We truly enjoyed our SIB and all of the wonderful excursions it meant for us however with a growing family, we knew we were going to have to look for an alternative. We extensively searched for larger SIBs, bigger engine options and hopefully a RHIB, but they were rare to our area.
We wanted something that got us into the shallow waters of the local rivers but yet could venture out into the Bay at the coast or some of the larger surrounding lakes. It would need to be light to transport and easy to manage. To keep the cost within our means, I knew we’d have to look to our local area’s preference which was a hard-shell boat. It needed to be small so the search might be difficult to find exactly what we needed.
We first looked into aluminum hulls with the plan to convert it into a family friendly vessel however the wife wasn’t too keen on the ‘hardness’ of the boat and I began to see her point. We then came across a local ad for a classic Montauk 17.
We looked at the newer model 170 but to fit within our price range, we were looking at the earlier introduction years. To our dismay, we found that the ’02 to ’06 years had a Merc four-stroke engine with a Yamaha head and carb that continuously clogged and was a maintenance issue. Didn’t want the threat of my family left stranded anywhere so we were forced to consider later years that were way out of our price range. Even tried to purchase one many states away but the process got too complicated and the costs were adding up. At one point we stumbled across a very well done scam that included quite a few individuals and thankfully we wised up to it just in time. Been trying to keep others from falling victim ever since.
It was then that we were blessed with a 2011 170 model presented before us and an incredible deal from a legitimate seller. We negotiated right away, worked out the paperwork and made a mad dash, several hours away, to pick it up.
The only minor, unfortunate part was that since the seller ordered the fishing package, it didn’t come with the bow rails which we really wanted. It also has a live well in the rear which may be a bonus for others but takes up precious deck space for it's size.
The engine is the standard model they include which is a Mercury 90hp EFI with a Vengeance stainless steel prop. The seller had installed a 19ga gas tank in lieu of the two 6ga tanks that they normally come with.
We're anxious for the maiden voyage as we consider our seating and bow rail options.
a very tidy and clean/well cared for boat I'd say 
.... That looks pretty awsome, 9-R.
