Boston whaler

[yojreilly]

I just bought a older Boston whaler montauk 17', with 140 HP. It is a great dive boat for the Oregon coast. It's has a solid hull, just needs clean up work to get her ship shape.

It has retractable canopy that I'm thinking about replacing with a permeant stainless frame canopy with canvass. I'm wondering if the permeant canopy will be a problem in a high wind? Could a strong side gust, flip the boat?

I see canopies like the one I want on boats all the time. I'm just wondering if my 17' is large and stable enough to support it.
Not that I plan to go out in a gale, but one may sneak up on the way home sometime.

Also I'm working out a folding dive ladder. There's limited room on the transom, with the out board. I can make it work, but I wonder if a dive ladder on the side is possible on a Montauk?
Thanks-----JR

 

[Nemrod]

Congrats, wow, 140 horses on a boat like that, wow.

My opinion only, I do not like the idea of a T top on boats under 20 feet. I do not think I would install one on an old style Montauk, I would get a new bimini top for it and call it good. Yeah, in a blow it could add windage and instability.

N

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

I have a '98 Montauk with a 90 HP that I use diving off Monterey about 70 days a year
for the last 12 years. I can almost never use all 90 HP on the ocean. 140 HP is overkill.

Here's some information on what I did to mine to set it up for diving:
http://www.garlic.com/~triblet/whaler/

Depending on year, yours may or may not have the transom wood to support a swimstep.

If you are using yours for diving, a Bimini/Ttop isn't all that useful because you will be
suited up. And what gets you wettest is spray when the wind is from the side. A
Bimini/Ttop won't help that, and the framework gets in the way for gearing up.

The whaler crowd hangs out at http://continuouswave.com/cgi-bin/Ultimate.cgi?action=intro
Somebody over there will know whether yours has the transom wood or not.

 

[Nemrod]

A bimini top pulls off in about three minutes completely for those days you don't want it. A Tee top does not. A bimini can also fold forward.

One of the things that helps resale with Whaler boats is not d---ing them up. Biminis were installed traditionally on that boat, a Tee top would potentially be a negative, IMO.

Continuous Wave is like "Grumpy Old Men" with boats arguing over wet foam. I think they all still wear leisure suits.

If you get a bimini, try and find one with stainless steel bows and fittings.

N

 

[captain]

Most tee tops don't offer as much sun protection as a bimini and can't be removed but they are good to mount electronics on.

 

[yojreilly]

Thank for the replies.
I've seen the light.
I'll get new fabric for the top I have and be happy with it.

 

[SkimFisher]

I think bimini's get in the way too much. Not to mention they are just unsightly. But to each his own. I've got a t-top on my Mako CC and wouldn't have it any other way. The first time you get dragged around the gunwales by a big fish you'll see exactly what I mean.

 

[East West]

Buy a swim step 16 inches wide 16 deep and a telescopic three step stainless ladder . This will get you out of the water safely. I do it with a set of doubles on with my boat.