New To Me 150 Sport Boston Whaler

[JAWallace]

I bought this 2005 model in the spring, spent about 90 days doing glass work, filling holes (30 to date), cleaning, rewiring, and adding some components in an attempt to make this a close to perfect fly fishing skiff.



It's minimalist for sure, but mostly clear of fly line catchers and now with plenty of room to move around as needed. it fishes two easily, and can hold four for cruising, messing around, swimming, tubing etc.

The iPilot addition is just too cool with the anchor feature. I had to swallow to put that much into a trolling motor, but now I understand why everyone says it's worth it.



This is the first generation post-classic 15' Whaler. The previous 15' version is arguably the coolest Whaler ever built, looks better than mine, too, but unlike the 13 and 17 Whalers, the hull is designed to cut through chop and has rounded chines and pad with a much greater deadrise, rending the boat quite unstable at rest which of course is not what we fly flingers are looking for.

I've only had her out 3 times--once on Lake Washington in very calm conditions for the water trial, and twice on Folsom. This is my 4th Whaler. I've had a 13' non-smirked 1967, a Dauntless 13, and a 2008 170 Montauk. The 13s were either too rough or too small. The 170 Montauk was a mistake. WAY too big for most freshwater fishing, and the intimacy with the water has been lost with the new hull--the classic Montauks are much better for our use, in my opinion. This hull and boat quickly became my easy favorite of the Whalers I've owned.

The new 2009 and later Whaler hulls are a disaster for most fly fishermen. They look more like a Sea Ray and are clearly targeted towards the youth sport market first, fishing secondary. they have been described as a new option for waverunner buyers, and I think that's accurate. They are much better than the previous hulls for a family all arounder though, and will certain work--you just won't be very close to the water and there's no room aft of the pilot thwart in the 13' model. I would not buy one, and I'm a Whaler fanatic.

This 2003-2008 generation of 15' hulls is the best Whaler has ever built, in my opinion. They are exceptionally smooth even in moderate chop, totally stable, and will give you either side of 35 mph--my top speed to date is 36.7 mph, solo, 34.5 mph with two. It sips gas too. I have yet to refill the 6 gallon tank as it's still over half full.

While I still miss Bill Kiene's old 12' Olympian which was a highly soulful and fun skiff, this one gives me more room and the needed speed to move around. So far, I could not ask for anything more, and it didn't break the bank.

The 2003 and newer 15' hulls have not been a big seller. New, as equipped, this boat would be near $25K. That's a lot of dough for a 15' skiff. The 13s are around $13K--the 17s will top $30K, so this one looks expensive in comparison. Still, if you can find one, I would highly recommend taking a strong look for larger freshwater lakes, deeper rivers, the Delta, and mild salt.

[FRSam]

I've certainly been pleased with my 2006' 150 Montauk, I've been able to do all of the things I've had on my list. The Boston Whaler is hard to beat.

[Mark Kranhold]

Congrats! You can't go wrong with a whaler!! Nice skiff.

[flyfish62]

What horsepower motor are you running? I'm looking for a Whaler for the Delta and lakes. Hard to find them in decent condition.

[JAWallace]

I have a 60 Merc 4S, which was and remains the stock motor for the 2003 to current 15' hull. I would not want less than 50 HP, and if I were to repower I'd either replace the Merc or bolt on a Yamaha F70.

A post 1973 through 1999 13' Whaler is smaller than the current hull, but safe and appropriate for the Delta and lakes for one person fly fishing, two if you watch your casts. That boat came with a 40 HP 2S--you will be fine with a 25 HP 4S. You can buy a new one for $13K too. You'll spend that or more on a used 17 with a 4S, so that's worth a look. For the newer hulls, post 2000 I believe, you NEED 40 HP; the 25 HP is way underpowered.

As stated above, I'd avoid the classic 15' hull (pre 2003) due to primary stability concerns. The new 15' hulls run low to mid 20s.

A classic 17' Montauk hull, produced roughly from 1973 - 2001, weighs 900 lbs. which is the same as my 15' post classic Whaler. This may be the most ideal setup for your needs, depending on pricing. I would have gladly bought one repowered with a 4S or done that myself had I not found the 2003 15' hull which is about the same net size inside. You can get away with a 50 HP 4S on those, too; I've been on one and it was fine, mid to upper 20s top speed. The new 170 Montauks will be north of $30K now.

The two obvious considerations for buying older hulls is the condition of the hull and the power. Most Montauks still come with two strokes, and eventually you'll want to repower with a 4S. Some Montauks have been repowered; expect to pay around $10K -$14K for those in California. I would consider travelling up to 1000 miles to find one though; CA Whalers are notoriously expensive.

As far as decent condition, I'd suggest than many are, but will need some work. How much work can depend on your own bar, and the extent of the actual problems vs. aesthetics. Unless you can get the boat for nothing, avoid hulls with water intrusion. If you're not willing to learn fiberglass work, then you might want to consider spending more for a late model. You just can't give it to a shop and have them do it and come out--ever. I find restoring boats fun and relaxing, but not everyone will. Plus, I know my hull and wiring so well I can probably identify problems and fixes much easier than had I jobbed it out. I spent less than $1000 in epoxy, wiring, hardware, caulking, etc. for mine, and it did need some work. YouTube and various boat sites are your friend. It's not rocket science, but it's not exact, either.

The great thing about Whalers is there is always a market, and in most cases if you plan and budget accordingly, you will not lose money on a used boat, given a few years of your use. It's hard to find many boats where that is the case. Compounding that with the general disappointment of the new "Sea Ray" type Whaler Super Sport hulls by Whaler fans, these boats do not depreciate much after 5-6 years or so. I bought my 2008 170 Montauk new, had it for less than 4 years, and broke even, as an example. Essentially, a rent free boat, not bad.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I have seen Boston Whalers all over the world.......especially the first generation older ones.