Captain's Report

Captain's Report by Capt. Steve

Mission Statement

Boston Whaler has worked hard to make the new 210 Montauk easily adaptable to a variety of missions, not just the obvious one of fishing. Yes, she has all of the fishy features required for both freshwater and saltwater angling, but the 210 is really much more than just a fishing boat. By making available a long list of options, the 210 can be customized for nearly any watersports activity.

Distinguishing Features

Naturally there are some characteristics of the 210 Montauk, and Boston Whalers in general, that separate them from the pack. Let's go over some of them.

Remarkably adaptable.

As already noted Boston Whaler wants consumers to be able to customize the 210 to their specific purpose. To that end it offers a long list of options that can turn this vessel into a tow boat, a comfortable sunning platform, a pocket picnic boat, a cruising boat, a utility vessel, or a fish fighting machine. There are optional packages available for several missions.

Wide beam.

Yes, the beam on the 210 Montauk may be the standard 8'6" (2.59 m), the same as most other boats in class, but what is the beam on the waterline where it counts? And, how far forward is that 8’6" beam carried? Boston Whaler takes advantage of its beam much better than many others because the topsides come straight up from the waterline. That means that the beam on the water is greater for added stability and the room inside is greater as well. Further, that beam is carried fully forward to the bow, so no matter where you are in the boat you get the advantage of the 8'6" beam.

Stability.

Because the 210 is not intended to go blasting off into blue water for big game fish she does not need a deep-V to cushion a bumpy ride at high speed. That means her deadrise can be far flatter, and it is at 16-degrees at the transom. That relatively shallow deadrise, combined by the boat's wide beam at the waterline, and its reverse chine makes the boat more stable both under way and at rest.

Unusual hull-to-deck bonding.

Boston Whaler hulls are assembled quite differently than others in class. Rather than mate the deck assembly with the hull, then gluing and screwing them together, Boston Whaler takes a different route. Instead, the two sections are joined together while still in their molds which are clamped tightly together, then high-density foam is injected into the assembly. The foam expands to fill all of the voids and at the same time bonds the hull to the deck -- not just where the hull and deck come together at the rail -- but literally on nearly every square inch of hull and deck surface. That's why the process is called "Unibond."

High rails.

–While the freeboard may be relatively low in the Montauk line, it's also true that the added rails running the full length of the boat add a considerable safety factor. Additionally, an option allows for rod holders to be incorporated into these rails which I think is a pretty neat feature.

Floats level.

The US Coast Guard requires that all powerboats with greater than a 2-hp engine which are 20' or smaller float level when swamped. You can thank Boston Whaler for that requirement since it was the first company to do it. But the company doesn't stop there. Boston Whaler engineers its boats so that all of them float level when swamped up to its largest boat.

Swamped capacity.

Check the websites of other builders and you will see that Boston Whaler is the only builder that publishes the "swamped capacity" of its boats. The swamped capacity of the 210 is 4,200 lbs. (1,905 kgs.). This means that the boat can float level in ideal conditions when it is full of water and carrying an additional 4,200 lbs of weight in people and gear.

Longevity.

In case you haven't noticed, Boston Whalers, particularly the Montauk line, seem to last forever. With proper care, they just go on and on, being passed down among family members or sold and re-sold on the used boat market. That is a testament to the construction and components in this series.

Re-sale value.

Going hand-in-hand with longevity is re-sale value. While most builders contend that their boats hold their value better than their competition, the fact is Boston Whalers really do hold their value exceedingly well, and probably better than most brands.

Brunswick integration.

Because the Brunswick Corp. owns both Boston Whaler and Mercury the two major elements of this boat have been integrated in several ways. First, the engineers at Mercury and Boston Whaler work closely with each other on new models to make sure that the performance profiles of the engines and boats are maximized for the best speeds and efficiencies. Second, because all of the major components of the boat are produced by the same company, there is no question about who should step up to the plate and fix it if something goes wrong.

Performance and Handling

200-hp Verado.

