Boston Whaler 170 Montauk Boats For Sale

The Boston Whaler 170 Montauk is a 17-foot 4-inch center console approaching its 50th year in production, with tens of thousands built and a reputation as one of the best-selling boats Whaler has ever made. It carries a 7-foot 3-inch beam, draws just 12 inches, weighs around 1,900 pounds and holds up to seven people. The boat fits in a standard garage and trailers behind a small V6, which is a large part of why the Boston Whaler 170 Montauk boat appeals to families who fish, run water sports and cruise from the same hull. Demand has stayed strong enough that Whaler builds the 17 at two manufacturing facilities.

The hull uses Whaler's unibond construction: a fiberglass hull and liner are joined inside a steel mold and polyurethane foam is injected under pressure to fill the below-deck voids, making the boat unsinkable. Cut into pieces, each section still floats; even with the drain plug pulled, the standard 110-gallon-per-hour bilge pump keeps it dry. The bow carries 30 degrees of deadrise with lifting strakes, reverse chine and flare that pushes spray away for a dry ride. A 25-gallon fuel tank sits under the deck, and a low-tide bay or open chop are both within reach of this size of boat.

Power comes from a Mercury four-stroke, either a 90 horsepower or a 115. With the 90 on the transom, the 170 Montauk cruises near 25 mph at 4,000 rpm and reaches a wide-open top speed of about 41 mph; running at 4,500 rpm settles in around 31 to 32 mph. The 115 is the choice for towing skiers and tubers, though top-end performance is similar between the two engines, so buyers not pulling water sports can save by staying with the 90. A towing pylon or ski bar is an option at the stern, along with an oversized boarding area and a three-step ladder that drops below the hull.

The fishing package builds out the boat consoles and bait wells on the Boston Whaler 17 Montauk with tackle boxes molded into the sides of the console, a 72-quart cooler, four rod holders in the transom and four more ahead of the console. A live well sits under the swing-back stern seat, which can also be configured as plain storage, and a removable cooler doubles as a console seat. The bow fish box and anchor locker are foam-insulated from the same construction, so ice holds longer, and the hatches finish out with stainless struts and gas-assist lifts. The forward fish box drains overboard. A stainless chock with an integrated nav-light receiver and a feed-through anchor design that protects the rub rail show the level of hardware here.

At the helm, the double-wide captain's seat faces a Simrad display with fish finder, a JL Audio stereo with Media Master control, a multi-function engine gauge and a Plexiglas windshield, with a toe kick that lets you run the boat standing. Low-profile grab rails run fore and aft, the fire extinguisher is recessed and strapped in its own spot, and a bimini top shades the full console area. The four-and-a-half seating package adds a bow cushion, transom jump seats and cup holders. Buyers can option teak decking or non-skid in its place, a stainless or traditional black rub rail, trolling-motor wiring at the bow, and a hull in glacier green, Boston Whaler white or one of five colors with custom graphics. Anyone shopping Boston Whaler Montauk boats for sale should weigh the engine choice and the seating and fishing options against how the boat will be used; the molded-in tackle box lids are plastic and can crack after years in the sun, so a sun-stored boat may need them replaced. A Boston Whaler Montauk boat dealer can configure the 170 toward fishing, water sports or family cruising.