Hi John,
A Boston Whaler is a great boat. Its well made and unsinkable. But 5
people will grossly overload a 15 footer, and I don't think a 70 will
push the weight either. I would consider it unsafe for the intended
usage. I would recommend you get a bit larger vessel. Perhaps an 18' or
20'. A slightly larger boat would be safer in rough seas encountered in
the Bay. (I live in Florida, but have crossed Chesapeake Bay on many
trips up the coast.) You may also prefer a 4 stroke engine, even though
they cost a bit more. They do save a lot of fuel. Suzuki makes an
exceptionally well built 90 and 115 HP that is not much heavier than its
2 stroke cousin. The crabbers in north Florida use the Suzuki engines,
as do many 6 pack captains. I have had reports of 20,000 hours on such
an engine and its still running well. They are a good deal less
expensive the a Merc, Yamaha or Honda product, and hold up well. One of
my charter flats boats has a Suzuki 140 on it with 2800 hours, it trolls
all day and never misses a beat. VERY quiet too. I will buy others.
If an 18 foot Boston Whaler is too steep for your wallet, you may want
to look at a Carolina Skiff. Nearly the same boat, but costs less and
fewer frills. Who needs wall to wall carpet in a boat anyhow? Frills are
just something else to clean.

Please do your family an important service. Take the United States Coast
Guard Auxillary Boating Safety Course. The life you save may be your
loved one's.
http://www.uscgaux.org/

Good luck,

Capt. Frank Hopkins
personal website
http://www.home.earthlink.net/~aartworks

Lurch wrote:

Greetings All!

I have just returned from a trip to Seattle with my family. We had a
wonderful time fishing and crabbing on the Peuget Sound with my West Coast
relatives (our first time). We have decided to sell one of our motorcycles
and buy a boat. I live in Harrisburg, PA would like a boat to do the
following:

- Play (tube/wakeboard/hang out) in the river at the local boat launch
(approx 5+ feet of water)
- Be able to withstand the Chesapeake bay for crabbing/fishing.
- capacity of 5 people (mostly just 3, but 5 on occasion) in mild chop.
- User friendly (first boat)
- under 15,000 USD

I spent some time in the Navy, so I am familiar enough with the water to
know I need to learn more. I/We plan on taking the local boating course
available before our purchase. I have no experience with the bay, just that
we had a great time in Seattle.

At this point, we are considering a Boston Whaler 150 sport. I found a new
one locally for 12k with bimini top, comfort package, trailer, and standard
2 stroke Merc outboard. This seems to fit the bill, but we have no
experience and don't want to be led astray by an overzealous salesman.

What I am looking for is alternate options, and anything I should be aware
of as a neophite boater. Any links to info would also be welcome.

Thanks Everyone!

Best,

John
Harrisburg, PA