What is the deal with Boston WHalers? As a kid, they were my dream boat, but now I cant understand why they are so popular or so pricey.
Why would you get a 21ft whaler CC when you could get another boat for much less?

one word...
UNSINKABLE :D

I own a 13fter... 70's Hull... great fishing skiff!

I love whalers, and own a 13, but they have lost their appeal to me. Too little boat for the $$, many other boats are now unsinkable for less money. I'd still love an older outrage, or any of the classics, just nothing new.

Way over rated. There is plenty of boats with the same quality that costs significantly less. Mckee craft won't sink either from their ads

carolina skiff wont sink either and they have more beam, imo whalers suck for the $$.

Whaler's, Grady's are like the Mercedes in the car business people have latched onto the names and won't let go for the life of me I can't figure why anyone would pay such inflated prices for a name. Like others have said you can find much more boat for much less $$$$ elsehwere

I own a 17' newport (1975). I love it!! I agree.....key word = unsinkable. :buds: I'll spend a little extra to not sink.

Combination of quality and marketing (no doubt).......pros and cons.....I own a 19' Outrage......choppy ride, but built like a fortress......narrow beam, but unsinkable and holds resale value......I've taken her out in 5' - 7' seas, and she held up fine (I got the s$$t kicked out of me, but the Whaler held up fine)......I even got swamped once up to my shins (took a large wake from a custom sportfisherman over the transom) and she self-drained out the scuppers like it was nothing.......like anything else, pros and cons....

"Dont let the marketing gimmick of uninkable get you killed. They sink, I have seen them." I was told that by a whaler dealer! Good resale value. Overall dry ride.

P.S. One other thing to note.....each year I take roughly 3 or 4 fishing trips around the world......I exclusively go to saltwater lodges to fish king salmon, tarpon, permit, etc. This includes Alaska, Cabo, the Carribbean, etc. 9 out of 10 times the lodges have Whalers. 2 main reasoins for this...safety and durability.

that whole semi-skiff bottom will destroy your kidney's though.

I also have a 19' Outrage and love it. A buddy has a 21' Angler and his ride is no comparison to mine.Another pal has a Hydra Sport 19 Seahorse and it sucks compared. Yet another has a Key West and that boat isn't even in the same league as the Whaler. We all paid about the same price. I have taken mine from Ct to Montauk on real snotty days and have never had a problem. The run to Block is quick and pain less. It is a heavy lttle thing that rides very well imo.Built like a tank. Being 19, I pull her with my pick-up and travel to whatever launch I want. I love mine, and would buy another in a second.

I thought the Coast Guard required all boats under 20' to be unsinkable???

I just sold my 17 ft. Nausett. 1967. You would never know by the look, feel, ride and general condition that it was a 1967. I sold it to move up to a bigger boat to accomadate the type of fishing my 13 year old and I have moved up to; chasing more challenging game offshore. We had grown so comfortable with the whaler that we found our selves fishing in places we had no business being with a 17 foot boat. The only reason we were able to venture to the places we found ourselves is because we were in a very sea-worthy vessle and never felt threatened. Since purchasing a bigger boat, we have ventured off shore farther than we ever imagined. Guess what we run into out there every once in a while; a 17 foot whaler. On the occassions that we ventured out, we were able to fish in seas that relatives and friends in much larger boats would not even think of trying.

They are worth the price. I wish I had not had to sell it. I probably would have owned it another 15 years, considering the shape it was in for a 38 year old boat.