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New member to the site, but I have been doing a lot of reading over the past few months. I'm looking into purchasing a 150 super sport year 2009-new. I'm not completely sold that this is the right boat for me. I'll be using the boat in the Barnegat Bay located at the jersey shore in NJ. I've been around and on boat for 15+ years and I have no doubt that the boat can handle the bay which is generally flat with occasional chop. I've been out in the open water on a kayak before without problems.
I plan to use the boat for various boating activities with none of them really outweighing the other. Crabbing, fishing, lounging around, and water sports. Obviously price is a factor with larger whalers being in the 30k price range and saveral years old still costing 20k and up for something 15+ years old. Using the boat would be my wife and I. Currently a 1 year old that would be with us to use the boat as he gets older to do the above listed boating activities. My wife is interested in a bow rider style boat. More "relaxing" and offers more dedicated seating and not just the padded cooler or bow. She's concerned about kids as they get older not being seated properly with only 2 real seats. She's looks at worst case senario I say we'll figure it out. I know the Whaler itself is an excellent boat and it will be a 10-20k purchase if I buy used to new. I know I can maybe find a larger older boat in that range but I want low maintenance and minimal cost. The 150 sport will fit in my garage and is towable with my vehicles weighing about 1500+ pounds with trailer. (I think that weight is correct). A larger boat I can't tow or store adding to cost. 2016 RAV4 and 2014 Subaru Crosstrek.
So the advice I'm looking for is this boat going to be a boat I can keep for 10+ years using with 2 adults and 2 kids/teen in the future? Maybe the occasional extra person on board. Or do I look into a 17 foot bow rider maybe a bayliner brand boat just because of its multiple comfortable disignated seating. I need to sell the idea of the Whaler to my wife. I watched tons of YouTube videos and reviews but I want to hear from actually owners of this boat and see what they find great and don't like about it.
I own a 2015 150 Super Sport. I use it on Lake Erie (famous for its chop and its quick-change weather). I am not familiar with your waters, so I can't compare. Lake Erie surprises most people who've never seen a Great Lake--it's an ocean. The water, however, is different in that we don't get swells often ... the shallowness of Lake Erie and the way it is situated in the weather means we get "chop", or waves with a short period (peak to peak).
We've taken in some water in these conditions. Over the bow one day with four people onboard, drift fishing, bow was into the waves, two people in the front, two in the rear, and the corner of the bow dug into a boat-wake enhanced wave. My kid got surprised by it, as he was focussing on a bag of chips, which was ruined by the water. The cold bucket of water he took also shocked him and his first reaction was to prepare for another. But no more came. Literally, a bucket of water was all that came over ... a big splash.
I have NEVER had water come over while running, the bow lifts up out of the water, has a nice deep V to cut through waves, has reverse chines to blow the spray down and away from the boat. We've not been out in a storm yet, though our biggest challenge was a blustery day in Sandusky Bay, where a combination of wave action right out of the lake and boat wake from huge yachts put seas in the three-foot range. We moved slowly, but with no danger of water over the bow.
The stern is my achilles heel. My usual ramp is right into the lake, so you back the boat down the ramp into waves. Because I like to go out only on nice days, this is never the problem. The problem is when the weather changes while I'm out and have to retrieve in bigger waves. A couple/few times I have done this and while attempting to dock, or while cranking the boat onto the trailer, the stern took waves over. The latest time I did this, I had a stiff breeze, had to take a couple stabs at docking, and made the mistake of backing past the end of the leeward side of the dock out into the waves. Instant four inches of water in the boat. That's about 500 pounds of weight. But ... got to the dock, got the boat on the trailer, and watched it all pour out the transom drain. One time when we launched, we forgot the plug and took water. We left the plug out, started moving, and it all drained out. I have no electric pump (though I am going to install one), and I have a manual pump which has never been used.
