Boston Whaler

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Boston Whaler outward bound in Boston Harbor, 2002.

Boston Whaler, classically, refers to a series of small open boats characterized by a fiberglass, foam cored, twin V-hull, outboard engine and a center steering console. They are manufacturered by Boston Whaler, Inc.

The original 13 foot Whaler hull was produced in 1956 by Richard T. ("Dick") Fisher and C. Raymond Hunt. The hull used, the then new, polyurethane foam to fill a fiberglass skinHebert, Jim. (Feb. 2000). ["Original Design and Conception of the 13-foot Whaler Hull"]. Retrieved June 9, 2006. This provided tremendous strength, bouyancy, and sound deadening.

The Boston Whaler, or just Whaler, earned a reputation for being a tough work boat in coastal New England waters. The Whaler is in service with coast guard and naval units, worldwide. The Whaler is also a very popular recreational boat. It is used for sport fishing, water skiing, runabout, and as a tender on larger yachts.

Although originally Boston Whaler boats were manufactured in Massachusetts, the current manufacturing facility is in Edgewater, Florida. After numerous ownership changes over the years, Boston Whaler is currently owned by Brunswick Corporation in Lake Forest, Illinois. Brunswick also owns Mercury Marine; as a result, new Boston Whalers ship from the factory pre-powered with that type of engine.

Current recreational models

Current recreational production models range in centerline length from 11 to 32 feet (3.4 to 9.8 meters). Models include:

• Tender (11 feet)
• Sport (11, 13, or 15 feet)
• Montauk (15 or 17 feet)
• Dauntless (16, 18, or 22 feet)
• Ventura (18 or 21 feet)
• Outrage (19, 21, 24, 27 or 32 feet)
• Conquest (20, 23, 25, 28, or 30 feet)

Unsinkable

Boston Whaler has, for years, sawn boats in half as an advertising gimmick. The original 1961 Life magazine ad pictured Dick Fisher sitting in a floating 13' Whaler with a crosscut saw half way through the hull. After the cut was completed, Dick used the stern section to tow the bow section back to shore. Modern Whaler advertising uses a chain saw. Due to the foam core construction, the Whaler will remain afloat when sawn completely in half. Boston Whaler boats will also remain afloat when completely swamped (full of water). Due to the buoyancy, the deck normally floats above the water line allowing a swamped Whaler to be drained by pulling the drain plug at sea. Because of these attributes, Boston Whaler's trademarked sales line is "the unsinkable legend."

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