2020 $192,000
2020 Boston Whaler 270 Dauntless
Twin V300
← Back to BoatVerdict MEDIUM MEDIUM HIGH LOW
2021 Boston Whaler 270 Dauntless
Miami, FL · 27 ft · 520 engine hrs · asking $232,000
View original listing ↗ 61 Buy Score / 100 Proceed carefully
2021 Boston Whaler 270 Dauntless, twin Mercury Verado 300s with 520 hours, dealer-listed in Miami at $232,000. The hull and engines are excellent and the resale liquidity is strong, but the price sits about 28% above the corpus midpoint and the comparable set, and 520 hours over four seasons (130 hrs/yr) is firm use that the price doesn't reflect. This is a negotiate, not a pass: the right number is in the high-$190s to low-$200s, contingent on a Mercury service history and a survey.
Fair value
$163,000 to $198,500
2021 Boston Whaler 270 Dauntless: corpus band $163,000–$198,500 (adjusted for 520 hrs vs. ~300 expected for a 5-yr-old boat → -9%; saltwater service (FL), 5 yrs old → −3%).
Comparable boats
Same-year 270 Dauntless hulls trade $192K–$209K with fewer hours than this boat. The standout: a 2022 with 180 hours lists at $238K — only $6K more than this 2021 with 520 hours, which exposes how aggressively this one is priced. Cross-shop Grady Canyon 271 and Pursuit S 268 at $218K–$235K offer comparable boats with lighter use and (on the Grady/Pursuit) the Yamaha resale edge. Nothing here justifies $232K.
2021 $209,000
2021 Boston Whaler 270 Dauntless
Dealer, twin V300, ~310 hrs — fewer hours, lower price
2021 $218,000
2021 Pursuit S 268 Sport
Cross-shop, twin Yamaha
2021 $235,000
2021 Grady-White Canyon 271
Cross-shop, twin Yamaha F300
2022 $238,000
2022 Boston Whaler 270 Dauntless
Newer, half the hours, only $6K more
Risk flags
Saltwater service region
Listed in FL, a saltwater state. On a 5-year-old hull, expect corrosion in trim tabs, transom hardware, and electrical bus bars. Inspect aluminum components and the bilge.
Recent hurricane impact zone
FL was within the 2024–2025 Atlantic / Gulf hurricane track. Verify the listing history did not include flood damage, dock submersion, or insurance write-off.
Listed ~28% above comparable hulls
Corpus midpoint and same-year comps put this boat in the $190K–$209K range given its 520 hours; the $232,000 ask is roughly 28% above the comp midpoint and within $6K of a 2022 with one-third the hours.
Dealer boilerplate in description
The description carries an unfilled 'Stock #—' placeholder. Minor, but on a $232K listing it signals a dealer who hasn't tailored the listing — and often hasn't pulled the real service history either.
Engine risk
85 / 100
Modern Mercury V8/V10 FourStroke and supercharged Verado are strong, smooth, and well-supported, a clear step up from the OptiMax era. Slightly behind Yamaha on resale trust but closing fast, and often better integrated (joystick, digital throttle). At 104 hrs/yr this is normal recreational use for the age. 100-hour service; supercharged Verado adds the supercharger oil interval. Check for corroded battery cables and the SmartCraft harness on saltwater boats.
Resale liquidity
84 / 100
Strong family-fishing crossover; holds value but the buyer pool thins above $200K. Liquidity is a genuine strength here — buy it right and it re-sells easily. The risk is buying it wrong: pay $232K and you've pre-spent your resale cushion.
Known model issues
-
medium Bow rope-locker drain cracking reported on 2019–2021 hulls — check for gelcoat stress lines at the drain. -
low Twin Verado 300s burn 28–34 gph at cruise; confirm this matches the buyer's budget before falling for the hull.
Ownership cost
$14,000 – $26,000
insurance $3,500–$5,200 (≈1.5–2.2% of hull value, twin outboard, South FL saltwater)
slip or storage $6,000–$14,000 (Miami wet slip or dry-stack for a 27-footer)
fuel $3,000–$5,500 (~100 hrs/yr × twin V300 ~30 gph × ~$4.50/gal premium)
service $2,000–$3,500 (twin Verado annual service; supercharger oil interval)
winterize $0 (South FL)
Twin-outboard 27-footers in Miami run $14–26K/yr all-in. The fuel and slip line dominate; budget accordingly before the purchase price even matters.
Inspection checklist
Print this and bring it to the survey, or send to your surveyor as a starting point.
- Inspect the bow rope-locker drain and surrounding gelcoat for cracks.
- Confirm the joystick docking (if equipped) calibrates cleanly — repairs are dealer-only and costly.
- Pull both Verado cowlings; photograph the SmartCraft harness and battery cables for saltwater corrosion at 520 hours.
- Inspect the bow rope-locker drain and surrounding gelcoat for the known 2019–2021 cracking.
- Confirm the joystick docking calibrates cleanly on the sea trial — repairs are dealer-only and costly.
Negotiation script
Use the asks verbatim. The rationale lines aren't for the seller — they're your evidence to push back if they refuse.
-
"Open at $198,000, contingent on a clean survey and a full Mercury service-history pull on both engines."
Why: Same-year comps sit $192K–$209K with fewer hours. $198K puts you mid-comp while accounting for the 520 hours, which are heavier than every comp in the set.
-
"If they hold above $215K, walk to the 2022 with 180 hours at $238K or the Grady Canyon 271 at $235K."
Why: $6K more buys a newer boat with one-third the hours, or a Yamaha-powered Grady with better resale. The alternatives are real and on the market now.
-
"Require documented dates of the last 100-hour service on each Verado before any deposit."
Why: At 130 hrs/yr the supercharger oil and service intervals matter; undocumented service is a $1.5–3K risk you price into the offer.
Final verdict
Negotiate, don't pass. The 270 Dauntless is a strong, liquid boat and the twin Verado 300s are a clean engine package — but the dealer has priced a 520-hour 2021 about 28% over the comparable set, within $6K of a 2022 with a third of the hours. Open at $198K with survey and service-history contingencies. If they won't come under ~$210K, the 2022 low-hour boat and the Grady Canyon 271 are better buys at the same money.