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Author Topic:   ROBALO Boats: Historical Information

tjb22 posted 03-06-2006 03:48 PM ET (US)
I know [the discussion area on the CONTINOUSWAVE WEBSITE where I am posting this article] is a [Boston Whaler Boat discussion site], but I [plan to buy] a 20 foot Robalo. It has some small cracks around the Starboard bow gunwales and on the [forward] storage area, a little bigger than the normal spider cracks that all boats seem to get. Anyone know anything about [spider cracks]?
Thanks
T
WHALER27CC posted 03-06-2006 05:23 PM ET (US)
Welcome-
They are usually stress cracks . Those cracks are usually a result of stress being put on the hull either from the years of being on the water, or from the occasional mishap from docking, etc...
They will need to be repaired if they are deep, because of the damage water intrusion can cause. Use the search function here, and although the repairs apply to Whalers, they will pretty much be the same on the Robalo, as it also foam filled(depending on the year).
You may find more resources on the Robalo, by going to WWW.THEHULLTRUTH.COM . There is a guy on ther that goes by the name MR Robalo, he is very knowledgeable as he used to work for the original owners
jimh posted 03-06-2006 08:06 PM ET (US)
Your ambiguous use of the pronoun "them" has resulted in your article eliciting a reply about spider cracks. I think you were probably intending to elicit replies about ROBALO brand boats. I recommend you follow the suggestion given above regarding spider cracks and Robalo information.
ROBOLO boats were considered a knock-off brand of Boston Whaler. I recall some history associated with ROBALO which might include a lawsuit or other legal action to stop them from selling copies of Boston Whaler boats. I think at one time they might have been owned by Brunswick. There was little difference between the types of boats sold by Robalo and those of Boston Whaler, so I think Brunswick decided to sell Robalo. The choice of which brand to keep and which brand to sell does, in itself, say something about the relative value of the brands.
Usually, if you want a Boston Whaler type boat there is little reason to settle for a knock-off. Just get the real thing. Perhaps others might have some historical information about the relationship between ROBOLO and Boston Whaler. This would be interesting to know. As for the general value or condition of a particular Robalo boat, this is not in the focus of the website's area of concentration.
half shell posted 03-11-2006 12:21 PM ET (US)
UH I think wahoo! made the whaler knockoffs and they were bought by robalo and shut down.
Regards Bob
Tom W Clark posted 03-11-2006 12:24 PM ET (US)
ROBOLO never made a knock-off of a Boston Whaler.
jimh posted 03-11-2006 12:43 PM ET (US)
I believe mister half shell has seen my mistake. I was probably thinking of WAHOO boats.
However, did Brunswick own ROBALO at one time?
jimh posted 03-11-2006 01:06 PM ET (US)
Quoting myself from a REFERENCE article:
"When Brunswick purchased Boston Whaler from Meridian in May of 1996... Brunswick was already a large recreational conglomerate whose marine divisions consisted of two principal businesses, making boats and making engines to power them. The boat-making operations included Bayliner (and Trophy), Sea Ray, Maxum, Baja, and Robalo."
Robalo departed from Brunswick in 2001:
--------------------------------
Marine Products Corporation Announces Brunswick Corporation's Robalo Marine Segment Acquisition
June 05, 2001
Marine Products Corporation announced the acquisition of the operating and intangible assets of the Robalo Marine segment of the U.S. Marine division of Brunswick Corporation. Robalo Marine is a designer and manufacturer of offshore sport fishing boats. The purchase price and terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
----------------------------------
jimh posted 03-11-2006 01:08 PM ET (US)
This gets more interesting. Brunswick owned WAHOO boats, too:
"The new Whaler, bought by Brunswick Corp. in 1996, is part of the Illinois-based conglomerate that includes Mercury, Sea Ray, Bayliner, Wahoo and Robalo."
Source:
http://www.whaler.com/Rec/default.asp?content=customersatisfaction
jimh posted 03-11-2006 01:14 PM ET (US)
Actually, there are all sorts of good discussions in the archives about Whaler, Robalo, and Wahoo. Here is a link to 17 articles:
http://continuouswave.com/cgi-bin/sw.pl?Search=robalo+wahoo
WHALER27CC posted 03-12-2006 01:05 PM ET (US)
Let me simplify it.
