Boston Whaler
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Boston Whaler, classically, refers to a series of boats characterized by a fiberglass, foam cored, often twin V-hull, outboard engine and a center steering console. They are manufactured by Boston Whaler, Inc.
The original 13 foot (4 meter) 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 skin[1]. This design is now also used by some other manufacturers and provides tremendous strength, buoyancy, and sound deadening when compared traditionally constructed fiberglass boats.
The Boston Whaler, or just Whaler, was one of the manufacturers that earned a reputation for being a tough work boat in coastal New England waters. Boston Whaler boats have been purchased by coast guard and naval units, worldwide[2]. The Whaler is also a 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, like all other Brunswick boats, ship from the factory pre-powered with Mercury engines.
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[edit] Current recreational models
Current recreational production models range in centerline length from 9 to 32 feet (2.7 to 9.8 meters). Models include:
- Tender (9 or 11 feet)
- Sport (11, 13, or 15 feet)
- Montauk (15, 17, or 19 feet)
- Dauntless (16, 18, 20, or 22 feet)
- Ventura (18 or 21 feet)
- Outrage (19, 21, 24, 27, or 32 feet)
- Conquest (20, 23, 25, 28, or 30 feet)
[edit] Unsinkable
Boston Whaler has, for years, sawn boats in half as an advertising stunt. The original 1961 Life magazine ad pictured Dick Fisher sitting in a floating 13' Whaler with a crosscut saw half way through the hull[1]. 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 would also remain afloat when completely swamped (full of water). Because of these attributes, Boston Whaler's trademarked sales line was and is "the unsinkable legend."
Today this "unsinkable" attribute is not exclusive to Boston Whalers. All modern boats under twenty five feet manufactured for sale in the United States are required by law to have positive flotation so that a completely swamped boat will still float.[3] This is accomplished by the use of closed cell foam incorporated in the boat. Boston Whalers hulls do, however, contain subtantially more foam floatation in their hulls than most traditionally constructed fiberglass boats providing additional flotation.
[edit] References
- ^ a b Hebert, Jim. (Feb. 2000). "Original Design and Conception of the 13-foot Whaler Hull". Retrieved 2006-06-09
- ^ Patrol Craft Sold for Export. Retrieved on June 24, 2006.
- ^ Boatbuilder's Handbook - Flotation. U.S. Coast Guard. Retrieved on September 19, 2006.
[edit] External links
- Manufacturer's Web Site
- Boston Whaler Online Parts Catalog
- Drawings and Information for Classic Boston Whalers
- continuous Wave: Whaler (Boston Whaler) - an online encyclopedia of Whaler reference material
- The Boston Whaler Catalog Collection
- Whaler Central
- Brunswick Corporation
