Posted by JRP on 09/09/16 - 1:40 PM
#2
9R wrote:
Would really appreciate your help. We had started looking for a new boat for our family of 5 when we stumbled across several Montauk 17's in the 1996 to 2000 year range. All with either an Evinrude or Mercury 90 2s, original to the boats.
I was familiar with Whalers but not extensively and started finding and reading what I could. The ones we are looking at have a back bench seat. We're wondering if it is two small considering the size of our family? Our oldest is a pre-teen and I want the next boat to last quite a while so it will need to fit 2 adults and 3 teenagers. It appears to have enough room, but I'm not sure.
We like to explore several bodies of water around us that are anywhere from an hour to 3 hours away varying from rivers and lakes to the coastal bay. The light tow of this boat is very appealing. We're use to more confined spaces and just want to have seating for everyone. This model and size appear to be the 'SUV' of boats which is what we're looking for.
Not looking for speed. Most of the time we are cruising and site seeing at around 7-13mph. Might have one of the kids want to try wakeboarding in the future. Rest would just be tubing whenever.
Grew up on a 16ft Mark Twain bowrider that sat 8 people comfortably so I'm hoping this isn't too small?
Thanks!
When we began looking for a small runabout a couple years ago, the Montauk 17 and 170 models were high on our list. These are nice boats and their shallow draft with flattish bottom makes them especially well-suited for cruising in protected waters and beaching at sandbars. I say "in protected waters" because the shallow draft and flattish bottom has a downside, which is that the ride will be on the rough end of the spectrum in open water with any kind of seaway running. Also, the freeboard is fairly low too.
Then there was the size consideration. The Montauk 17 is really a 16.5' boat, with a relatively narrow beam. This definitely makes it easily trailerable and much less difficult to launch/retrieve. It also doesn't require a big tow vehicle either. On the flip side, there is not a lot of interior space, and very limited built-in storage. Plus some of that space is taken up by the on-deck fuel tank(s).
With a family size like yours, and with some prompting from knowledgeable folks here on WhalerCentral, I ended taking a closer look at the Outrage 18 models. At first it might seem the Outrage 18 is only a slight step up from the Montauk 17. But the 18 is actually 18.5' compared to the 17 at 16.5'. Plus the Outrage 18 has more than a foot of additional beam. So taken together, that makes it a much more substantial boat, size-wise. And the below-decks fuel tank doesn't use up any of that extra space, either. Additionally, design elements (such as a deeper V hull and higher freeboard) make it more suitable for rougher waters. In the end, we went this route for the extra space and capability (we purchased the final version of the classic Outrage 18, which had been re-named the Outrage 19 during the '90s.)
A downside to the Outrage 18 (and especially our 19 Outrage II version) is that it does require more tow vehicle than a Montauk 17. But most mid-size SUVs should be able to handle it. There would also be a little more muscling at the ramp to launch/retrieve it -- but still not all that tricky.
So, there are pros and cons to these two models. It's difficult to make a strong recommendation against the Montauk 17. You have a much better idea of the sort of waters you'll be operating in. I suppose my biggest argument for considerign an Outrage 18 would be space for your family, and growing room.
Also, while I don't know your budget, the Outrage 18 wouldn't be the only option for stepping up in size. The Dauntless 18/180, and the Montauk 190 would be other models to consider.
Edited by JRP on 09/09/16 - 1:42 PM