Having put literally thousands of miles over several decades on a 16-foot Boston Whaler, I can speak with some authority when I say that the 17-foot Boston Whaler Dauntless is not your Dad's Boston Whaler. Peel off the logo on the new boat, and the owner of an old Whaler would never recognize it. The company still offers the classic models that launched the Boston Whaler reputation more than 35 years ago and, just like those original boats, the modern versions are Boston Whaler to the core: stable, durable, and absolutely unsinkable. Core is an appropriate word, since that is one of the things that makes a Boston Whaler so unique; each boat is filled with a high density closed cell foam that creates an unsinkable hull even if sawed in two.

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Though a used 17 Dauntless won't look exactly like this 2017 model, Whaler fans are in for a treat when they look at this boat.



But, ahem, those early Whalers used a unique cathedral hull design that was fast, extremely stable, and incredibly rough riding. You can literally stand on the rail of a classic Whaler, which is a good place to look for all the fillings that left your teeth after a fast run across an afternoon chop. If this sounds like I'm speaking ill of the classic Boston Whaler, I'm certainly not. That particular hull has probably been responsible for saving more lives, mine included, than any other craft ever built. But it does have what we might laughingly call some shortcomings. Forty miles an hour in a bay full of wavelets is like riding down a ski slope on a garbage can lid — every impact is transmitted directly to your cortex. And that is why Boston Whaler developed what they have labeled the newer generation of deep-V hulls. One look tells you that this hull is going to eat up not just chop but healthy swells with aplomb. And, as you can see from the photo, the Dauntless has a vast amount more freeboard than the classic Whalers, meaning you'll also take less spray than before.

For a 17-foot boat, there's a remarkable feeling of space inside the cockpit. Depending on what year model you look at, either a large swing-back bench cooler seat or two fully adjustable helm seats sit on pedestals. The cushions are removable for safekeeping and weather protection. The dash is laid out for maximum visibility, with a full set of gauges including tachometer, speedometer, voltmeter, trim and fuel. Adding to the ergonomic comfort at the helm is the standard tilt wheel.

Aft, a pair of quarter seats are on each side of the outboard well, protected by a welded Type 316 stainless-steel grab rail. Each seat has removable cushions and there are stowage bins located underneath. The entire cockpit is self-bailing, with two large drains on each side protected by flapper valves so that you won't get water sloshing back into the boat offshore.

The cockpit sole has a good non-slip surface, and an optional ski pylon slips into place for waterskiing. With the optional bow cushion, the raised bow area becomes a lounge or seat, and underneath is a fully-molded anchor locker with overboard drain and lockable latch. Flanking the entire bow area are welded stainless-steel low-profile grab rails, or a single all-around rail.

It's impossible to fault the construction of a Boston Whaler, which has been refined by their use in no-compromise military, rescue and patrol duty in the worst conditions. Like the original Whalers, the two-part hull is sealed and a proprietary foam is injected that fills every cavity under intense pressure. The foam bonds chemically to the uncured fiberglass skins, resulting in a rigid one-piece hull.

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Some older vintage Dauntless models, like this 1995 listed on boats.com, have more of a bowrider layout than that of a center console. Today, bowrider-like models are tagged Vantage.



Glasswork both in and out is flawless, and even the insides of the lockers are molded so there is no raw glass exposed. Whaler has also considered owners down the line, so the maintenance aspects have been carefully designed. The aluminum fuel tank, for example, has a latching inspection port so you can easily reach the tank filler and gauge connections. If you want to inspect the tank, an entire section of the cockpit sole can be unscrewed to give complete access.

The real pleasure of the 17-foot Dauntless is in running the boat, and there's none of the pounding that was synonymous with the Boston Whaler name. Trim the outboard for bite and you'll be yanking skiers off their feet because the boat jumps onto a plane in about 2.5 seconds.

Expect a new 170 Dauntless to start in the $40,000 range; obviously, used prices run the gamut but are significantly lower. And, as someone who has saved people with — and been saved by — a Boston Whaler, I can tell you that there is no price tag for that kind of quality.

See our video boat review of the 230 Dauntless, read our 24 Dauntless review, or check out the Boston Whaler 270 Dauntless.