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Hello. I'm on the west coast and most of the better deals ive seen are on the east and south coast. can you all please tell me the steps and the do's and dont's for buying a whaler from such a long distance without being ripped off? are there Faq's around on this subject somewhere or maybe a link ? Or should i just forget about it and buy local ?? Thanks

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Shallow Water:

I hear what you're saying about deals on the east coast. I live in Louisiana and rarely see any whalers. I was lucky enough to find my first whaler locally, but my current Montauk came from Green Cove Springs, Florida.

This is a great site and they can help you with just about everything having to do with whalers.

Look to the left of the page at the second block titled "Maps"

Check out "Whaler Shopper Maps." Here you can find members, who live close to where you are shopping, and they will check the boat out for you. Its a great source of networking. Hope this helps.

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You are probably much better off buying local or at least looking at the boat in person. You can also use the article Jeff wrote about "Looking for and buying a Whaler"
http://www.whalercentral.com/articles...icle_id=75

Have someone look at the boat for you to see if it is a worthy boat before you drive or fly there to buy it.
It is much better in the end to finally look at it yourself before purchase.

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Thanks for the quick reply fellas.I sent out a e-mail today over at the shopper map. I will let you know what happens. Byron

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You might also tell us here what you are hoping to find and you may run across a member here that is wanting to sell

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Hi: When I started my Whaler shopping last January I was staying in Desert Hot Springs, CA I found the Whalers for sale were listed on the various craigslists all through California.
My 2+ months shopping experiance taught me I wouldn't buy unless we saw it.
On our trip home to BC we went to see about 8 of them that looked pretty good on paper and pictures. The very last one we went to see was the only one worth buying and we did.

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Be cautious, I bought a 13ft whaler in Feb from Florida, had quality pictures, talked several times with the seller, and even had my brother go look at the boat. Advice, #1 number pay in advance of seeing the boat in person and taking it for a test drive---I did and had much expense later. Good luck, buying a Whaler before seeing makes you learn real fast about Whalers.

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Advise well taken everyone . wow out of 8 only 1 worth buying! heres what i'm looking for: clean 13-14' dauntless. power tilt and trim a must . Bow mounted electric trolling motor, electronics,bimini, factory rear fishing deck or live bait tank all considered a plus but not a necessity. 510-914-7211 . May even consider a 15'.Has anyone ever delt with some of the dealers online?
Thanks, Byron

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I dealt with 2 different dealers during my search. I found the used BW's they had were priced higher than a private sale which is to be expected for them to get their profit. I didn't though find any value added for the increase as the boats were not in any better shape.

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WOW

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I bought a ribside Whaler long distance (Chicago to Connecticut) and got this:

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v42...an0002.jpg

I just depends on the integrity of the seller, good close up photos, NO BOTTOM PAINT (which can hide a multitude of problems and repairs, and indicates on water docking and a lot of weather exposure), and getting someone you trust to take a look at it. I had all of those factors working for me and I picked up a prize. I still had to do a lot of work to bring it up to my standards, but after all, it was a 35 year old boat at the time.

If you really want to find a good Whaler, look at the freshwater, short boating season Midwest. And avoid rock bottom prices. Pay up for a great boat. It will save you a ton in long run. Long distance you are at a great disadvantage to get a mint boat cheap. The local guys will grab it before you even have a chance.

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Finnegan has some good points. No bottom paint, fresh water, books and records of history and documentation. People that keep this stuff are usually pretty meticulous with their stuff which in turn saves you a few headaches. It also depends how handy or mechanically inclined you are. Pay a little more for a better piece.

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Bcc now that is a gem . I'm not looking for perfection or a show piece like yours .Just a trouble free fishing machine a boat that does not have any major problems that need immediately attention. a turn key boat something that if I continue to maintain it will give at least a few years of trouble free service.Not something that's going to be in the shop after a few trips.Eri I am pretty handy with tools. Anything that needs to just be removed and replaced or has a good manual wont be a problem. A few nicks and dings or scratches are not a problem either.This dauntless it will get fished hard. So I expect it will need some cosmetics repair eventually. the things I'm afraid of are a bad motor(power train) or some type of structural problem(cracks/damage/soft floor) or major wiring problems. and things that are easily hidden or really expensive or cant be easily fixed or fixed at all.
Byron