Boston Whaler 170 Montauk
The Boston Whaler 170 Montauk is a 17-foot center console, built from 2005 and still in production. Across 54 listings we have observed (model years 1980–2026), the median asking price is $41,000, with most boats asking $24,000 to $50,000. The engine we see most often on this model is Mercury Verado / V8 FourStroke (250–400).
BoatVerdict market snapshot
These are asking prices. No free or public source publishes US used-boat transaction prices, so nobody — us included — can honestly show you what these boats sold for. What we can show you is what 54 sellers are asking, which is the number you are actually negotiating against.
29 priced listings across 14 states is a national sample, so the range is stable.
Method: Asking prices from active listings, de-duplicated so a re-posted boat counts once (127 raw listings collapsed to 54 distinct boats). Quartiles, not averages, so one outlier cannot move the band. Rounded to $500.
Coverage: Model years 1980–2026, 14 states, 31 metro areas. New-boat listings excluded.
Sources: BoatVerdict market observations (craigslist + rightboat) · US state vessel registries (10,758 registered Boston Whaler hulls)
Looking at a Boston Whaler 170 Montauk for sale?
Paste the listing and we will score that specific boat against everything on this page: asking price versus our observed range, engine and hours risk, the known issues for its model year, and a negotiation position. The verdict is free.
Get the free verdict →No account needed. The paid Deal Report is optional and comes after.
The BoatVerdict take
- BoatVerdict analyst
Whaler's unsinkable foam-core hull and brand cachet make this the single most liquid small boat in the US. Sells in days, anywhere.
- Recall (USCG/CPSC)
3 federal recall campaigns on file touch this builder. Check the specific hull against the recall list below before you put money down; remedies are free but only if the work was actually done.
Each point is tagged with the evidence behind it. Nothing here is a claim we cannot trace back to a counted listing, a federal record, or a named analyst judgement.
Boston Whaler 170 Montauk prices by model year
| Model year | Listings | Typical asking range | Median asking | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8 | 2 priced — too few to publish a range | — | |
| 2024 | 2 | 2 priced — too few to publish a range | — | |
| 2022 | 6 | $49,000 – $58,000 | $54,000 | |
| 2021 | 2 | 1 priced — too few to publish a range | — | |
| 2019 | 3 | $40,000 – $50,000 | $49,000 | |
| 2018 | 8 | 1 priced — too few to publish a range | — | |
| 2016 | 2 | 1 priced — too few to publish a range | — | |
| 2015 | 2 | 1 priced — too few to publish a range | — | |
| 2013 | 2 | 0 priced — too few to publish a range | — | |
| 2006 | 2 | 2 priced — too few to publish a range | — |
Asking prices from active listings we observed, not sold prices. No public source publishes US used-boat transaction prices; anyone showing you "sold" data for this market is estimating it. Years with fewer than 3 priced listings show the count only.
Method: Median and quartiles per model year, computed only where at least 3 priced listings exist for that year.
Sources: BoatVerdict market observations
Known problems on the Boston Whaler 170 Montauk
- Medium Foam-core hull can become waterlogged if the deck or rigging tubes have been drilled and left unsealed — adds hundreds of pounds and kills resale.
- Low Original-rigged Mercury controls and gauges on 2010–2015 units are due for replacement; budget for it.
Severity is BoatVerdict's rating of what the fault costs to put right and how likely it is to end a deal, not a manufacturer classification. Recalls are listed separately below because a recall is a federal record and a known issue is not.
Method: Hand-authored from service patterns, owner reports and federal records for this model, then reviewed against our listing data.
Sources: BoatVerdict analyst profile: Boston Whaler 170 Montauk
Recalls affecting Boston Whaler 170 Montauk
3 federal recall campaigns on file. Recalls are issued against hull-identification ranges, so a campaign listed here may or may not cover the specific boat you are looking at — check the HIN. Remedies are free from the builder, but only if the work was actually performed, and there is no central database that proves it was.
- ⚠ Recall
980053T4/9/1998FUEL TANK
- ⚠ Recall
810035T4/9/1981AIRPAX T-11 INSTALLED
- ⚠ Recall
940253T10/26/1994STEERING BINDING CLUTCH; ROLLERS NO-FEEDBACK HELM
Method: Matched to the builder by normalized company name and MIC. A campaign is shown when it touches this builder; the model and year columns say how narrowly it applies.
Sources: US Coast Guard recall database · CPSC recalls
Engines we actually see on the 170 Montauk
- Mercury Verado / V8 FourStroke (250–400)
Modern Mercury V8/V10 FourStroke and supercharged Verado are strong, smooth, and well-supported, a clear step up from the OptiMax era. Slightly behind Yamaha on resale trust but closing fast, and often better integrated (joystick, digital throttle).
