When it comes to vehicles of any kind, it is a pretty safe bet to presume that we all appreciate when the vehicle we choose has a history and a legacy that comes along with it. We see it all the time — cars like the Corvette and Porsche 911 both come from long lines of automotive history, and that longevity lends them a sort of depth to their intrinsic character that can’t be replicated any other way. When it comes to boats, one such boat that emulates that same historical legacy is the Boston Whaler. This fishing boat should come with its own book of legendary stories from owners over the years. Specifically the Montauk line has been a fan favorite for years with models like the 150 Montauk and 210 Montauk. But one of the latest and greatest version is the 190 Montauk.
The 190 Montauk starts off with an interesting and ingenious marketing strategy — a first for the Whaler, it is sold with a galvanized metal trailer already fitted for the 190. Bright LED taillights, and disc brakes both make it a very modern and useful addition to an already solid fishing boat package. Even the swing away tongue is helpful when storing the Whaler in tight spaces.
Brunswick is the parent company of the Boston Whaler, and they also happen to be the owners of another related company — Mercury Motor. Soooo, it probably doesn’t come as much of a surprise that the 190 Montauk features a standard 115 horsepower FourStroke outboard Mercury Marine motor, and also an optional 150 horsepower FourStroke Mercury outboard to hook up to your transom.
The layout of the 190 is very functional and useful for all sorts of purposes. Sure, a fishing boat’s primary mission in life is to make angling fun and easy, but we all know that one can only fish for so long before the wife and kids start getting restless and need a little reprieve. The forward deck of the 190 aims to offer up a solution to help everyone out. For those that want to just sit back and enjoy the sunshine with a pina colada, there is a sun-lounge pad that slides out to cover up the foredeck, but beneath that pad hides an overboard-draining fishbone and dedicated anchor storage box. Other more fishing oriented options can be had by checking off the Fishing Package box on the sales sheet. This fun package features a 72-quart cooler with a backrest, two tackle drawers, four rod holders mounted to the console. The live well is additional but worth it, as are the full railings or the low-profile grab rails. The cupholders at the top of the motor well are standard however, and thankfully so.
With a length overall of 19’4”, a beam of 8’0’ and a displacement of 2,000 pounds, the 190 Montauk feels sturdy out on the water. Of course the rumors that the Whaler boats are unsinkable doesn’t hurt either. Although, we can recall another sea going vessel that made claim to be unsinkable some years ago, and that didn’t turn out too well … Nevertheless, the 190’s construction has evolved substantially from the time of the Titanic — the ‘Unibond’ construction of the hull and deck does make a very compelling case that those crazy claims, might not be so crazy after all. The hull and deck are put into a mold together and then closed-cell foam is forced between the two under enormous pressure which essentially bonds the two pieces into a single structure that will stay afloat even if the boat is chopped in two, or three pieces. Bring on the icebergs!
Depending on how you look at it, the fact that the Whaler has gotten rid of all the wood from its design to make upkeep much easier and rot a thing of the past, it seems that the powers that be may have a soft spot for history too as evidenced by the brand new optional teak trim on the helm footrest and swim platform. Not surprising that this optional gets rolled out just in time to honor the 60th anniversary of the Boston Whaler. The little things like that make all the difference, because nothing can replicate heritage, and knowing where you’ve come from makes it much easier to know where you’re going. The Boston Whaler 190 Montauk has a legacy and lives up to its name.
