---

EJO, as you say, "all you have to do is watch where you are going"..The smartest thing I got for the Montauk 170 , after the 25 gallon tank is the Garmin echoMAP plotter. This shows me the depth under the keel at all times.
I also follow locals every summer, through tricky waters, I don't know, then save the GPS route . After storing these tracks, when the open water is rough, I can take the Whaler safely through back routes to get to our Island.
I also paddle a sea kayak around our area a lot, checking the depth of various shoals, and building up a mental map of where the rocks are.
The shallow draft of the Montauk 170 also helps, I can run through water (I know) with 4-5 feet under the keel.

Here is a picture of a "working" Montauk 170, same as mine. Fisheries and Oceans Canada research boat. It has the same Moeller tank as my Whaler, but the older red one.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/5818056...ed-public/

We agreed it's a great boat.