JRP wrote:
ridethewhaler wrote:
Hi there, my husband and I are thinking about purchasing this boat but trying to track down the year discrepancy. Owner said he called Boston Whaler but I'm not clear yet (talking to him later today) if he verified the year or just that the hull is an Outrage, I'm not sure if he realized that the Ribside is an Outrage so trying to clarify what Whaler told him. Meantime, assuming he did discover that the hull is a 1974, would it be possible for the restorer to have taken a ribside cap and put it on a 1974 banana hull? We struggled a bit with how overdone the boat is but at the end of the day it's awfully pretty and you can tell a ton of work was poured into it, so hoping we can figure out what's going on with the year. Tricked out teak is one thing but a frankenboat is another. Also, I tried looking up Mike Stennett out in Michigan but can't find much, anyone know if he's still in business? I was going to reach out and ask him about the boat too, even just what he thinks about maintenance. Thanks for any help!
It's not uncommon for an owner to have the model year wrong, especially on the older boats that have had a series of owners over the years. Sometimes it's just a typo, sometimes someone is misremembering, etc.
I think your question above (bolded) is one of the less likely possibilities.
If you like the boat and can get it for an acceptable price with a good survey, who cares if it's not exactly "factory" or "oem" anymore? If you like it and enjoy it, that 's what matters. Life is short -- don't sweat the little things.
But maybe compare it to the other one I posted a link to above, since it is a similar offering.
And, PS, welcome to Whaler Central !!