That's the water situation. Let's say this ... the new design 150, 130, etc have much higher side walls. In fact, that's the biggest change. Inside the design of this boat is the standard normal Whaler ... if you visualize a line from stem to stern, this boat does not point down into the water ... they just added height to the sides, which makes for a lot of added confidence and seaworthiness. The ONLY place I really worry about is the transom.
Seating. Tight. Half of my trips are by myself, in which case this is the greatest boat ever ... I can manhandle it at the ramp, docking, etc. I can put up my bimini while piloting, never leaving the helm.
But when it's my brother and my two sons, it gets tight. I chose the folding helm seats, which bolt through the standard bench seat. These are comfortable and the ONLY problem with them is you have to walk over the port-side seat to go front-to-back in the boat. The folded down seat has edges that rip the sh*t out of tender inner thigh areas. I thought about keeping the folding helm seat at the helm and replacing the other with a flat cushion, but I could not bring myself to make my wife or my brother sit as such. Just gotta be careful crossing over.
They make a fixed bucket seat option ... which will really get in the way of movement on the boat. One improvement we have thought of would be if the port-side (passenger) seat could reverse for fishing purposes (we troll from time to time).
We have the cooler seat pad, which is a good seat. That makes three seats on the boat. Seat number four is the fish cooler, un-padded thus far. Seat number five would be either on the bow or on the floor in front of the console. The corner "steps" are too small for seating in a moving boat. We do not have the bow cushion that would make that a comfortable area--we're more a fishing than cruising operation here.
As for power, I'm 260 pounds, my brother is 200, my sons are 190 and 150. No problem. The boat, you can feel, is different with that load, but not bad--plenty of power, no change to seaworthiness.
If we were going to regularly have four on board and fishing all the time, I would say I bought the wrong boat. A center console would have been better. But we're not ...
I still don't know if I answered the question ...
To me, I waited until I could afford a Whaler before buying ANY boat. I guess I regret 30 years of not being on the water ... but I was busy working all the time and raising little kids then, etc. I am such a Whaler fan I couldn't imagine any other boat. Here's what I really like.
1) Total and complete unsinkability. You will never see a news report or YouTube movie of a Whaler as she slips into Davy Jone's locker. You might see one swamped or flipped, but it's always going to float.
2) The way the hull feels ... durable, stiff, and quiet. No bilge. No hidden compartments. No rattling as you pound the waves. Every other boat will sink if you put a hole in her down low. I can run over whatever I want ... the boat will be fine. For Lake Erie, these newer-design deeper-V hulls are AWESOME. I can run pretty quickly across 1 to 2 footers, skimming over them, and when I do hit one hard, the hull doesn't slip sideways, or skate horizontally, or grab a wave and yank the boat. Even when I've gotten a little bit of air, the landing isn't a smack like some of the older Whalers.
3) The interior. I throw some biodegradable soap on the floor and swab the deck, the interior walls, the console, the seats, everything without too much care. Then I spray her down with the hose. Every other boat needs to be more delicately cared for. When clean, the gleaming white of a Whaler is a sight to behold.
4) The hardware. Other than the cheap plastic cupholders (are you listening Whaler?) that I replaced with deeper stainless cupholders, all the hardware is top-notch. The rails are beautiful, strong. The cleats are over-built (I had trouble finding a ski towing harness with clips big enough to go over the substantial lifting eyes on the stern).
5) Long-Term Investment. This is my first and last boat. It will outlast me, I know (I'm 50 years old). There aren't really websites dedicated to restoring other makes of boats--they just don't last (wooden boats an exception, I have lots of Lyman friends). There are 50 year old Whalers out there. In the year 2065 ... someone will be driving my boat around ...
Finally, your assumptions in the original post all seem to be spot on about cost, towing, etc. What your wife might not think of is that kids are really adaptable on boats ... have been sitting on hard (wooden) Boston Whaler 13' boat seats for decades, and having a blast. If you're truly cruising calm waters, the bow is a decent seating area. Having cushions on my fish cooler in the back would be nice ... maybe twin fish cooler seats???
