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Over the past few years my kids and I have travelled all over the place with our 13'. Below are just a few of the great locations:

Lake Osbourne, Lake worth Florida
Lake Clay, Sebring Florida
Lake Lavon, McKinney TX (Home lake)
Lake Lewisville, Lewisville TX
Lake Worth, Fort Worth TX
Lake Texoma (Texas / Oklahoma state line)
Gulf coast, Rockport TX
Lake Waco, Waco TX
Lake Lanier, North Georgia (x2)

Just out of curiosity, where have you guys taken your Whalers?

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Being stationed in New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Louisiana and Florida. It has been registered and used in all those states. In Florida I have completed the Intracoastal Waterway from Key West to the Ga line in sections. The 160 mile St Johns River the same way, in sections. I trailer to a location, launch, see that area and come back to the ramp. The 350 miles of the ICW was completed in about 10 sections. The St. Johns in 7 sections. It is a great way to see the country, from the waterways and not the interstate.
I have a 17' Montauk.

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I've only had the Whaler a few months but we have traveled further from home than I ever have by boat. Leaving from our home in Consecon we have explored Nicholson Island and Scotch Bonnet out in Lake Ontario.
Our longest outing was 75 miles one day last week. We traveled Lake Ontario to Brighton Bay and down the Murray Canal to the Bay of Quinte. There we visited friends and relatives. That trip took us past Belleville to Big Island near Northport. I had intended to post pictures of the trip but I dropped the camera in the water at our first stop. :(

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While my home port is Casco Bay, Maine, I make annual trips to the Piscatisqua River, Portsmouth, NH (45 miles south) and the Merrimack River, Newburyport MA 60 miles south.

One off trips include Lake Winnipesaukee (NH) 75 miles west and Manhattan, NYC, 265 miles south.

The average trip mileage is ~ 70 miles on the GPS odometer.

I hope to visit Henry, a.k.a The Yiddil next summer on the Chesapeake Bay, ~ 580 miles south.

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Well, this weekend i made my longest trip offshore (maybe this will qualify with some of the hard core offshore types :) ), went 34 miles straight out to a wreck and one of the oil rigs. Was interesting on the way back at 20 MPH which was my top speed in the following seas i was in, and i didn't even pick up a visual on the high rise condo's for an hour and 15 mins. Other then that, all local like the trip to Rockport for the Whaler get-to-gether, and another to Baffin bay.


Duf

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For summer vacation, my wife and I took the kids to Destin, Florida for a week. We brought the Montauk and enjoyed it out in the Bay. We basically ran her around and did some sight seeing. We tubed behind it as well. Had a great time. That was my first time putting her in salt water, as opposed to the brackish water we fish locally. I couldn't get over the salt residue. We did some serious scrubbing and washing, but it was worth it.

I'm expectiing my copy of "Only in America" any day now. Is the book what sparked the question, Cliff? :)

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This story is why I have my own Whaler. I left South Carolina in 1991 and moved to Las Vegas. I took Dads 17 Montauk with me all the way out there. Dad was moving there too. One day I took the boat to Lake Meade with a friend from back home in SC and my sister who is 10 years younger than me. Of course the dog went too. It was a beautiful day until the wind picked up. And I mean "Picked Up" alot. I was 22 at the time and been raised on the water. There was not too many situations I had not seen on the water while deep sea fishing and scuba diving as far as bad weather goes. The wind coming from a certain direction out there can cause massive swells and scary conditions for a lake. All with no warning like storm clouds. The front of the boat was cutting right through some waves and I was just trying to keep the boat upright and afloat. We all had our life jackets on well before this and the dog had to be tied on behind the leaning post/seat. She was 80 pounds and would have been washed out the back with no problem. Everyone except me was very sick including the dog. I was really scared and managed to pull into a cove and get out of the waves that must have been in excess of 15'. I would actually lose sight of the horizon and mountains in front of me. The waves that came crashing into the front of the boat washed everything out that was not tied in. Thankfully we made it back safely and scared out of our witts. Whalers were not too popular out there then and other friends would laugh at it. Calling it the SS Minnow and the like. After that day no one laughed at the Montauk anymore. We later found out several boats much larger than our 17 Montauk had capsized. I never would have guessed that a lake could turn into something like a bad day in the ocean like that! Several years later it was time to buy a boat for me and my family. What do you guys think went through my mind when looking for a safe boat to take my 3.5 year old daughter and wife out in? That day on Lake Meade! That proved to me that Boston Whaler is the best even when full of water. I felt that day that I had really put that whaler to a real test and the three of us are still here to talk about it. Poor old Zelda lived a long happy life after that day too.
I hope you enjoyed the story of one of the scariest days in my life. And the family Whaler from South Carolina that went to and from Nevada!
Marty Durham
Johns Island,SC
1991 Sport GLS 15'.