Wahoo was a Whaler knock off , of sorts, but it was foam lined NOT foam filled.
Wahoo boats inc, was started in, and manufactured boats in Ashland Va, around 1982.
While trying to go head to head with Whaler , there became a series of lawsuits between the 2 companies, putting alot financial pressure on Wahoo.
Wahoo eventually succumbed to the severe financial problems in the early to mid 90's , closed down , and the molds were bought by Robalo.
Robalo only produced the "old" Wahoo 26 footer for a very short time under the Wahoo name, and then primarily put it under their name , until they were bought by Brunswick . Wahoo became no more, completely in concept and name, at that point.
zpeed7 posted 03-13-2006 07:39 PM ET (US)
Well I know Robalo was owned by AMF for quite a few years, even as late as the late 1970's:
http://i13.ebayimg.com/03/i/06/3c/1d/10_3.JPG?set_id=100D
What I could never figure out was if AMF and Brunswick were/are the same company.
Later,
Guil
aquaman posted 03-14-2006 11:45 PM ET (US)
As I remember, the company was AMF Brunswick. They owned Formula, Thunderbird, Robalo amoungst others. Does anyone remember a boat brand F-44? I think they might have been AMF Brunswick owned. This is taxing my memory...
LHG posted 03-15-2006 01:20 AM ET (US)
Brunswick was the last owner of Robalo, as the brand disintegrated. They shut it down when annual production was down to about 60 boats a year. Did the same with Wahoo, since with the later acquisiton of Boston Whaler, keeping these two brands alive made no sense.
WHALER27CC posted 03-15-2006 06:59 AM ET (US)
Aaah Larry-
Robalos are still being manufactured and sold.
Tom W Clark posted 03-15-2006 11:29 AM ET (US)
http://www.robalo.com/
fishinchips posted 03-15-2006 11:33 AM ET (US)
Saw robolo at the pleasenton boat show.
I was looking at one of there cc and I thought the layout was pretty good.
ken (170 montauk / 22 hydrasports vector wa)
hauptjm posted 03-15-2006 12:54 PM ET (US)
Back in 2001 we briefly discussed:
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000915.html
LHG posted 03-15-2006 01:13 PM ET (US)
Well, then who bought up the molds and put them back in business? This happens all the time with boat companies. It's kind of like restaurants, everybody want to try their luck at a dream.
Tom W Clark posted 03-15-2006 01:19 PM ET (US)
Larry,
All you have to do is click the link I provided. You would learn that Robalo Boats, LLC is owned by Marine Products Corporation (MPX).
Big news flash for you: Boat companies are bought and sold. Boston Whaler has been bought and sold, probably more times than Robalo Boats. It is hardly worthy of comment.
LHG posted 03-15-2006 04:23 PM ET (US)
Big news flash for you too, Tom. We can't all be brilliant, boat industry experts, computer nerds and know-it-all's like you are. You young guys have to show some respect for some of the old idiots around here, you know, the ones who are old enough to have bought some of these classic Whalers NEW, so you guys can buy them cheap USED.
Kingsteven18 posted 03-15-2006 04:26 PM ET (US)
I've got one of the 18' Ray Hunt, Boston Whaler style Robalos for sale up in NE Pa. Nice style boat and a nice project for someone.
Tom W Clark posted 03-15-2006 04:33 PM ET (US)
Larry,
Hey! I resemble that comment. Be careful who you call a nerd, I'm not the guy putting 12 coats of varnish on the wood parts of his boat...in his kitchen.
And I've bought a few classic Whalers NEW myself...
