Boston Whaler Hull Length--Part of Bob D's Plans

[jimh]

Boston Whaler model naming in the period when Bob Dougherty was the chief designer followed a rather subtle organization. I don't think this has ever been mentioned before. I just came across this information a short time ago while doing some research. There was a definite scheme to model designators. Here is the plan:

Boston Whaler boats that have the original rounded bottom hull (developed by Fisher, Hunt, and Dougherty) were all designated with odd-number hull lengths. Thus we have the 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19, and 21-foot hulls from the early classic era. All these hulls have a somewhat rounded bottom. (And that is why the "16" hull became the "17" hull with its re-design in c.1972; the length did not change, but to make the naming scheme consistent this boat had to change to an odd-number model designation.)

When Dougherty designed the newer classic hulls with a distinctly different shape--a V-bottom carried all the way to the transom, he gave these new boats a model designator with even-number hull lengths, beginning with the first V-hull, the c.1979 Outrage V-20. Thus we have the 18, 20, 22, and 24-foot hulls.

About now readers are probably saying--"What classic 24-foot model?" The 24-foot 6-inch boat we know as the OUTRAGE 25 was supposed to be called the OUTRAGE 24, according to Dougherty's naming scheme, because of its V-hull design. By the time the catalogue was developed, the marketing guys changed the OUTRAGE 24 into the OUTRAGE 25 to make it sound bigger. So the OUTRAGE 25 hull is the exception to Bob D's naming scheme.

This information comes right from Bob Dougherty, himself, in an old magazine article I have come across. When I have more time, I will be reproducing this article--it is a gem of information--and making it available on the website. (A project for the non-boating season coming soon to northern Michigan.)

[JaySul]

Thanks Jim. My V-20 Outrage was built in January 1978 so you can comfortably eliminate the c.1979 from your description.
Jay

[jimh]

Jay--refer to the REFERENCE article on the V-20. It notes that the first hulls were made in 1978. Cf.:

http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/V20Outrage/

I believe the first appearance of the V-20 in a full product catalogue was in the 1979 edition. There was a small flyer produced in 1978.

[buzzardsbay]

Jim--nice tidbit on length designations. Didn't make it into the History "Unsinkable" though. In my boat registration State of Massachusetts (MA) for the postal service, for some screwy reason boat registrations are "MS" and not "MA". When cruising the Canadian Canals I get some lockkeepers asking, you all the way from Mississippi ? Go figure.