Thread subject: Whaler Central - Boston Whaler Boat Information and Photos :: Ocean Crossing Montauk 17

Posted by bobhil on 09/09/13 - 6:23 AM
#1

Not sure may have to call Guinness but my wife at 61 and her cousin at 71 did it again. Two 60 mile ocean passages in her 17' Whaler, running along side of the big boat, of course seas were flat, but still pretty impressive. Jupiter Fl to West End Bahamas.

I have a short video but do not know how to post.

Edited by Tom W Clark on 09/10/13 - 7:47 AM

Posted by wing15601 on 09/09/13 - 2:01 PM
#2

Was that in the 1988 Montauk 17 listed in your profile? What kind of power? Hw long did it take?

Posted by Finnegan on 09/09/13 - 5:57 PM
#3

That sounds like a pleasant and fun trip. But here is one more difficult.

In early May of 1993, Boston Whaler organized a week long event on Green Turtle Key, Abacos, Bahamas. Twenty five Whalers signed up and made the 180 mile crossing from Palm Beach Inlet to Green Turtle, which included the 60 mile Gulf Stream crossing to West End, Grand Bahama, and then and additional 110 miles across the Banks to Green Turtle. None of them had ever done a trip like before.

On the morning of the departure, the whitecapped seas were out of the East at 6', straight in our face. The intended 6 am departure was delayed until 8 am, and then we headed out (against my better judgement). Four of us buddied up and agreed to stay together for the entire trip, which included a 27 CCC, my Outrage 25, a 21 Walkaround and, you guessed it, A MONTAUK with two people aboard. Even in my Outrage 25, to this day it still stands as the most brutal boating trip I have ever done. The boat handled it, but all five of us on board took a beating. It took the four boats 6 hours to do the 60 mile Gulf stream crossing. As the lead group, we arrived at 2 am the next morning, traveling slowly at night in waters no more than 8' deep none of us had ever seen. But the Montauk made it, partially by following in whatever smooth water he could find in our bubble paths. The owner is an occassional contributor to this site. I'm sure he will never forget the ordeal.

The next morning I discovered I had only 4 gallons of fuel left (out of 140). We were the only four who made it. The other 21 boats found anchorages to stop for the night, waiting out smoother water the next day. The three Outrage 18's that made it got beat up pretty badly also, and many had parts (like rails!) and accessories that actually came off the boats during the crossing.

Posted by Tom W Clark on 09/10/13 - 8:21 AM
#4

YouTube is a good place to host video.

Posted by fred s on 09/10/13 - 3:14 PM
#5

Finnegan,
On that trip do you remember a Whaler that the motor bracket or something broke and they somehow managed to keep it on the boat? I seem to remember seeing it after we left West End. Never saw it once we arrived at Green Turtle.

Fred s