JLL posted 03-15-2006 05:06 PM ET (US)
tjb222, You did not mention the age of the Robalo. I had a 1976 23' and it was a solid boat, but I understand many, (as mine did) suffer from weak transoms as a result of the wood core rotting. My Montauk is a much better boat!
cappypat posted 11-22-2008 10:17 PM ET (US)
FYI the robalo was first manufactured by Robalo Marine Manufacturing Inc. in Miami Fl. Bill Laurie and Jud Garvin commissioned the origanal 19' design from C. Raymond Hunt. They where billed as the toughest 19' fishing boat at the time. They were the first boat to use explosion proof foam in the fuel tanks, had hand laid transoms, all s/s fittings and all teak trim.
swist posted 11-23-2008 07:17 AM ET (US)
Getting back to the original question, I was once close to buying a Robalo 24' walkaround, but thought the fit and finish were not as good as the equivalent ProLine I actually did buy (this was in 1992). But over the years I owned the ProLine, I began to understand it was pretty much middle-of-the-road in quality terms, so where did that leave Robalo? Hint: when a boat comes with a vast array of standard equipment and sells for the same price as competing brands (which come with less standard equipment), that should be a bit of a red flag - where is the money for those add-ons being made up - obviously in the base boat. Anyway that was my impression of Robalo.
RJG posted 11-23-2008 08:31 AM ET (US)
Also that 20ft. Robalo has a relatively flat bottom for its size which makes for a rough ride. Check for weak spots in the floor as well.
Bertramp posted 11-24-2008 01:12 PM ET (US)
I had a 1970 19' Robalo. It was a great boat. I believe Jud Garvin was the owner of the company. The hull was designed by Ray Hunt and it was a PHENOMENAL boat. The hardware was twice what everyone else was using at the time and they were foam filled. I referred to it as a Bertram built like a Whaler. AMF bought several high quality companies around then, which included Robalo, Hatteras and Harley Davidson. They did not keep the quality as it once was in any of them. Down the road, people had trouble with the transoms on the original 19 Robalos, but all in all ... they were great boats and way better in ride than the Montauks.
cubanwhaler posted 11-25-2008 07:37 PM ET (US)
jimH, you made a mistake in one of your edits of this gentleman's original post. i don't understand why you feel the need to micromanage and constantly edit, but make sure you at least proofread your own edits.
The Post:
""I know [the discussion area on the CONTINOUSWAVE WEBSITE where I am posting this article] is a [Boston Whaler Boat discussion site], but I [plan to buy] a 20 foot Robalo. It has some small cracks around the Starboard bow gunwales and on the [forward] storage area, a little bigger than the normal spider cracks that all boats seem to get. Anyone know anything about [spider cracks]?""
CONTINUOUSWAVE is spelled as so. :)

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Author	Topic: ROBALO Boats: Historical Information
tjb22	posted 03-06-2006 03:48 PM ET (US) I know [the discussion area on the CONTINOUSWAVE WEBSITE where I am posting this article] is a [Boston Whaler Boat discussion site], but I [plan to buy] a 20 foot Robalo. It has some small cracks around the Starboard bow gunwales and on the [forward] storage area, a little bigger than the normal spider cracks that all boats seem to get. Anyone know anything about [spider cracks]? Thanks T
WHALER27CC	posted 03-06-2006 05:23 PM ET (US) Welcome- They are usually stress cracks . Those cracks are usually a result of stress being put on the hull either from the years of being on the water, or from the occasional mishap from docking, etc... They will need to be repaired if they are deep, because of the damage water intrusion can cause. Use the search function here, and although the repairs apply to Whalers, they will pretty much be the same on the Robalo, as it also foam filled(depending on the year). You may find more resources on the Robalo, by going to WWW.THEHULLTRUTH.COM . There is a guy on ther that goes by the name MR Robalo, he is very knowledgeable as he used to work for the original owners
jimh	posted 03-06-2006 08:06 PM ET (US) Your ambiguous use of the pronoun "them" has resulted in your article eliciting a reply about spider cracks. I think you were probably intending to elicit replies about ROBALO brand boats. I recommend you follow the suggestion given above regarding spider cracks and Robalo information. ROBOLO boats were considered a knock-off brand of Boston Whaler. I recall some history associated with ROBALO which might include a lawsuit or other legal action to stop them from selling copies of Boston Whaler boats. I think at one time they might have been owned by Brunswick. There was little difference between the types of boats sold by Robalo and those of Boston Whaler, so I think Brunswick decided to sell Robalo. The choice of which brand to keep and which brand to sell does, in itself, say something about the relative value of the brands. Usually, if you want a Boston Whaler type boat there is little reason to settle for a knock-off. Just get the real thing. Perhaps others might have some historical information about the relationship between ROBOLO and Boston Whaler. This would be interesting to know. As for the general value or condition of a particular Robalo boat, this is not in the focus of the website's area of concentration.