The floating couch bow-riders are an attractive option ... so is a pontoon boat with BBQ Grille, etc. What you have to do is define what boating means to you. No boat seems to get every activity just right. We could never grille on our boat. We're going to be tight with a small tube on board. Our seating is not lounge-style and never will be.
Boat shows are not helpful. Everybody gets on board and loves the floating couch. You won't know for sure until that couch hits some waves and weather. On my Lake Erie, for the purposes I use my boat ... NO COUCHES. And I like couches!
ClevelandBill Ferry
m/v SHRUG
2015 150 Super Sport 60hp Merc
Having been boating with kids from toddlers to teens, I would say this boat is too small if you are hoping to keep it for a decade.
Your wife's intuition about more secure seating is correct. And if she is not comfortable with the arrangement, this is going to be an on-going issue for you. You don't necessarily want a bow-rider (bow riding seats tend not to be very comfortabel underway). A large stern bench or similar would probably be a better approach.
Take a look at the Dauntless 18/180 to give an idea of a somewhat larger boat that would be more comfortable with a family.
The obstacle you are facing is that your tow vehicles are very limiting. You can't go much bigger because your vehicles are so small. Consider swapping out one of them for a more capable tow vehicle, and this will open up a lot of possibilities.
Marc. If you want to stay with a smaller unsinkable I would look at the Center Console version (Montauk 150) yes you can sit 4 people safely especially if they are kids. A bow cushion will be handy changing those diapers of the 1 year old. I agree with most of what Clevelandbill says except I never have water coming in over the stern.
Bottom line to give JRP credit, the bigger the boat the safer overall. Look at a Montauk 170 which van come with two aft seats besides the RPS, cooler seat and bow cushion.
One thing with Supper Sports is you have to step over the thwart (seat) to get fore and aft which underway or floating could be dangerous especially for younger kids. Look up the meaning of thwart;prevent (someone) from accomplishing something.
The Boston Whalers are much better choice in your boating area than a bow rider would be (unless it is a >25' bow rider)
Bottom line look at both 15' and 17' Center Consoles depending on budget.
The 150 Montauk isn't out of the question either, but I don't see how that would offer more room then the 150 super sport (newer model). I think the layout in the super sport is pretty decent. The cooler can be removed and placed in the rear. The only inconvenience is the bench constantly crossing over. Important things are winter storage in my garage and being able to tow with my current vehicles. This is why the 150 super sport was an appealing boat to me. Also a majority of my boat trips would be to areas where you can get off the boat and be in the water, or beach the boat in social hangout/beach locations. Its an expensive commitment regardless of whatever boat I get. I know their is no right answer and no one boat does everything, but I feel like this 150 Super Sport can offer a good amount of what I'm looking to do. Its going to be a family boat for the 2 adults 1 child and future 2nd child.
In my opinion, the 150 Montauk seats exactly the same as the 150 Super Sport. They are, at the waterline, almost the same boat. The cooler moves from next to the side console on the SS to in front of the center console on the Montauk. The front deck will be about the same, the rear deck will be about the same. I do not recall if they put the motor controls and electrical through a tunnel on the Montauk ... on the SS they just run right around the inside gunwale.
Interestingly, the 150 SS and the 150 Montauk are nearly the same weight as the OLD Montauk 17. Weight, they say, is an important factor in ride. Also, the 150 SS and 150 Montauk are the "new hull" which features a deeper V. That said, the old Montauk 17 is to me one of the great classic Whalers and one of the great classic boats. Roomy as heck ... light, easy to trailer, etc. Will not fit in my garage.
Now, about that wife. I've lost my wife as far as boating goes. She didn't grow up with it, isn't comfortable on the water, just doesn't love being out there like I do. So I got "my" boat. The one consolation is that I am keeping the passenger helm seat, even though it tears up my tender inner thigh skin every time I cross over it. Just can't "demote" her, in case she's aboard.
