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Ed Stone posted 05-29-2000 05:56 AM ET (US)
Correct me if I'm wrong.Dick fisher owner & designer 1958 to 1969,owner CML/designer Bob Dougherty 69 to 89,owner Reebok/designer Peter Vanlanker 90 to 93,owner Meridian/designer? 93 to 96,owner Brunswick/designer? 96 to present.
kent posted 05-30-2000 12:12 AM ET (US)
I have come across some interesting information, well interesting to me anyway, about Ray Hunt, one of Boston Whalers original people. Apparently he is credited with designing the first hulls of another company that began producing "unsinkable" centre console boats in 1969 known as ROBALO. The first boat appeared at the 1968 Miami Boat Show. The company's founder was Jud Garvin. Garvin sold the company to AMF ( that's right, the same bowling guys that bought Harley Davidson) and AMF sold the company to guess who....BRUNSWICK!! in 1991. According to the info I read, Brunswick still owns them. It is interesting to me that Brunswick would own two apparently competing companies that both produce similiar boats. Has anyone else read this information? Is it true?
jimh posted 05-30-2000 12:58 AM ET (US)
The corporate history is going to be one of the next topics I try to reduce to a "REFERENCE" article.
I think you're pretty much on-track with your synopsis, although Bob D. might be coming in a little sooner. He was one of the first people hired by BW. I think he was a public school industrial arts teacher before coming to BW.
LHG is on the interstate right now, towing WHALE LURE back from Florida, but as soon as he is back in front of a computer I am sure he will have some comments.
--jimh
lhg posted 06-09-2000 04:37 AM ET (US)
Well, how can I resist this one! C Raymond Hunt did not actually work for Boston Whaler, but rather was/is and independent Naval Architect who has designed many boats, including the first Bertram, and even an Americas Cup sail boat. Besides the first Boston Whaler, he is credited with the invention of the Deep Vee.
I believe Bob Dougherty started at Boston Whaler in 1960. When he left Whaler in 1990 as it was sold to Reebok, and started up his own company producing "Marlin" boats (later changed to the very clever name of Edgewater - Whaler's new adopted home town), he advertized that he was Boston Whaler's design chief for 30 years.
Regarding Robalo, I don't know much about them except that they are, indeed, a Brunswick Company, along with Wahoo boats.
I was told that when Brunswick first bought Boston Whaler, they really didn't know what to do with it, so they made it part of an offshore fishing boat group including Robalo & Wahoo, Whaler's imitator! Well, that didn't work out very well, so they quickly moved it over to the Sea Ray Division. I just read today that Brunswick has sold six of their fishing boat brands, so Robalo and Wahoo might be gone. I'm not sure of this yet.
Regarding designers after the Van Lancker era,(94 or 95) I'm not really sure. But I think Van Lancker (now head of OMC's Boat division) brought in a fellow by the name of Scott Wood, who worked on the design of the Rage and 13 & 15 Dauntless, and probably some of the 3rd generation Outrages, and then left for Cris Craft during the end of the Meridian era, and then returned again to Boston Whaler. He may be the current chief designer, but that's only a guess. I'm sure some of Sea Ray's design teams are involved also, but I don't know this for a fact either. Whaler even advertizes that Sea Ray's mold design equipment is being used. The Sea Ray influence on the designs is definitely in evidence, and Sea Ray Dealers have advertized that now that Sea Ray owns the company, look for improved designs and improved boats.
whalernut posted 06-09-2000 05:25 PM ET (US)
I hope Sea Ray goes the trditional Whaler route in design and quality. It can`t get any worse than it is. I know it`s nice to see some manufacturers bringing back square transoms. In the late eighties Sea Ray went with euro-styling and now I`m seeing them slowly going back to a more traditional/conservative look. Let`s hope they do a better job this time around with the Whaler!Regards-Jack Graner.

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Author	Topic: owners/designers
Ed Stone	posted 05-29-2000 05:56 AM ET (US) Correct me if I'm wrong.Dick fisher owner & designer 1958 to 1969,owner CML/designer Bob Dougherty 69 to 89,owner Reebok/designer Peter Vanlanker 90 to 93,owner Meridian/designer? 93 to 96,owner Brunswick/designer? 96 to present.
kent	posted 05-30-2000 12:12 AM ET (US) I have come across some interesting information, well interesting to me anyway, about Ray Hunt, one of Boston Whalers original people. Apparently he is credited with designing the first hulls of another company that began producing "unsinkable" centre console boats in 1969 known as ROBALO. The first boat appeared at the 1968 Miami Boat Show. The company's founder was Jud Garvin. Garvin sold the company to AMF ( that's right, the same bowling guys that bought Harley Davidson) and AMF sold the company to guess who....BRUNSWICK!! in 1991. According to the info I read, Brunswick still owns them. It is interesting to me that Brunswick would own two apparently competing companies that both produce similiar boats. Has anyone else read this information? Is it true?
jimh	posted 05-30-2000 12:58 AM ET (US) The corporate history is going to be one of the next topics I try to reduce to a "REFERENCE" article. I think you're pretty much on-track with your synopsis, although Bob D. might be coming in a little sooner. He was one of the first people hired by BW. I think he was a public school industrial arts teacher before coming to BW. LHG is on the interstate right now, towing WHALE LURE back from Florida, but as soon as he is back in front of a computer I am sure he will have some comments. --jimh
lhg	posted 06-09-2000 04:37 AM ET (US) Well, how can I resist this one! C Raymond Hunt did not actually work for Boston Whaler, but rather was/is and independent Naval Architect who has designed many boats, including the first Bertram, and even an Americas Cup sail boat. Besides the first Boston Whaler, he is credited with the invention of the Deep Vee. I believe Bob Dougherty started at Boston Whaler in 1960. When he left Whaler in 1990 as it was sold to Reebok, and started up his own company producing "Marlin" boats (later changed to the very clever name of Edgewater - Whaler's new adopted home town), he advertized that he was Boston Whaler's design chief for 30 years. Regarding Robalo, I don't know much about them except that they are, indeed, a Brunswick Company, along with Wahoo boats. I was told that when Brunswick first bought Boston Whaler, they really didn't know what to do with it, so they made it part of an offshore fishing boat group including Robalo & Wahoo, Whaler's imitator! Well, that didn't work out very well, so they quickly moved it over to the Sea Ray Division. I just read today that Brunswick has sold six of their fishing boat brands, so Robalo and Wahoo might be gone. I'm not sure of this yet. Regarding designers after the Van Lancker era,(94 or 95) I'm not really sure. But I think Van Lancker (now head of OMC's Boat division) brought in a fellow by the name of Scott Wood, who worked on the design of the Rage and 13 & 15 Dauntless, and probably some of the 3rd generation Outrages, and then left for Cris Craft during the end of the Meridian era, and then returned again to Boston Whaler. He may be the current chief designer, but that's only a guess. I'm sure some of Sea Ray's design teams are involved also, but I don't know this for a fact either. Whaler even advertizes that Sea Ray's mold design equipment is being used. The Sea Ray influence on the designs is definitely in evidence, and Sea Ray Dealers have advertized that now that Sea Ray owns the company, look for improved designs and improved boats.
whalernut	posted 06-09-2000 05:25 PM ET (US) I hope Sea Ray goes the trditional Whaler route in design and quality. It can`t get any worse than it is. I know it`s nice to see some manufacturers bringing back square transoms. In the late eighties Sea Ray went with euro-styling and now I`m seeing them slowly going back to a more traditional/conservative look. Let`s hope they do a better job this time around with the Whaler!Regards-Jack Graner.