What are Boston Whalers made out of???

charlg

charlg

New Member
Jan 7, 2007
745
Newton, MA
Boat Info
2000 280 Sun Sport
/ Raymarine C80 w/ Radar / Sirius weather
/ SH GX5000S VHF
Engines
Twin 350 Mags / B1's
/ Corsa exhaust
I just sold my 16' Stingray and figured I'd look for a 13' used Whaler to kick around in. I am in shock at the prices people are asking for OLD...15,20,25,30 year old 13' Whalers! The fully restored with new(er) motors I understand need to get a price. But old junkers with junk motors, or no motors at all, are all $3,000 and up. Are these the most expensive boats on the planet?
 
I just sold my 1979 15'er for $5900. The nice ones will fetch a good price, the cheap ones usually are pretty water logged and in rough shape.
 
Not sure about the most expensive boat on the planet but they are built exceptionally well and priced accordingly. If I was looking at center consoles, runabout or smaller tenders I'd have whaler at or near top of the list. But, be prepared to pay for the name & reputation.

One of my most memorable boating experiences was being 70 miles off Destin in a 270 Outrage in some very serious and hairy seas. it took us 4 hours to reach land and as bad as it got the ride was incredibly solid. It was amazing to see 5 40 & 50 yr old bodies walk away without permanent spinal cord damage so I became a believer.
 
I just bought a 15 Dauntless.........after looking for one for 9 months. Whaler has a following like no one else. A real Whaler guy won't own anything else, and that keeps demand high. Several of the one's I found and called about were owned by guys who owned more than one and sometimes several Whalers. The guy I bought this one from has 4.

I haven't owned a small boat for a long time and am really impressed with the build quality, attention to detail and fit and finish on the little 15. Be careful with older ones advertised as restored. You have to worry about what was covered up in the restoration as well as the condition of the foam. Mine is an original '96 and I could see all the problems and its going to make a very nice little boat.

Forget NADA, you are just going to have to pay for a good one.
 
I bought a new 13 foot BW with a 40HP Merc and trailer quite a few years ago for the kids to play with. The boat and trailer cost $6,800 at the time. Two boys used it for years and put countless hours on it. I sold it for $3,800 when the youngest kid went off to the U of M. Advertised the boat in the local paper and sold it the day after the ad appeared. It definitely delivered good value.
 
There are other small skiffs out there you could consider. Mckee craft makes a nice skiff similar to a Whaler. Carolina skiff also makes a nice light weight skiff. Niether is as well made as a Whaler but they don't cost as much either.
 
They go for a lot around here too. I keep my eye on the prices for 13'ers because if I see a deal I might jump on it for my kids.
The one thing you need to watch out for is there is a lot of junkers out there. People see the prices of them and think theirs is worth that much. I've seen water logged, banged up examples, missing pieces, with terminally ill motors advertised for three or four grand.
They weren't worth it, and I don't know if those junkers ever get sold for anywhere near the asking prices, but they do list them for that much.
A nice one with a good running motor and trailer are worth that much, but they are few and far between.
 
It's probablt not the best time of the year to buy, but I'll keep looking.

How do you tell if they are waterlogged?
 
ya I never understand the prices on those things. I rode in one and still didn't see what makes them so special. I'm just curious, you guys are all saying how well built they are, what elements about their construction makes them so much better?
 
The void between the Whaler deck/liner and the hull is filled with a structural closed cell foam. It makes the boat rigid as all get out, stable, quiet and you cannot sink one. There are photos everywhere of a 13 Whaler sawn in 1/2 but still floating and supporting one or more full sized adults. Our dealer had one with a 6 hp Merc on the rear 1/2 they took to all the in-water boat shows...in the water.

I might add that the foam filling make it a real challenge to make any changes or additions unless you use the wire chases Whaler mold into the boat. You cannot get to the back of any part of the deck and forget running wires.

The cost is high, but there always seems to be good demand for Whalers. Know the market and buy a fully depreciated one 5 or so years old, make it run better and look better when you sell it than when you bought it and it will make more money than current interest rates allow.
 
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I think they were the first boat "sandwch" construction where there is a foam center between 2 fiberglass outer layers. They are unsinkable. Their old ads would show the boat flooded with 10 people on board and still be upright. You could then pull the plug and start running the boat and it would drain itself.

I had an 18' Outrage when I lived on Cape Cod. I got it right after I took my 18' bow rider out in the ocean. I would take that Whaler any where. We'd fish the derby in the fall out of Edgartown and run all over. Nomans, Wasque rip, back side of Nantucket, the dump. I have never felt more safe and secure in a boat. Been out in 6-8 foot seas running pretty hard. Whaler corporate has a video of me somewhere flying along at 30mph. in a 3-4' following sea. And I never had the drain plug in. Confused the heck out of the Coast Guard Aux. guy during inspection.
 
I used to run our 13' BW in Lake Michigan when there was a fresh wind off of the lake and the seas were running 6' or more. Running out the inlet was fun as the boat was very stable due to its low center of gravity. We didn't set any speed records but it was a great ride. The boat would climb up one side of a wave and you could hold it there without surfing down the back side. Even though it was our kid's boat, my wife and I would take it out every year one or two times for an afternoon of fun.
 
I sold a 3 passenger Waverunner and replaced it with a 15 Dauntless with a 75 hp Merc. Its dryer, more stable, draws about the same draft water, has a bimini and a VHF, plus you can take your dog, beach chairs and your lunch along for the ride.
 
If you think Whalers are expensive, try finding a center console inflatable for any decent amount of money....
 
fwebster said:
The void between the Whaler deck/liner and the hull is filled with a structural closed cell foam. It makes the boat rigid as all get out, stable, quiet and you cannot sink one. There are photos everywhere of a 13 Whaler sawn in 1/2 but still floating and supporting one or more full sized adults. Our dealer had one with a 6 hp Merc on the rear 1/2 they took to all the in-water boat shows...in the water.
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agh yes the old marketing campaign. I sort of wonder if the marketing is the bulk of the appeal. Can't the "unsinkable" argument made for just about any boat under 18'? I was under the impression it's required for all boats under that size to have floatation. or am I wrong on that? don't get me wrong I dont' have anything against Whalers I wanted a 13' when I was a kid (you can blame Flipper for that:). but is their construction really "superior"? I was under the impression it's just a standard 2 peice construction. not saying they're not built well but do they really blow the competition away?. I've only been on one 15' in very rough seas and it was painful. on the other hand I have a friend who had a 16' catamaran (forget the make) and it was a fantastic ride, very stable and best of all....it was much cheaper! :lol:
 
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I think the rule is that boats 18' and under have to have flotation.

As for Whalers' other adstwo come to mind. One was in their brochure in the late 60's showing 3 adults trying to load Flipper up over the side of a 13' and the boat not capsizing. The other was a print ad showing a naval destroyer with it saying something like "Sorry, even you can't sink one."
 
That thing needs a wax job but first you need to club those seals.
sfergson727 said:
165404_452896244738976_1280381635_n.jpg


Found a 13 foot Whaler for you, still floating......
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Pachanga Boy said:
ya I never understand the prices on those things. I rode in one and still didn't see what makes them so special. I'm just curious, you guys are all saying how well built they are, what elements about their construction makes them so much better?
Click to expand...

I agree, I have a friend who has had an 11', 13' 17' and a 26 Conquest. I think they ride like crap. The hull flattens out in the back like a 70's Mako and beats the living crap out of you. The fit and finish is nice I will give you that but as far as the ride goes there are many other models that ride much smoother.
 
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