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Author Topic:   Just what are "Workboat Specifications"?

frontier posted 05-17-2003 12:58 AM ET (US)
On the early Whalers one of the options was "Workboat Specifications". Anybody know exactly what that is?
jimh posted 05-17-2003 01:18 AM ET (US)
The phrase "workboat specifications" refers to heavier laminate in the construction of the hull. It increased the price about ten percent. It also increased the weight.
jimh posted 05-17-2003 02:19 PM ET (US)
Here is an example of a Boston Whaler recreational boat with the "Workboat Specifications" option.
1976 15-foot bare hull
----------------------------
Price $1735
Weight 450-500 pounds
Options
-----------
Workboat Specifications $310
"WORKBOAT SPECIFICATIONS: Adds approximately 90 lbs. more glass and resin to the boat. Both inner and outer hulls are thicker with additional glass placed in high abrasion and impact areas. Recommended for commercial service."
----------------------
In this case the option added about 20-percent to the bare hull weight, and about 18-percent to the price. The percentages would be lower if you used the values for a SPORT model because of the higher weight and cost of the boat.
Hulls made with this option were believed to be identified by the application of a dot mark on the hull. I will rely on others to comment on what the dot was made of (i.e., was it a decal or part of the gel coat layer of the outer hull), and exactly where it was applied.
jimp posted 05-18-2003 01:02 AM ET (US)
JimH -
The red dot is part of the gel coat on my boat (I thought it was a decal, but just walked out & checked it. Definitely NOT a decal). On the starboard side, it is about 2" aft of the Boston Whaler decal and located mid-way between the small Boston and large Whaler (but 2" aft).
JimP
jameso posted 05-19-2003 01:02 PM ET (US)
While not an expert on the subject I have owned two commerical hulls. The specs in reference are right except for boats that were built for the military or law enforcement. According to Chuck Bennett at Whaler these were often one of a kind layups and the extra glass (weight) varied some. The military being the heaviest. My Montauk LES was built on military specs and still had the mount for rear mounted tow eye or machine gun mount. Since the boat was a former GA DNR boat Chuck said they probably ordered a "boat" and whaler had that one in stock.
Yes the red dot is their trade mark. I don't know what it is made of seems be a translucent glass type material. I first thought this was some type laser reflector, it's not.
Jim Armstrong
P.S. I WILL NOT sell the next LES I accquire.
doobee posted 05-19-2003 10:06 PM ET (US)
Red dot = recreational hull
Black dot = commercial hull
(not to be confused with the black spot so oft employed by Long John Silver)
Dots are gelcoat, so they are quite permanent.
jimh posted 05-19-2003 10:47 PM ET (US)
I am confused now with the color scheme and what it means
No dot = recreational hull, right?
Red dot = workboat specs on recreational hull?
Black dot = commercial grade hull?
Could we have an elaboration, please.
Thanks.
jimp posted 05-19-2003 10:52 PM ET (US)
JimH -
I'll join you in the confused state... When I got my boat, the previous owner (who had purchased her new) said the red dot indicated a commercial hull. His sayng that, and the info on this forum is all the information I have on it.
JimP
gnr posted 05-20-2003 09:17 AM ET (US)
You sure about that Doobee?
I'm pretty sure the red dot is on commercial boats.
My Guardian has the red dot.

PMUCCIOLO posted 05-20-2003 09:47 AM ET (US)
Under the hull ID #'s imprinted on the stern of my CPD hulls, another imprint was made reading "WB." There are no colored dots.
PM
gnr posted 05-20-2003 09:57 AM ET (US)
Those of us that are using our boats for reference should probably include the year of manufacture as things could have changed.
My red dotted Guardian was made in 1986.
PMUCCIOLO posted 05-20-2003 10:18 AM ET (US)
gnr,
That is essential information! The 17 is a 2001, and the 15 is a 2003.
PM
gnr posted 05-20-2003 10:35 AM ET (US)
According to the reference section of this website the hull ID number format for the CPD hulls changed from "BWC" to "WCG" in July of 2001. This may explain why your CPD boats do not have the red dot.
