CONTINUOUSWAVE

Anyone have any experience or comments to share on [the Boston Whaler Commercial and Government Product division] Justice series? I'm considering an older 17 Justice [and its hull] seems to be a much steeper V-hull [than some other hull being compared].

What year are you considering?

They changed hulls once or twice.

2001. Seems most similar to Dauntless 17, at least to my eye.

In looking at photos, it appears to be based on the 1996-1999 Outrage 17 II model with the typical CGP features.
This is a great hull and respected for near and offshore use.

Does it look like this?

Your photo shows the hull-type exactly, yes. So I should learn more about 96-99 Outrage. The boat also has a 2001 Optimax. I read elsewhere on Continuouswave that Mercury may have had some problems with models of that year.

[The JUSTICE 1] boat is a rocket. [The JUSTICE 17 is] based on 17 Outrage. [The JUSTICE 17 has an] admirable ride and great layout. [The JUSTICE 17] has thicker fiberglass and aluminum plates at the transom.

[The decision to purchase a used JUSTICE 17] comes down [to the selling price] and who owned it before you. Usually [JUSTICE 17 boats] are owned by government agencies, and those agencies ride [the JUSTICE 17 boats] often and hard--wear and tear [will be] there.

[A Mercury OptiMax outboard engine of model year 19]99 to 2000 is first generation. [By model year] 2001 [Mercury] already fixed some bugs.

If you get a good deal, grab it. [The JUSTICE 17 is] a very very rare boat.

Many Boston Whaler boat owners and continuouswave members dream [of] finding and owning a Justice hull. I am certainly one of them.

How rare are they ? I have been looking for a 19 Justice with dive door for seven years now and couldn't locate one in decent shape yet.

Did I say [a JUSTICE 17 is a] rare boat yet?

If fixed right [a JUSTICE 17] is a boat for lifetime . Owning something that nobody else has is reward in itself.

When considering purchase of a boat made by the Commercial and Government Products division of Boston Whaler, get the hull identification number (HIN). The HIN will have a distinctive manufacturer identification code (MIC) prefix (WCG) if the boat was made after c.2001. If the HIN has the MIC of BWC, it was likely made before c.2001.

Once you have the HIN, you can contact Boston Whaler to obtain more information about the particular boat. The boats made by Boston Whaler Commercial and Government Products division tend to be custom and made-to-order. If Boston Whaler can give you information specific to the particular boat you are considering buying, it could be useful.

As in any purchase, price plays an important role. Often the disposal of older boats used by government agencies can be a source of bargains, as long as the particular hull being purchased is in excellent condition. I would not bid on or tender a purchase offer without seeing the boat in person and being able to make a close inspection of it.

As for there being some sort of universal and relentless attraction to commercial boats being offered for sale, I can't say I share that notion. A lot of them are beat up and need substantial and expensive repair. A good example can be seen in an article about a restored Boston Whaler 22 RAIDER that was extensively refurbished by the Lakeside, Ohio, fire department; see CETACEA PAGE 35 at

http://continuouswave.com/whaler/cetace ... age35.html

A lot of volunteer labor and effort went into the restoration, far more than I could ever imagine investing myself.