A New York boater shares the path that brought him from a used 13-foot tinny to a new 150 Montauk.
Jim Seufert of Wheatfield, New York, recently wrote in to share the story of how he and his wife, Debi, came to be the proud owners of a new 150 Montauk. Longtime boating fans, the Seuferts and their two sons have always made spending time together on the water a priority. In fact, Jim and Debi’s first date was a trip to Strawberry Island in a boat he’d built in his grandfather’s garage. Jim explains the path that brought them to Whaler.
We’ve been a boating family… well, forever. As young marrieds, we couldn’t afford a new boat, and used Boston Whalers were few and far between—no one who had a Whaler ever wanted to part with it!—so our interests developed elsewhere. We always owned a traditional runabout.
When our boys were young and we started camping, we bought a second boat for the huge sum of $600—a used 13-foot outboard tinny. (Our runabout was too heavy for my car to trailer very far, and I didn’t want to risk damaging the upholstery with all the gear.) The tinny served us well for many years, and doubled as a utility trailer. The tent and all our equipment fit nicely inside, and when we were set up we even had a boat to putter around in.
When we weren’t camping, the old tinny doubled as my fishing boat in some of the local calm waters.
Once the boys were grown and out on their own, and with retirement only a few years away, I decided it was time to upgrade. I bought a brand-spanking-new aluminum utility boat, equipped with a livewell, swivel cushion seats, a full floor and all of the amenities. By that time, my wife and I “camped” in a waterfront rental cottage, so the “fishing boat” didn’t need to be a utility trailer any more. The problem was that the new utility wasn’t comfortable enough for Debi, so we ended up vacationing with our jet ski for several years.
A few years ago, while we were swimming off the jet ski, a young couple anchored next to us with a brand-new Whaler Montauk. Before we could talk to them and ask them about it, they left.
Well, that’s all it took. The next winter, we went to several boat shows looking for that very model. We finally found one and made contact with Morgan Marine, a Boston Whaler dealership on Keuka Lake.
They were several hours away by car, so we ended up communicating by email. After sending photos of the trade-in, we made a deal, and our new Whaler was on order. In all my 50-some years as a boater, this was the smoothest and most enjoyable purchase I ever made.
Our last two vacations have been with our 150 Montauk. My wife loves the boat better than the jet ski, and it’s our preferred craft even at home. This summer, we sold our family boat after having owned it for 35 years. Our Montauk is a perfect platform when I go fishing solo, or when Debi and I go out for a Sunday cruise.
Our local waters can be quite rough on a Sunday. In the past, it was a constant effort to adjust the throttle so we wouldn’t get pounded by the waves. Now, I just set our Montauk at cruising speed and merely “steer.” It rides that well. Even more awesome, I can’t believe how little fuel we use.
Someone asked me if I would buy another Boston Whaler, and I said my next boat would definitely be a Whaler. But, thinking about it, I don’t know why I would ever NEED another boat.