Service reality: 100-hour service; supercharged Verado adds the supercharger oil interval. Check for corroded battery cables and the SmartCraft harness on saltwater boats.
Full Mercury Verado / V8 FourStroke (250–400) reliability profile →
Method: Engine family matched from the listing's engine fields and title text against BoatVerdict's engine-family profiles. Prevalence is share of our sample, not factory fitment rates.
Sources: BoatVerdict market observations · BoatVerdict engine-family profiles
Boston Whaler 170 Montauk specifications
| Length overall | 17.3 ft | Builder spec |
|---|---|---|
| Beam | 7.3 ft | Builder spec |
| Hull type | center console | BoatVerdict classification |
| Segment | saltwater fishing | BoatVerdict classification |
| Production | 2005–present | Builder history |
| Primary use | Salt or fresh | BoatVerdict classification |
| Model years traded | 1980–2026 | Our listing data |
| Boston Whaler hulls in US registries | 10,758 | TX + NY open data |
Rows marked "our listing data" are measured from listings, not published by the builder, and will differ from a brochure. Rows without a source we can name are not shown at all.
What to inspect on a used Boston Whaler 170 Montauk
- Weigh-check feel: sit two adults on one gunwale — a healthy 170 self-rights fast; a sluggish return suggests a waterlogged hull. Model-specific item from BoatVerdict's Boston Whaler 170 Montauk profile.
- Inspect every deck penetration (rod holders, leaning post, console) for sealant failure. Model-specific item from BoatVerdict's Boston Whaler 170 Montauk profile.
- Mercury Verado / V8 FourStroke (250–400): 100-hour service; supercharged Verado adds the supercharger oil interval. Check for corroded battery cables and the SmartCraft harness on saltwater boats. Seen on 2 of the 54 170 Montauk listings we track.
- Get the hour meter reading and divide by the boat's age. Above 150 hours a year is heavy use for a Mercury Verado / V8 FourStroke (250–400). Threshold from BoatVerdict's engine-family profile for Mercury Verado / V8 FourStroke (250–400).
- Assume saltwater service unless the seller can prove otherwise: pull the engine cowling and look at the powerhead, check trim-cylinder rams for pitting, and open the battery and fuse boxes for green corrosion. 94% of the listings we observed for this model are in coastal states.
- On the older hulls, core moisture is the deal-breaker: sound the transom and the deck with a plastic mallet, and treat any soft or dull-sounding area as a survey-stopper rather than a bargaining chip. We observe listings back to 2006, so boats over 20 years old are actively traded in this model.
- Work the 2 known issues listed above into the sea trial, not the walkaround. Most of them only show up under load. BoatVerdict analyst profile for this model.
This list is specific to this model: analyst items for the hull, plus items driven by the engines and the regions we actually observe on 170 Montauk listings. It is not a generic pre-purchase checklist, and it does not replace a surveyor.
What a 170 Montauk costs to own
$1,750 – $4,500 per year
- 17 ft center console, the published length for this model
- Saltwater berth, based on where most listings we see are located (FL)
- Includes insurance, storage, routine service, fuel at moderate seasonal use, and a reserve for wear items
- Excludes loan payments, major engine replacement, and refit work
This is a modelled band, not observed spend. Real cost swings hard on where you keep the boat and how much you use it.
Method: The same ownership-cost model BoatVerdict's paid Deal Report uses: boat class and length set the base band, then saltwater berth and size adjust it.
Sources: BoatVerdict ownership-cost model
Where 170 Montauks are for sale
- FL 9
- CA 8
- WA 8
- MA 5
- TX 4
- RI 3
- MI 3
- NC 3
- HI 3
- NY 2
Counts of distinct boats we observed per state, from 54 listings in 31 metro areas. We publish the distribution, not the listings themselves.
What else buyers cross-shop
- Boston Whaler 17 Montauk
- Boston Whaler 190 Montauk
- Boston Whaler 150 Montauk
- Boston Whaler Revenge
- Tracker Pro Team 175 TXW
- Tracker 170 Pro
Chosen by measured similarity — same builder first, then comparable length — and limited to models whose own page meets our evidence bar. No paid placements, no filler links.
Boston Whaler 170 Montauk FAQ
How much does a used Boston Whaler 170 Montauk cost?
What are the common problems with the Boston Whaler 170 Montauk?
Are there recalls on the Boston Whaler 170 Montauk?
What engine does the Boston Whaler 170 Montauk come with?
What does it cost to own a Boston Whaler 170 Montauk per year?
Looking at a Boston Whaler 170 Montauk for sale?
Paste the listing and we will score that specific boat against everything on this page: asking price versus our observed range, engine and hours risk, the known issues for its model year, and a negotiation position. The verdict is free.
Get the free verdict →No account needed. The paid Deal Report is optional and comes after.