No need to differentiate with a red dot if the hull ID number does the differentiatin'
for you.
I'd still like to hear more about this black dot. I've never heard of that.
PMUCCIOLO posted 05-20-2003 02:42 PM ET (US)
gnr,
Thank you for the information. I was curious about the differences in the designations.
Paul
doobee posted 05-20-2003 11:24 PM ET (US)
I apologise for not being specific. Jim's assumption is correct. Red dot is recreational boat built to commercial spec. Black dot is a commercial hull built to commercial spec. This is what I remember from the early nineties.
It seems odd to me that a grey hull trimmed in black would have a red dot, however, the black dot could be a figment of my failing imagination. Perhaps it is just the dot that designates the commercial spec, and then they picked the appropriate color to match the decals. What color is the Guardian hull that has the red dot? Sorry to cause all this "spec"ulation.
In theory, a serial number should be sufficient to designate the hull spec to the people building it. However, when your typical production employee is a Cape Verdean that doesn't speak, or read the English language, the conspicuous dot on the side was an easy way to keep hull from being routed to the wrong conversion area.
Whaler will build hulls to meet specific criteria set by the buyer, such as extra laminate for strength, or kevlar for bulletproofing. There is no truth to the rumor that Whaler built glass bottom boats for the new Italian Navy.
lhg posted 05-20-2003 11:45 PM ET (US)
I had always assumed the red dots represented the "workboat specifications" when ordered on the recreational hulls. These were not CPD boats, I assumed. Sometime around 1990, BW's price book stopped offering the "red dot" recreational boats.
I also had thought the "red dot" boats were the precursors of the CPD division. Tom Clark's CD may have additional information in the price book sections. I know that when I ordered my '89 Outrage, the workboat specs were still available.
doobee posted 05-21-2003 12:16 AM ET (US)
All molding facilities produced both commercial and recreational hulls. CPD hulls were then sent to the CPD facility for final conversion. The dots were still being used when CPD was selling boats, at least into the early nineties. I believe Whaler would still build workboat hulls at dealer request, even though they were not listed in the price books.
gnr posted 05-21-2003 08:44 AM ET (US)
doobee,
My Guardian is grey with black trim.
Chuck B. confirmed for me that it was built as a Guardian.
I double checked the dot last night and it is a red dot about 6" below the rub rail and 14" forward of the transom on the starboard side.
What would be the differences between a recreational hull built to commercial spec and a commercial hull built to commercial spec be?
Louie Kokinis posted 05-21-2003 10:25 AM ET (US)
I�m just going to add my .02 to the confusion :)
My understanding is that commercial hulls shipped with standard gel colors (ie beige for classics and white for post classics) have red dots to differentiate them from recreational Whalers. New Guardians built in beige gel, are shipped with a red dot and �WB� at the transom � grey Guardians do not have a red dot but do have 'WB' stamped at the transom.
Older Outrages built to Guardian specs also had red dots to differentiate them from recreational outrages. For example, if one were to order a new 27 Outrage built to commercial specs, it would be shipped with a red dot.
doobee posted 05-21-2003 10:58 PM ET (US)
When I was at Whaler ('87 - '92), the difference between a recreational hull built to commercial spec and a commercial hull were subtle.
For starters, the standard color for recreational hulls was desert tan with a red Whaler logo. The standard color for commercial boats was haze grey with a black Whaler logo. Also, commercial hulls had a different rub rail that was thicker, and all black. I was associating the black dot with the black and grey color scheme. That could be my error, but that's what I remember.
Did I mention how strong the fiberglass fumes were in that neighborhood? I swear I can still smell them today when I shop at the Home Depot which now occupies that site.
doobee posted 05-24-2003 10:50 PM ET (US)
I saw a former Piranha class gunboat today. At first glance the dot looked black, but on closer inspection, one of the dots had a chip in it, revealing red. It does appear that all the dots are red.
DIVE 1 posted 05-24-2003 11:14 PM ET (US)
The hull on our 22' Raider was grey with black dots.