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My annual trip is to Steinhatchee, Florida. Each April I go down from Savannah Georgia. I have had a couple of different whaler's with me and hope to have my low pro project down there next year.

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Well, now that you mention it...that may have had something to do with this post. Actually...I was just thinking about how many places the kids and I have been with our Whaler and was interested in hearing stories about where other folks have had their Whalers.

Great stories!

Marty....all I can say is WOW! Good thing you were in a Whaler!

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Well I haven't been to far from home, I have scouted every lake and river around this area. They include Kerr resevior, Leesville, and Smith Mountain Lakes. The rivers include Dan River, Stanton River and the Intercoatal water way. We also once carried the boat to the Outer Banks to explore the sound, I really wished I had carried an extra tank on that trip as I couldn't find to many places to fill up.

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Hey Cliff,

What a great question to post...

My Whalers have been all over the east coast.

1967 Nauset has been to:
Lakes Ontario, Champlain, George, and Seneca in NY. Up and down the Hudson river, Long Island sound and all the way to (by water) Montauk Point. She was on Little Sebago, Big Sebago and Moosehead up in Maine. But mostly she spends her days here in NJ in Barnegat Bay. In my younger (more foolish days) I would carry a third 12 gallon tank and head out to what's called the 28 mile wreck off of Atlantic City shark fishing. Showed up at the dock on more than one occasion with 150-200lb Makos. Folks thought we were a bit crazy. They were probably right. That little Whaler is tough as nails. The 1984 90hp Johnson must have close to 3000 hrs. on it. My brother even took her to the Chesapeake and the Outer Banks. She was the first boat my three children ever stepped foot on. They have memories of their own. When they are ready they'll buy Whalers and begin to make new memories in their own Whalers. Tubing and water skiing. Using her to make a living by clamming, making money for college and beer...

Thanks Cliff, your question brought back a lot of great memories. A few thousand hours... a couple of hundred great days... all spent on the water in my first Whaler....

My 22 Revenge is new to me as of 2 years ago, the Conquest is new to me as of last October. They are in the process of making different memories of their own.

Norm

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There's a small creek near me that hold's just a few inches of water and drain's into another creek that lead's to the Bay, it's really a "Drainage" ditch that run's for about a mile in land through back yards. One day on a high "Moon" tide there was about 1-1/2' of water in the creek, I tilted the motor way up so that the prop was just slapping the water at idle, I motored all the way up the creek for almost a mile with about 1' clearance on both sides of the boat. People were doing "double takes" as they had never seen a boat going through their back yard's before, one guy was cutting his lawn, there were "Mountain's" of "Lawn" clipping's behind his garage falling into the creek (so that's where ya dumpin them) I pointed and lipped out "BUSTED" as I went by. I stalled out when I tried to turn around and the prop grabbed some tall grass at the edge of the bank. I did manage to spin her around, restart, and head back out, not a great "offshore tale" but, I've never seen anyone head up that creek in even a tire tube for the 20 yrs that I've docked near there, "only in a Whaler" can you do the "Impossible" !

