Boston Whaler is a popular American boat manufacturing company. It was founded on June 5th, 1958, by Dick Fisher. It is subordinate to the Brunswick Boat Group, which is a division of the well-known Brunswick corporation. Originally, the Boston Whalers were in production back in Massachusetts, but they are presently undergoing production in Edgewater.
History
Richard Dick Fisher did his graduation from Harvard University back in 1936. He was running a company that partook in making small and lightweight boats. Balsa wood was utilized for creating these boats. He produced a design of the rowboat, but he never finished it.
Fisher was able to create a tiny sailing dinghy that contains polyurethane foam. It had a design that was the same as the sunfish. Fisher displayed the product to his companion, naval architect C. Raymond Hunt. However, Hunt found the design to be unfitting for sailboats even though he noticed the potential it carried. Instead, he produced a style based on the Hickman Sea Sled consisting of a cathedral hull.
He built a prototype with Epoxy and Styrofoam that possesses two heels. He was impressed by it, but the boat started having cavitation and handling issues under rough weather. So, he decided to approach the original creator of the wooden sea sled “Hickman” for a solution. However, Hickman concluded that the model needed no modifications. But Fisher decided to put some things on the bottom to advance that airy water out. It was a lot of trial and error on his part, but he never gave up.
He would always bring the boat back into his house and start over. The boat started to possess a small V bottom and two runners at the sides. He approached Hunt again for examining the design modifications. Hunt proceeded to insert his modifications to the prototype, particularly a 3rd runner in the hull’s center. Fisher then proceeded to build a prototype based on these new changes to act as a plug for the mold of the production.
Both Hunt and Fisher took the boat for sea trials. During these trials, Fisher was able to find another loophole in the design. The boat was very wet in comparison to the previous boat. He believed the sole spanning 9-inches wide tossing spray into the boat had something to do with it. Changes made by adding to the flat center right between the 3-chines, converting it into a V-shape since the mold was already gone past production.
This specific design became the popular and original Boston Whaler 13 back in 1956. The boats produced by the manufacturing company of Fisher-Pierce in 1958 were up for sale under the name tag of “Boston Whaler.” The boats possessed amazing capacity and were incredibly stable. It had a great performance and displayed excellent handling under rough weather. The boats were pretty lightweight in comparison to other boats during that time. Lower horsepower engines are used to propel it.
Generally, the brand changed its designs and shifted to a more standard deep-vee hull. Plus, after 1996, the production of tri-hull boats was stopped. The Boat Whaler boat operation was previously under various companies, but the Brunswick Corporation finally occupied it in 1996 by splurging an amount of $27.4 million in cash and debt.
Users
Boston Whalers are mainly under the category of recreational boats, but Brunswick Boats keeps a commercial division that markets these boats to naval units and coast guards globally. Boston Whalers were utilized back in the day by United States Coast Guard (USCG) and Navy SEALs for river patrol and rescue missions. It has done a great job of attracting many loyal fans and owners.
Active discussion forums within the internet attest to the wide allegiance to the company. Boston Whalers are excellent for sport fishing, runabout, and water skiing. It is also usable as a tender on bigger yachts.
- Fun Fact – The Bolivian Naval Force possesses over 32 Boston Whalers within its fleet.
Current Models
The production of current models usually ranges in length from about 11.3 to 42.5 feet that equals (3.4 till 13.0 meters). Brunswick corporation also owns the division of Mercury Marine. That is why the newer models of Boston Whalers, just like other Brunswick boats carry mercury engines. They are all in shipment from the same factory that equips these engines.
Some of the current recreational models:
- Tender, 11.3 feet (Length), Skiff (Layout), 5 (Min HP) & 15 (Max HP).
- Montauk, 15.4 feet (Length), Center Console (Layout), 40 (Min HP), & 60 (Max HP).
- Dauntless, 17 feet (Length), Center Console (Layout), 90 (Min HP), & 115 (Max HP).
Some of the current commercial models:
- Guardian, Based on Montauk, 15 feet (Length), Center Console (Layout), 40 (Min HP), & 60 (Max HP).
- Justice, Based on Conquest, 20 feet (Length), Center Console (Layout), 135 (Min HP) & 250 (Max HP).
- Challenger, Based on Conquest, 27 feet (Length), Cuddy Rain (Layout), 300 (Min HP) & 600 (Max HP).
Summing It Up!
Boston Whaler has been in the game for over 60 years now. Engineering some of the most forward-thinking and reliable boats, Boston Whalers have remained consistent throughout the decades. They keep pushing the limits, and the possibilities are endless for them. Boston Whalers is, without a doubt, in a class of its own. It has won a ton of accolades for a multitude of reasons. This heritage is certainly a cause for reflection and celebration as well.