With the optional 200–hp Mercury Verado powering our test boat, we reached a top speed at 6000 rpm of 47 mph. At that speed I measured a fuel burn of just over 20 gph, which meant we were getting 2.34 mpg for a range of 140 miles. Best cruise came in at 3500 rpm and 22 mph. At that speed fuel burn was only 4.6 gph, which meant 4.77 mpg for a range of 286 miles. We reached planing speed in only 3.3 seconds and accelerated through 30 mph in 8.4 seconds.

Standard power.

The standard engine on the 210 is the 150-hp Mercury XL EFI four-stroke. The techs at Boston Whaler report that with that engine the boat has a WOT speed of 42.1 mph getting 3.06 mpg. Best cruise is reported to be at 3500 rpm where the boat goes 23.5 mph and gets 5.11 mpg.

Handling.

Of course the keyword with the 210 Montauk has to be stability. While I tested this boat on the calm waters of the Intracoastal Waterway, I did get a chance to encounter some heavy wakes from passing yachts, and blasting through those wakes was quite revealing. No matter how hard I tried to catch some air under the boat, it quickly became evident that it wasn't going to happen. The 210 was more interested in pressing through the waves, rather than over them, and we remained very stable through the entire transition.

Dry during test.

Because the chines carry so far forward on the hull they really knock down the spray. No matter what angle I met the wakes, I was equally unsuccessful at getting any spray over the rails.

Turning at speed.

As for cranking and banking, the 210 was equally comfortable. She doesn't tend to “dig in” to the turns, rather a slight bank angle is accompanied by a bit of a slide that keeps the turns very comfortable and manageable. No matter how hard I turned, there was no prop ventilation, but there was an acceptable amount of speed bleeding off in the turn, and once straightened out the speed picked up quite quickly.

Features Walk-Through

We’ll start our look at the details at the bow where there is a casting deck 12” (30.5 cm) above the main deck. The deck itself measures 6'3" (1.9 m) at its widest by 3'11" (1.2 m) fore and aft. If you want to get a little bit higher, the forward caprails are relatively wide and I was easily able to walk back and forth along them with the added security of the 14” (35.56 cm) high bow rail.

There are two large compartments in the foredeck, one forward housing the anchor locker, which I found to be quite spacious. The compartment is notched at the forward section to allow the anchor line to run out the bow and an 8” (20.3 cm) cleat is used to secure the anchor rode. Additionally, a beefy stainless steel ring is through-bolted to the stem to secure the bitter end of the anchor rode.

Just behind is a fishbox that is quite large and runs the full width of the bow. The hatch cover is supported by a stainless steel gas strut, and gasketed all the way around. It would be more than safe to say that this compartment is insulated thanks to the closed-cell foam construction of the 210, so go ahead and add ice.

Sundeck options.

With all the hatches closed the entire foredeck area is treated with nonskid, and all hinges are flush mounted. If you wanted to add some family functionality, you could opt to add a single folding bow cushion ($733). A split bow rail ($106) will allow for diving off the bow, and if you really wanted to fancy up the bow then you could opt to add the sun lounge option ($3,014) that adds a port and starboard forward facing chaise lounge to the foredeck.

Shower.

A freshwater shower with 12 gal. (45.6 L) tank is available as an option and we think most 210's configured for watersports will want to add this pleasant feature. However, it is not compatible with the trolling motor panel option.

Fishing options.

Of course if you wanted to just stick with the fishing functionality you could simply go with the standard trolling motor panel and a pedestal fishing seat ($450). Since the trolling motor panel is not compatible with a bow rail, in this mode the buyer will receive a credit.

Center Console

Front and center.

Forward of the center console is an optional 94-quart (84 L) cooler with a cushion on top. It’s secured in position with a deck bracket and bungee cords to the sides, and in this position it allows 17” (43.2 cm) of clearance for walking to the bow. This is actually part of an optional fishing package ($782) that also includes the 6 console-mounted rod holders just above this cooler seat.

