Boston Whaler Boats for Sale

Dick Fisher, Ray Hunt and the 13

Dick Fisher was a Harvard philosophy graduate who co-founded Fisher-Pierce, an electrical products company. In the 1950s he started building small boats from foam sandwiched in fiberglass. His friend C. Raymond Hunt, the naval architect later known for the deep-V hull, suggested using the idea on a small outboard boat and drew the lines. The 13-foot Boston Whaler debuted at the 1958 New York Boat Show, built by Fisher-Pierce in Braintree, Massachusetts.

In 1961 Life magazine ran the famous photo of Fisher, in his tweed jacket and bow tie, sitting in the stern of a Whaler while it was sawed in half. It still floated. The company moved to a 20,000-square-foot plant on Hingham Street in Rockland, Massachusetts, and stayed there for 25 years.

Unibond construction

Whaler calls its method Unibond. The hull and the inner liner are laid up in fiberglass at the same time, clamped together while still curing, and polyurethane foam is injected into the gap from the bow. It expands, flows aft, and comes out a relief hole in the stern, so you know the void is full. Fisher also used shear braces between the skins, a detail the company kept secret long after the patent expired. Unibond is still used on every Whaler.

Classic models

• 13: the original, with a cathedral hull and a flattened center section aft that keeps clean water at the prop.
• 16 and 17 footers: introduced in 1961. Fisher kept the center console he had used for testing, which made it the industry's first center console boat. The early Nauset, Eastport and Sakonnet had mahogany consoles.
• Montauk: the first 16 Montauk came in 1973 and went on the market in 1974. It is basically an enlarged 13 with a big center console, a self-draining cockpit and low freeboard. The 150 Montauk came later.

What to check on a used Whaler

Hull damage and water in the foam. Look for cracks, deep gouges and old repairs, especially on the keel and chines. Any break in the glass can let water into the foam over time, which makes the boat heavier. Ask whether the boat has been weighed, and compare the weight with the original spec.

Transom and fittings. Check around the motor mounting bolts, drain plugs and any holes drilled for transducers or accessories. Water gets in at these spots.

Wood. On classics, mahogany consoles, seats and rails are often rotted or replaced. Original wood in good shape adds value.

Engine. Get the hours and records, and check the lower unit and compression. Classics often have repowers, so ask the year of the motor, not just the boat.

Hull number. The hull identification number tells you the year. Check it against the title and the seller's story.