CONTINUOUSWAVE

The only Boston Whaler dealer in my state, Missouri, is Marine Max. They have zero Boston Whaler boats in inventory, and they haven't had any for a long time. I'm assuming boats are like new cars right now and you have to order. I may purchase a new 160 Super Sport in the next 12-months. I'm trying to figure out the purchase process.

Q1: must I order a new Boston Whaler through the Marine Max dealer, wait for the boat to be built, and then wait for the boat to be delivered to Marine Max?

Q2: are there rebates or discounts from MSRP on the price?

Q3: should I expect to pay MSRP?

BACKSTORY:I have a family of three with a seven-year-old son. We are an active family so the 160 Super Sport would be used exclusively for water sport activities. We'd be opting for the 90-HP with the ski tower. At most there would be people aboard, when my son gets old enough to start bringing a friend. I know the 160 is on the small side, but I feel like since we'd be constantly on the go, we would not be sorry we didn't get a bigger boat. We don't lay out or tie up with other boats.

[To buy a new Boston Whaler boat] you just order through the dealer. Expect to wait six months to a year and pay MSRP or more.

I owned a 130 SUPER SPORT for a year. I just sold it because the 130 SUPER SPORT was too small and underpowered. It was a great first boat. I think the 160 will serve you well. I’m just about to pick up a 170 Montauk that I ordered in October 2021. Good luck.

LuckyPenny wrote:Q1: must I order a new Boston Whaler through the Marine Max dealer, wait for the boat to be built, and then wait for the boat to be delivered to Marine Max?

I doubt there is anything in a Boston Whaler dealer's contract with Boston Whaler that grants them protection against another Boston Whaler dealer selling a boat to a resident of the first dealer's "territory." While not common, it has occurred, as there are anecdotal accounts of boats purchased from a dealer other than the closest dealer to the buyer. However, those sales occurred in a different time than the present.

Also, Boston Whaler new boats are often only available in limited numbers or on an allocation basis to dealers. A particular dealer is only permitted to buy a limited number of boats from Boston Whaler. One aggressive dealer usually cannot order more than a certain number of popular models in any given year.

At one time there were a few smaller and independent Boston Whaler dealers, but the situation today is often that Boston Whaler representation is by large super-store dealers like MarineMax. MarineMax themselves could have a policy of only working with local buyers.

As the earlier reply demonstrates, many times a customer for new Boston Whaler boat is trading in another Boston Whaler boat bought just a few years earlier. Used boats like that are another source for first-time boat buyers.

LuckyPenny wrote:Q2: are there rebates or discounts from MSRP on the price?

Q3: should I expect to pay MSRP?

At one time a new Boston Whaler boat might sell at a small discount from MSRP, but not today.

I don't think this sellers-market in boating is going to sustain forever. With marine fuel prices already at $6-per-gallon, I expect that some new-to-boating boat owners may think about selling their boats.

Personally, I would not buy from Marine Max. I have heard too many bad experiences.

Many dealers order a few boats in the smaller sizes. Shop dealers in neighboring states via the web.

Pricing is off the charts. Be cautious. [I am] seeing $35,000 to $50,000.

Given the long wait, I would shop the used listings. For the same money as new, you can buy a lot more boat.

Link to a 2018 160 SUPER SPORT for sale:
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/525996162512377/?ref=search&referral_code=marketplace_search&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3A925564e4-efb2-40c4-9eb2-3096b6850dbf

Regarding buying a boat, and assuming you need to trailer the boat to the water to use it: be sure to buy a boat that you can tow with your present vehicle and a boat you can store when not in use in a convenient and low cost manner. A 16-footer MAY be able to fit in a standard garage, and MAY be able to be hauled on a trailer by a mid-size SUV.