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The debate as to a particular model versus a custom tag is an exercise in semantics.
I believe you should be buying the design of a hull which can perform to satisfy your boating needs. What happens inside the hull is a matter of personal choice. After all, look at 20 Montauks and they'll all be rigged differently.
Regardless if Whaler marketed their 17 as a bare hull, Stripper or Montaulk, the decision to purchase should be about the hull's performance in the water,