Whaler Central - Boston Whaler Boat Information and Photos

Posted by je328 on 04/20/14 - 6:58 PM

I'm looking for input here other Whaler owners, I currently have a 1994 15' Dauntless, beautiful boat 70HP Johnson original. I'm thinking of selling it and jumping up to a 2001 Dauntless 16' with 90HP 2 Stroke Merc. I know there are a lot of differences in the boats, I just want hear hear/know the pros & cons from you all? The 160 is also like new, low hours - fishing package, bimini top, ski pillon ect; I can buy it for $12K or less. Please site all the differences you guys can come up with.

Tim

(moderator note: a 2001 Dauntless is a 16', not a 160)

Edited by Joe Kriz on 04/20/14 - 8:21 PM

Posted by butchdavis on 04/21/14 - 7:33 AM

As a former Dauntless 16 owner I advise against buying one with a 90 HP engine, two or four stroke. The hull needs the maximum rated 115 HP. I recommend one with a two stroke engine or the lightest weight 115 available.

The Dauntless 16 has a large fuel tank mounted all the way aft. IFIRC the capacity is 45 gallons. My 1999 16 had the notched hull which was later eliminated for good reason.

I really liked my Dauntless and the current owner is often seen enjoying it. My only complaint with the boat was that with the fuel tank anywhere close to full the scuppers wound be below the water with two persons behind the console.

Posted by dauntless-n-miami on 04/21/14 - 9:55 AM

Hello je328, one other item you will possibly miss on a Dauntless16 is the stern swim/boarding platfrom which your Dauntless15 has. The platform to me is a great thing if dealing with kids and with swim gear (snorkling gear) when entering or exiting.

The "below deck" fuel tank is nice in the D-16 because it allows a bit more storage space within the helm seat but, should you ever encounter a fuel contamination issue/repair the service or access will be more tedious.

A member has noted that the Dauntless16 of interest to you is slightly under powered, what is the dry hull weight of a 16 versus a 15 with similar interior layout? My Dauntless15 is powered by a late model 90 2-stroke and I am very satisfied with it's ability to "get up a go" when needed. You will need to factor this motor issue for the 16 versus your intended use?

Good luck and happy boating...
Angel M.

Posted by skred on 04/30/14 - 9:12 AM

As you can see by my profile picture, my former Dauntless 16 (2001) handled most anything thrown at it. Admittedly, that airborne photo was taken as I made a significant mistake in judging a cross-swell condition. The D16 IMO is the "biggest" 16 footer I've ever experienced. It was powered with a 90 Honda (carburetor version) I was completely please with the performance once I added a hydrofoil. The only frustration was that the fuel tank location caused the boat to "sit" low at the stern, and made fueling a real challenge (back-feeding fuel up the breather). I solved that by fueling the boat while on the trailer, and adding scupper blocking hardware. Overall, and excellent boat!