You have to make that decision ... please the wife, or please the other nautical needs. SOME boats satisfy both, at least partly.
Luckily for me, my wife is into horses ... she heads south to the stables, I head north into the drink.
ClevelandBill Ferry
m/v SHRUG
2015 150 Super Sport 60hp Merc
morgan the the 150 SS is not a newer Model than the Montauk 150. The 150 being the indication of a newer model compared to a 15. i.e. the Montauk 170 is the newer design of the 17 the same with the 150. The engine/steering controls are under deck in a tunnel/pipe with automatic bilge pump in the rear. Like Bill said the weight of these newer 150's is the same as the old 17' Whalers and therefore probably ride the same but due to the old 17's length they will have more room.
My boat is always garage stored as the Montauk 150 easily stores in a garage with room to walk all around it.
I don't want to down play the great SS but the CC has a larger weight capacity of 7-1/2% The Montauk 150 is also slightly longer (just kidding only .1" (1cm)) same width, same trailer, same spot in the garage except the CC is taller due to the console/shepherds hook. Yes the Montauk is heavier 950 lbs to 900 lbs, hence the large capacity numbers.
Bottom line they are both great small Whalers that are basically the same, except you can walk around on the Montauk and have to climb around on the Super Sport.
Morgan take a look at the whaler site and look at the pictures and compare both and see what the Admiral likes as that most likely will be the deciding factor unless she has a hobby like Bill's wife and it will be your boat.
Happy boat hunting.
Morgan,
I agree with EJO as having both a sport model and now a Dauntless CC, I can tell you while the SS is a great boat, you will outgrow it quite quickly especially with your fishing activities. A bow rider will not work out great either except for when your out with the wife and kids, so unless that is a high percentage of the boating you do, you will not be happy. Simply put, there is no perfect boat. Someone once said, "If you use your boat for multiple activities, you will not be able to buy the boat you like the best, but rather , you will buy the boat you hate the least". Every boat is a trade off and that is why Whalers have such a big following. As an example of their versatility, I have a buddy who just bought a new 21 foot Montauk with a 200 Verado on the back. He has a ski pylon on it because his kids wake board, tube, and waterski on it on smaller inland lakes and he also has removable down riggers for when he fishes Salmon on Lake Michigan.
Will the Montauk center console fit in all garages?
I just added a little flag post on the front rail, a "pulpit flagpole". That thing is going to clear my garage door by two inches, maybe.
I recall my father's boat, we had a block of 2x4 to wedge the garage door up just a few inches higher (by putting it between the doors bottom rub-rail and the inside wall of the garage).
I know I was able to clear (with the Tower's permission) under Cleveland's Norfolk Southern railroad bridge (known locally as NS1) in my Super Sport ... a Montauk would not have cleared. This year, with the high lake levels, even my boat would not clear ...
I forgot the use of the term "The Commodore" to refer to that person who leads us, corrects us when we are wrong, and in other ways improves our lives whether we like it or not ...
ClevelandBill Ferry
m/v SHRUG
2015 150 Super Sport 60hp Merc
I would obviously want a bigger boat but cost, storage (which adds to cost) and tow ability is why I was looking at the 150 SS. I could buy some other crappy brand 17-19 foot boat but its not a Whaler. Ill have to research more and ask around to see who has one and how it worked for them. Many spots out on the water here in NJ you can actually get off the boat. You can beach up near a pop up island or go to places where you tie up and can swim and stand in the water. So going out on the boat with 4 people does not mean for me that we are all stuck on the actual boat the entire time from when you leave the marina to when you come back.
I know the 150 SS says 1200 pounds weight with motor and fuel, but how much does the trailer add to the towing weight. Will a 1500 pound towing capacity vehicle not be enough to pull a 150 SS or 150 Montauk?
morgan0751 wrote:...
I know the 150 SS says 1200 pounds weight with motor and fuel, but how much does the trailer add to the towing weight. Will a 1500 pound towing capacity vehicle not be enough to pull a 150 SS or 150 Montauk?