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Lake Lanier, GA - Home
Lake Burton, GA
Lake Hartwell, SC
Lake Wylie, NC
Lake Jocassee, SC

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On my previous 1982 Montauk 17 with 1982 Evinrude 90 I did Lake Michigan including the 32 mile offshore run to Beaver Island, Lake Huron which included the North Channel & Georgian Bay on the Canadian side (613 Miles in 8 days) as well as the Les Cheneaux Islands and Mackinac Island, Lake St. Clair including the St. Clair River & Harsen's Island, Lake Erie including Kelley's Island & Put In Bay, the Detroit River, Lake Charlevoix, and countless other inland lakes. also made the run under the Mackinac Bridge

On my current 1985 Revenge 22 WT with 1985 Yamaha 225, I've been to Lake Superior making the 56 mile offshore run to Isle Royal National Park, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron including the North Channel on the Canadian side, the Les Cheneaux Islands, Mackinac Island and under the Mackinac Bridge, Lake St Clair including Harsen's Island ad the St. Clair River, Lake Erie, the Detroit River and a few inland lakes.

The only Great Lake I haven't been on in a Whaler is Lake Ontario

Pat

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We have a baby sitter today and the wife and I will be taking the whaler from Bath, Maine to Five Islands down in Georgetown, Maine. This should be a good trip.

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Just came back from 3 days at Big Bear Lake in the Southern California Mountains. This was my first time to get this 13' Whaler in the water. We had a great time. Everything ran great.

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I took my 13' down to Waco Texas this past weekend to try and catch some Crappie in Lake Waco.

No luck. :-(

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Hey CES, I don't see Toledo Bend on your list. I'm taking my son over Thanksgiving weekend. The place is amazing and has great bass fishing.

Being that you are in Texas, you should check it out--great place for kids too.

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nvcarro, where is Toledo Bend? It sounds pretty nice. Is it in East Texas?

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CES:

Toledo Bend is the border between Louisiana and Texas--Sabine River.

The place is unbelievable. My father always went when I was a child on bass fishing club tournaments. I can remember always wanting to go. I never made it there until I was an adult.

It is some of the best bass fishing I have ever gotten into. The place has a variety of places to stay. The more popular ones are Fin and Feather in Hemphill, TX and Bay Bridge in Many, LA. Check out Toledobend.com

They have fishing for days. The resevoir opened in 1963 if I'm not mistaken. They seem to break the resevoir into 3 sections: north, middle and south. I am told that the southern section offers better fishing, however, I am planning to visit every section as the years go by.

I see on your personal page that you seem to do a great deal of tent camping. They offer that as well as cabins. Most of the resorts as they are called have pools and playgrounds for small children who are not up for fishing all day.

If you check it out, let me know what you think. I know some other members have been there.

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I might just have to check that lake out during Thanksgiving! I've had no luck fishing in 2009 and maybe fishing at Toledo Bend might just turn this streak around!

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CES: I'll be there over Thanksgiving Weekend. I'll keep an eye out for another whaler and look for you. The place is crawling with bass boats. Whalers will stand out!

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I take my boat into the Arabian Gulf most weekends, but since i live there its no real feat. Though i was once arrested at gunpoint by Bahrainy Kings CoastGuard for fishing too close to his Island.....but thats another story.

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nvcarro....sure thing...I'm seriously thinking about coming out there as I need to catch a fish for sure!!

Hawk and Dove.....I spent my fair amount of time in the Persian (Arabian) gulf. I've scuba dove a few places near Bahrain too....sure is a pretty place to be.

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I've taken my 15' Justice to Lake of the Ozarks, MO, Hillsdale Lake, KS, Clinton lake, KS and my favorite the Kansas River between Kansas City and Lawrence (home of the Jayhawks), KS.