The Unsinkable Boston Whaler

I found on Craigslist

My new boat

Going To The Darkside is what sailors call it when one of their own buys a powerboat rather than a sailboat. I used to joke how I would never do that. Well, I did. A neighbor was the first to mention it in a kidding way. I knew Satin Doll. would not be my last boat. When I started looking on Craigslist and other boat-for-sale sites, I saw a number of Boston Whalers which was a boat I had always wanted. The older ones hold their value remarkably well. I fell in love with a 15 foot Dauntless Boston Whaler with a 70 hp Evenrude. Not knowing much about buying a powerboat, I hired a local outboard mechanic to check the engine for me. He used a borescope to look inside the cylinders. He said the pistons had been replaced in 2020, a very good sign. He hooked a water hose up to the engine and ran it, checking various aspects including compression. He told me the engine was in great shape and that the boat was a good buy.

So I’m off on another adventure. So far I’ve learned about backing a boat trailer, driving the boat onto the trailer from the water, getting the boat up on plane, then reducing power for efficiency and a nicer ride, docking and lots more. Since it is a trailer boat, I don’t have to worry about bottom paint. Barnicles and other marine growth will not have enough time to grow on this boat. I don’t have to worry about hurricane threats and all the other worries of having a boat on a mooring in salt water. Next summer we’ll use it to zip down to Newport for the afternoon, explore the many wondrous nooks and crannies of the Narragansett. I still carry some sadness for giving up my sailboat of 30 years. But it’s a good feeling knowing I can now get out onto salt water any time the weather is decent and my body is willing.