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Author	Topic: Just what are "Workboat Specifications"?
frontier	posted 05-17-2003 12:58 AM ET (US) On the early Whalers one of the options was "Workboat Specifications". Anybody know exactly what that is?
jimh	posted 05-17-2003 01:18 AM ET (US) The phrase "workboat specifications" refers to heavier laminate in the construction of the hull. It increased the price about ten percent. It also increased the weight.
jimh	posted 05-17-2003 02:19 PM ET (US) Here is an example of a Boston Whaler recreational boat with the "Workboat Specifications" option. 1976 15-foot bare hull ---------------------------- Price $1735 Weight 450-500 pounds Options ----------- Workboat Specifications $310 "WORKBOAT SPECIFICATIONS: Adds approximately 90 lbs. more glass and resin to the boat. Both inner and outer hulls are thicker with additional glass placed in high abrasion and impact areas. Recommended for commercial service." ---------------------- In this case the option added about 20-percent to the bare hull weight, and about 18-percent to the price. The percentages would be lower if you used the values for a SPORT model because of the higher weight and cost of the boat. Hulls made with this option were believed to be identified by the application of a dot mark on the hull. I will rely on others to comment on what the dot was made of (i.e., was it a decal or part of the gel coat layer of the outer hull), and exactly where it was applied.
jimp	posted 05-18-2003 01:02 AM ET (US) JimH - The red dot is part of the gel coat on my boat (I thought it was a decal, but just walked out & checked it. Definitely NOT a decal). On the starboard side, it is about 2" aft of the Boston Whaler decal and located mid-way between the small Boston and large Whaler (but 2" aft). JimP
jameso	posted 05-19-2003 01:02 PM ET (US) While not an expert on the subject I have owned two commerical hulls. The specs in reference are right except for boats that were built for the military or law enforcement. According to Chuck Bennett at Whaler these were often one of a kind layups and the extra glass (weight) varied some. The military being the heaviest. My Montauk LES was built on military specs and still had the mount for rear mounted tow eye or machine gun mount. Since the boat was a former GA DNR boat Chuck said they probably ordered a "boat" and whaler had that one in stock. Yes the red dot is their trade mark. I don't know what it is made of seems be a translucent glass type material. I first thought this was some type laser reflector, it's not. Jim Armstrong P.S. I WILL NOT sell the next LES I accquire.
doobee	posted 05-19-2003 10:06 PM ET (US) Red dot = recreational hull Black dot = commercial hull (not to be confused with the black spot so oft employed by Long John Silver) Dots are gelcoat, so they are quite permanent.
jimh	posted 05-19-2003 10:47 PM ET (US) I am confused now with the color scheme and what it means No dot = recreational hull, right? Red dot = workboat specs on recreational hull? Black dot = commercial grade hull? Could we have an elaboration, please. Thanks.
jimp	posted 05-19-2003 10:52 PM ET (US) JimH - I'll join you in the confused state... When I got my boat, the previous owner (who had purchased her new) said the red dot indicated a commercial hull. His sayng that, and the info on this forum is all the information I have on it. JimP
gnr	posted 05-20-2003 09:17 AM ET (US) You sure about that Doobee? I'm pretty sure the red dot is on commercial boats. My Guardian has the red dot.
PMUCCIOLO	posted 05-20-2003 09:47 AM ET (US) Under the hull ID #'s imprinted on the stern of my CPD hulls, another imprint was made reading "WB." There are no colored dots. PM
gnr	posted 05-20-2003 09:57 AM ET (US) Those of us that are using our boats for reference should probably include the year of manufacture as things could have changed. My red dotted Guardian was made in 1986.
PMUCCIOLO	posted 05-20-2003 10:18 AM ET (US) gnr, That is essential information! The 17 is a 2001, and the 15 is a 2003. PM
gnr	posted 05-20-2003 10:35 AM ET (US) According to the reference section of this website the hull ID number format for the CPD hulls changed from "BWC" to "WCG" in July of 2001. This may explain why your CPD boats do not have the red dot. No need to differentiate with a red dot if the hull ID number does the differentiatin' for you. I'd still like to hear more about this black dot. I've never heard of that.