T-top.

And since these rod holders are mounted well inside the cover of the optional T-top ($5,009) there are opening panels to the front of the canvas cover for lengthy rods to pass through. These rod holders are also mounted to a bracket that includes a pair of knife and pliers holders. As we make our way around the console, the T-top has grab rails nicely positioned among the supports. The supports are mounted to the deck, which still allows for 22” (55.9 cm) of horizontal clearance to the bulwarks.

Head.

To the starboard side is a door leading to the head compartment, and on our boat the space was fitted with the optional portable head with deck pump out ($383). The bulkheads were all finished off, and there is access under the forward deck where Boston Whaler mounts the optional 12-gallon (45.4 L) water tank that gets connected to the freshwater shower mounted at the bow ($755).

Helm

Stepping behind the helm, the first thing I noticed is that Boston Whaler was courteous enough to mount the compass directly in line with the helm rather than in the center of the panel. The helm itself is mounted to the port side of the console and includes 2 SmartCraft gauges in the otherwise simplistic panel.

Instruments.

Just to starboard is open real estate measuring 18” (45.7 cm) x 8” (20.3 cm) for mounting electronics. Two packages are offered, one consisting of a 5.7” (14.5 cm) combination GPS, chartplotter, fishfinder combination ($1,628) and the second is a 7” (17.8 cm) combination unit ($2,605). A VHF radio is also offered as an option ($692). Of course, you can install your own in the aftermarket.

The ergonomics of the helm worked for me. Mercury digital engine controls are mounted at a roughly 40-degree angle, which makes them easier to use and more comfortable than the throttle on many boats in class. There is a recessed fire extinguisher mount well below the wheel that I would rather see utilized as a recessed footrest.

Helm seat.

The double-wide bench seat is by far the most comfortable aspect of the helm ergonomics as it can be used in so many positions. With the seat back in the full aft position I couldn't quite reach the wheel, but by lifting the seatback and moving it to a forward notch you’ll be sitting up and within easy reach of the wheel. Move it to the next forward position and it acts as a leaning post, and moving it fully forward converts the bench seat into an aft facing seat for watching the lines. There is deep storage inside this reversible helmseat as well as a small tackle storage compartment which is part of the optional Fishing Package.

Stern

Livewell.

The stern section of the 210 has a few more tricks to offer. Our test boat was fitted with a livewell ($1,505) that had an optional forward facing seat with backrest ($785) on top. The backrest has two supports that slip into rod holders, and when you remove that backrest the supports swivel up in line with the cushion for easy stowing.

There is no shortage of rod holders on the 210 Montauk. All hinges are flush mounted to eliminate tripping hazards.

Watersports mode.

You can also opt for an aft bench seat without a livewell ($2,417). Again if you wanted to cross over into the family functionality you can improve your watersports capabilities with a tow-arch ($1,359). A casting deck takes up the length of the transom and our test boat was fitted with a pair of aft quarter seats with removable backrests and base cushions ($1,229). A neat touch are the aft side rails with integral rod holders ($638). A cockpit table is also offered as an option ($701).

Pricing And Observations

She comes equipped with a galvanized, tandem-axle trailer with brakes as standard. If you don't need the trailer, you will get a credit. The 210 Montauk has an MSRP base price of $47,727 fitted with a 150-hp Mercury 4-stroke and a trailer. You can opt up to a 150-hp Verado ($2,712) or outfit your 210 as was our test boat with the 200-hp Mercury Verado ($6,015). Given the popularity of the Montauk series it is easy to see that this, now largest, version has all the makings of yet another success story for Boston Whaler. I found her to be roomy, comfortable, and characteristically easy to handle, and those are certainly key ingredients that most of us are looking for in a boat.Perhaps best of all, the 210 Montauk can be just about anything you want her to be. It is not hard for us to envision the 210 as a fishing boat for Dad, a watersports boat for the kids, and a cruising and sunning platform for Mom. The possible iterations are endless.

Standard and Optional Features