A highway-worthy trailer for that boat will likely weigh 300-400 lbs. You will be shaving it very close. And that 1500 lbs tow capacity likely needs to be reduced by the weight of cargo and passengers in the vehicle (beyond the driver.) Consult your manual carefully.
Again, your options are VERY limited by the small vehicles you own.
I am pulling my boat with an older Subaru Forester. I am right up against the limits for my vehicle. Nonetheless, the Forester seems to command the boat, in both road and ramp use. The boat is light.
I am probably extraordinarily careful when towing. I leave more room to stop, drive slower, etc. Whether your tow vehicle is HUGE or just enough, prudent driving is good stuff.
Subaru lowered the towing capacity of the Forester in recent models. I won't be able to replace my Forester with a Forester. The only option from Subaru is the Outback wagon, which is a bit more expensive and more luxurious than I like. I think I need to write another letter to Subaru explaining how my next car might have to be a Ford Escape ... or maybe even an F-150.
ClevelandBill Ferry
m/v SHRUG
2015 150 Super Sport 60hp Merc
ClevelandBill wrote:
I am pulling my boat with an older Subaru Forester. I am right up against the limits for my vehicle. Nonetheless, the Forester seems to command the boat, in both road and ramp use. The boat is light.
I am probably extraordinarily careful when towing. I leave more room to stop, drive slower, etc. Whether your tow vehicle is HUGE or just enough, prudent driving is good stuff.
Subaru lowered the towing capacity of the Forester in recent models. I won't be able to replace my Forester with a Forester. The only option from Subaru is the Outback wagon, which is a bit more expensive and more luxurious than I like. I think I need to write another letter to Subaru explaining how my next car might have to be a Ford Escape ... or maybe even an F-150.
Bill, if yours is the earlier generation Forester (circa 2010??), then you likely have the 2400 lbs tow rating. Which is 60% more capacity than his. That represents a significant difference in capability.
Do any of you guys know the tongue weight of the boat on the trailer for the pressure on the hitch. My vehicle says 1500 towing which I think the 150 SS is with trailer but vehicle tongue weight is 200 pounds. I'm not sure how this is calculated or a factor at all.
I don't know the tongue weight, but I know that it is the easiest to measure ... if you have a scale. Set the tongue on a board that sets on a bathroom scale. Trailer should be level, etc.
I'm sorry I can't weigh mine for you.
Just for info, the following is from the 2015 150 SS manual:
Weight Dry, No Engine: 900 lbs.
Max Engine Weight: 260 lbs
Max Wt, Boat Motor Gear: 1250 lbs
Between my anchor & line, throwable PFD, rod holders (stainless), fish cooler with ice, box of tools and emergency items, additional fuel tank, electronics, etc ... I'm over the 1250. The boat is 900, the motor, according to Mercury's website, is 260 ... that's 1160. The rest of my stuff has to be more than 90 pounds.
Nonetheless, I don't think we're even close to over 1500 pounds on the trailer.
I move my boat in and out of my garage by hand. I can really horse that trailer around. When I check my ball is clamped, I grab under the tongue and lift really hard ... I move the car up a couple/few inches. I'm guessing tongue weight is not much.
In my quick internet research (not to be trusted) I am seeing lots of "tongue weight should be about 10% of total weight). If that's true and the results are actually obtained, my tongue weight would be about 125 pounds, more or less.
Hope this speculation helps ...
ClevelandBill Ferry
m/v SHRUG
2015 150 Super Sport 60hp Merc
Oh, Jeez. I forgot the trailer. Yes, you're absolutely right, and so we're right up against the limit for my car. (I recall being right at the limit, but when I added it together, up above, I felt I had a little bit of cushion). Now I know ... I'm right up to the limit. And I drive that way! Slow and steady ...
ClevelandBill Ferry
m/v SHRUG
2015 150 Super Sport 60hp Merc
ClevelandBill wrote:
....