PMUCCIOLO	posted 05-20-2003 02:42 PM ET (US) gnr, Thank you for the information. I was curious about the differences in the designations. Paul
doobee	posted 05-20-2003 11:24 PM ET (US) I apologise for not being specific. Jim's assumption is correct. Red dot is recreational boat built to commercial spec. Black dot is a commercial hull built to commercial spec. This is what I remember from the early nineties. It seems odd to me that a grey hull trimmed in black would have a red dot, however, the black dot could be a figment of my failing imagination. Perhaps it is just the dot that designates the commercial spec, and then they picked the appropriate color to match the decals. What color is the Guardian hull that has the red dot? Sorry to cause all this "spec"ulation. In theory, a serial number should be sufficient to designate the hull spec to the people building it. However, when your typical production employee is a Cape Verdean that doesn't speak, or read the English language, the conspicuous dot on the side was an easy way to keep hull from being routed to the wrong conversion area. Whaler will build hulls to meet specific criteria set by the buyer, such as extra laminate for strength, or kevlar for bulletproofing. There is no truth to the rumor that Whaler built glass bottom boats for the new Italian Navy.
lhg	posted 05-20-2003 11:45 PM ET (US) I had always assumed the red dots represented the "workboat specifications" when ordered on the recreational hulls. These were not CPD boats, I assumed. Sometime around 1990, BW's price book stopped offering the "red dot" recreational boats. I also had thought the "red dot" boats were the precursors of the CPD division. Tom Clark's CD may have additional information in the price book sections. I know that when I ordered my '89 Outrage, the workboat specs were still available.
doobee	posted 05-21-2003 12:16 AM ET (US) All molding facilities produced both commercial and recreational hulls. CPD hulls were then sent to the CPD facility for final conversion. The dots were still being used when CPD was selling boats, at least into the early nineties. I believe Whaler would still build workboat hulls at dealer request, even though they were not listed in the price books.
gnr	posted 05-21-2003 08:44 AM ET (US) doobee, My Guardian is grey with black trim. Chuck B. confirmed for me that it was built as a Guardian. I double checked the dot last night and it is a red dot about 6" below the rub rail and 14" forward of the transom on the starboard side. What would be the differences between a recreational hull built to commercial spec and a commercial hull built to commercial spec be?
Louie Kokinis	posted 05-21-2003 10:25 AM ET (US) I�m just going to add my .02 to the confusion :) My understanding is that commercial hulls shipped with standard gel colors (ie beige for classics and white for post classics) have red dots to differentiate them from recreational Whalers. New Guardians built in beige gel, are shipped with a red dot and �WB� at the transom � grey Guardians do not have a red dot but do have 'WB' stamped at the transom. Older Outrages built to Guardian specs also had red dots to differentiate them from recreational outrages. For example, if one were to order a new 27 Outrage built to commercial specs, it would be shipped with a red dot.
doobee	posted 05-21-2003 10:58 PM ET (US) When I was at Whaler ('87 - '92), the difference between a recreational hull built to commercial spec and a commercial hull were subtle. For starters, the standard color for recreational hulls was desert tan with a red Whaler logo. The standard color for commercial boats was haze grey with a black Whaler logo. Also, commercial hulls had a different rub rail that was thicker, and all black. I was associating the black dot with the black and grey color scheme. That could be my error, but that's what I remember. Did I mention how strong the fiberglass fumes were in that neighborhood? I swear I can still smell them today when I shop at the Home Depot which now occupies that site.
doobee	posted 05-24-2003 10:50 PM ET (US) I saw a former Piranha class gunboat today. At first glance the dot looked black, but on closer inspection, one of the dots had a chip in it, revealing red. It does appear that all the dots are red.
DIVE 1	posted 05-24-2003 11:14 PM ET (US) The hull on our 22' Raider was grey with black dots.