercury 2 stroke. I put a dole fin on and it helped a lot but still does porposes a little if you are trimmed up fairly high at slower speeds. I would see if the boat has had the gas vent up grade. What I mean by that is see if it has a vent on vent sticking out of one of the side of the boat. Port side on mine. It has trouble filling up with gas it has the original plastic vented cap. I had mine upgraded for free by whaler. I have over five hundred hours on mine, and have loved every minute of them. You can do almost anything in that boat. I have taken it 30 miles offshore, ran in water so shallow the fish had nowhere to go, and of course skiing.
BWdaunt18 posted 06-20-2003 03:56 PM ET (US)     Profile for BWdaunt18  Send Email to BWdaunt18     
I used to own a Dauntless 13 and now own a Dauntless 18. Both used on Lake Michigan. Both ride dry but rough.

THe Dauntless series is designed with a shallower V for added stability and more access to shallower water. I think it handles big water ok, but is not designed to be an off-shore boat.

My sister lives on Telegraph Hill. I have been to the Bay area a numebr of times. Water can get pretty rough.

If you want a comfortable ride as well as a dry one, you might consider a deeper hull design such as the Outrage. If you are not in a hurry, the Dauntless will be great.
The Dauntless ride can be pretty rough in heavy chop.

Price. I bought my 18 new last year for 29K but it's a 2001. 135 Merc Opti.

They had a 2001 16 with the fishing package and 90 4 stroke Merc for about 23,000. With trailer. It's gone/sold.

With all the extras and the Honda, it is a pretty good price.

Good luck.

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