Just for info, the following is from the 2015 150 SS manual:
Weight Dry, No Engine: 900 lbs.
Max Engine Weight: 260 lbs
Max Wt, Boat Motor Gear: 1250 lbs
Between my anchor & line, throwable PFD, rod holders (stainless), fish cooler with ice, box of tools and emergency items, additional fuel tank, electronics, etc ... I'm over the 1250. The boat is 900, the motor, according to Mercury's website, is 260 ... that's 1160. The rest of my stuff has to be more than 90 pounds.
Nonetheless, I don't think we're even close to over 1500 pounds on the trailer.....
ClevelandBill wrote:
Oh, Jeez. I forgot the trailer. Yes, you're absolutely right, and so we're right up against the limit for my car. (I recall being right at the limit, but when I added it together, up above, I felt I had a little bit of cushion). Now I know ... I'm right up to the limit. And I drive that way! Slow and steady ...
Bill, I agree that you are well over the capacity plate. You easily have several hundred pounds of additional gear weight, between the items you mentioned above, your battery, fuel load, bimini (?) etc. All told -- I'd estimate 200+ lbs. That 90 lbs allotment for gear weight on the capacity plate is pretty skinny!
And then, as you said, another 300+ for the trailer. It would be interesting to take your boat to a scale, but I'd estimate your all-in trailerable weight is in the vicinity of 1700-1800 lbs. Tongue weight, however, should be well under 200 lbs.
I have 2017 150ss, its been a good boat for the 5 months i have had it. It is a full boat with me, wife and 4 year old twins. Quickly got tired of the bench seat and wish i would have bought the montauk instead. Im already thinking of taking the passenger seat off the bench too as it is a trip hazard. Would allow 3 on bench without the swivel seat in the way too. I added a second factory cooler on back left side for extra storage, it added more seating at rear too.
2 things i didnt realize i wanted until i wanted them, was a trolling motor and livewell. You can add them, but not clean like the montauk, on the ss you have to thru bolt the trolling motor mount on the bow and the livewell is a bucket. The montauk is a better rig for fishing.
You will want to a add bilge pump the first time you take water over the side. When water starts to misbehave, you cant turn around and unscrew plug easily, and you cant always get on plane. Bilge pump would be nice in those situations. Got water halfway up transom and couldnt get on plane. While you cant sink it, the prospect of a boston whaler bathtub is not appealling. Once gets worse than 2 ft river chop you really cant run on plane without beating yourself sensless too, it is still a 15ft boat.
The 150ss is my first boat. I didnt really know what i wanted when i bought it. I figured out what i wanted after i had it. Have learned a lot. Some thing you figure out through experience, whole theory vs application concept. That being said, it is a nice boat, really easy to tow and launch/retrieve. Rides surprisingly good for how small it is. It is obviously built to last. But, can only hope resale is as good as reputation when the time comes.
If you can, take a sea trial in both. And, or, put your family in them on their trailers and see where passengers and stuff would have to go. 15ft fills up very fast.
In the next year or 2 im gonna probably be looking at a montauk 170. Want individual seats not the bench and cooler setup.
I think Bill gave a great review in his original post. I have a 2012 150 Super Sport and it has been a great all around boat choice. I originally was deciding between the 150 Montauck or the 170 Montauck. before I saw the 150 Super Sport. Once I decided on the 150 size, the Super Sport won me over for one reason -- usable floor space ( room) ! My usage is primarily fishing ( I did add a poling platform and a I Pilot trolling motor up front). IMHO, the center console in the 150 Montauck is just too big and eats up too space. Even though it is a bench design , it is a lot easier to move around and you have a lot more usable floor space in the Super Sport. Like Bill I installed foldable swivel seats on the bench. For extra passengers, I purchased two of the small wedge shaped marine bean bags ( EZ Searider ?) and they work great either up front on the floor or back behind the bench. Believe me if you are going to haul kids, tube, ski's, etc. the Montauk doesn't have enough room !
