Whaler Central - Boston Whaler Boat Information and Photos

Posted by Jerry Porter on 01/18/10 - 7:05 PM

I have been looking for an old 13' whaler to fix up for fishing. I have seen a few including the one in my personal page. I'm fascinated by the prices that people are willing to pay for the 13 ' boats that are sometimes 40 years old. The Whaler in the photo's was sold for around $1500, I don't believe the motor ran well and the trailer was in poor condition. Someone liked the Whaler and bought it to restore it. It would have looked great restored but it probably needed a new motor and new trailer. This would bring the total price to around $3,500. I see Whalers for the same price tht are only 20 years oldand in good shape. Others are for sale that are younger sell for $5,000-$8,000 and are in really nice.

It seems some are willing to pay a lot just to fix one up. Seems like a fun project but more expensive than just buying one already restored. Any ideas on how much I should be paying? Other thoughts

Thanks

Posted by HarleyFXDL on 01/19/10 - 8:53 AM

The price varies a lot based on the engine, year, condition and accessories. You can find some less expensive 13's for under $1k. I can assure you that anything "cheap" will require work, sometimes quite a bit or work. You need to consider how much work you are capable of and proceed from there. I would recommend setting up a budget and factoring in the costs of repairs to a lesser boat.

Posted by Fishmore on 01/19/10 - 9:07 AM

Jerry, deciding on how much to spend on a boat is a personal decision. It is also a function of how much of a budget you have and in what part of the country you live in. I can agree with your cost estimates but for some people the difference between having 3k available and having 6-8k available is a BIG difference. So how much you spend is really up to you and your budget. Part of the fun of shopping a boat is figuring out what's the best deal for you given your talents and your budget. Personally if I wanted a decent looking 13 with a decent trailer and a decent 2-stroke motor I would expect to pay around $4 - 5k. If I wanted a 4-stroke motor on that package I would expect the price to go up to around $6-7k. If I wanted a newer model hull than the price would go higher. If I wanted a better trailer again the price would go higher.

Posted by modenacart on 01/20/10 - 6:58 PM

HarleyFXDL wrote:
The price varies a lot based on the engine, year, condition and accessories. You can find some less expensive 13's for under $1k. I can assure you that anything "cheap" will require work, sometimes quite a bit or work. You need to consider how much work you are capable of and proceed from there. I would recommend setting up a budget and factoring in the costs of repairs to a lesser boat.

Then you might want to double your estimate for the cost of repairs if you are doing them yourself. It always seems to cost way more.

Posted by HarleyFXDL on 01/21/10 - 5:58 AM

The reason the cost of repairs escalate out of control is most of us never stick to a budget. The repairs always snowball into fixing stuff never intended in the first place. As the resto progresses, areas that once were deemed acceptable, now are pale by comparison compared to the surrounding areas that were repaired.

Posted by MW on 01/22/10 - 10:53 PM

Price is directly related to the year of the engine, 13' Whaler hull's fetch a little bit more $ because, people want them for "obvious" reason's. Built like a Tank, fast, shallow draft, and won't sink.

Posted by HarleyFXDL on 01/23/10 - 10:22 AM

#10

bottomfish wrote:
Kevin, wow that is soooooooooooooooooooooooo true. It's a problem we are all affected by.

LOL.....Wayne, you and I are perfect examples! But that is why your boat is such a beautiful example. ;-)

Edited by HarleyFXDL on 01/23/10 - 10:23 AM