CONTINUOUSWAVE

I am new to this forum and hope that someone here can provide me some details. I am interested in purchasing a Boston Whaler Rage 18. Could someone confirm for me which years this boat was manufactured, my investigation seems to indicate only 1966 and 1997. Based on the years of production, is the motor size always the same? I see listing for 215 and 285 HP Ford V8.

After some reading, it appears the Ford V8 that is coupled to the American jet drive could be upgraded in horsepower. I have read the jet is rated up to 500 HP. Could anyone speak to this?

Could someone provide me some handling tips for when I go for my first test drive. I have driven several jet drive boats, but I understand the Rage 18 is quite heavy. I thought maybe there are some tricks to getting the most out of the boat.

Finally, any tip or guidance that could be provided for specific areas of concern to look at.

My experience to date has been with a Century ski fury(straight inboard 340 Chrysler), Cruisers 2670 Holiday aft-cabin, Four Winns Horizon 190 and a Cobalt 230.

Thanks in advance for any assistance or guidance you folks can provide.

[This thread has been moved. The originator of the thread has been sent a private message announcing this move--jimh]

The production history of many, many Boston Whaler boats from c.1958 to c.1997 is given in the REFERENCE section. See the section of that article on Jet-powered boats.

The Rage 18 is a low production boat. There are not may of them as they were not great sellers. To that, there are few who have ownership and piloting experience on them.

One thing about them if you are looking to purchase one: as when they were first for sale, they are still not good sellers. They tend to linger on the market for a while and do not sell for the same price as a 18 Ventura (which is the outboard powered version). If it were me, unless you REALLY wanted a jet boat, I would look for something else. If you want a Dual Console with an outboard, I would look for a Boston Whaler Ventura. If you are open to other brands, I would recommend a Grady White Tournament, too.