half shell	posted 03-11-2006 12:21 PM ET (US) UH I think wahoo! made the whaler knockoffs and they were bought by robalo and shut down. Regards Bob
Tom W Clark	posted 03-11-2006 12:24 PM ET (US) ROBOLO never made a knock-off of a Boston Whaler.
jimh	posted 03-11-2006 12:43 PM ET (US) I believe mister half shell has seen my mistake. I was probably thinking of WAHOO boats. However, did Brunswick own ROBALO at one time?
jimh	posted 03-11-2006 01:06 PM ET (US) Quoting myself from a REFERENCE article: "When Brunswick purchased Boston Whaler from Meridian in May of 1996... Brunswick was already a large recreational conglomerate whose marine divisions consisted of two principal businesses, making boats and making engines to power them. The boat-making operations included Bayliner (and Trophy), Sea Ray, Maxum, Baja, and Robalo." Robalo departed from Brunswick in 2001: -------------------------------- Marine Products Corporation Announces Brunswick Corporation's Robalo Marine Segment Acquisition June 05, 2001 Marine Products Corporation announced the acquisition of the operating and intangible assets of the Robalo Marine segment of the U.S. Marine division of Brunswick Corporation. Robalo Marine is a designer and manufacturer of offshore sport fishing boats. The purchase price and terms of the transaction were not disclosed. ----------------------------------
jimh	posted 03-11-2006 01:08 PM ET (US) This gets more interesting. Brunswick owned WAHOO boats, too: "The new Whaler, bought by Brunswick Corp. in 1996, is part of the Illinois-based conglomerate that includes Mercury, Sea Ray, Bayliner, Wahoo and Robalo." Source: http://www.whaler.com/Rec/default.asp?content=customersatisfaction
jimh	posted 03-11-2006 01:14 PM ET (US) Actually, there are all sorts of good discussions in the archives about Whaler, Robalo, and Wahoo. Here is a link to 17 articles: http://continuouswave.com/cgi-bin/sw.pl?Search=robalo+wahoo
WHALER27CC	posted 03-12-2006 01:05 PM ET (US) Let me simplify it. Wahoo was a Whaler knock off , of sorts, but it was foam lined NOT foam filled. Wahoo boats inc, was started in, and manufactured boats in Ashland Va, around 1982. While trying to go head to head with Whaler , there became a series of lawsuits between the 2 companies, putting alot financial pressure on Wahoo. Wahoo eventually succumbed to the severe financial problems in the early to mid 90's , closed down , and the molds were bought by Robalo. Robalo only produced the "old" Wahoo 26 footer for a very short time under the Wahoo name, and then primarily put it under their name , until they were bought by Brunswick . Wahoo became no more, completely in concept and name, at that point.
zpeed7	posted 03-13-2006 07:39 PM ET (US) Well I know Robalo was owned by AMF for quite a few years, even as late as the late 1970's: http://i13.ebayimg.com/03/i/06/3c/1d/10_3.JPG?set_id=100D What I could never figure out was if AMF and Brunswick were/are the same company. Later, Guil
aquaman	posted 03-14-2006 11:45 PM ET (US) As I remember, the company was AMF Brunswick. They owned Formula, Thunderbird, Robalo amoungst others. Does anyone remember a boat brand F-44? I think they might have been AMF Brunswick owned. This is taxing my memory...
LHG	posted 03-15-2006 01:20 AM ET (US) Brunswick was the last owner of Robalo, as the brand disintegrated. They shut it down when annual production was down to about 60 boats a year. Did the same with Wahoo, since with the later acquisiton of Boston Whaler, keeping these two brands alive made no sense.
WHALER27CC	posted 03-15-2006 06:59 AM ET (US) Aaah Larry- Robalos are still being manufactured and sold.
Tom W Clark	posted 03-15-2006 11:29 AM ET (US) http://www.robalo.com/
fishinchips	posted 03-15-2006 11:33 AM ET (US) Saw robolo at the pleasenton boat show. I was looking at one of there cc and I thought the layout was pretty good. ken (170 montauk / 22 hydrasports vector wa)
hauptjm	posted 03-15-2006 12:54 PM ET (US) Back in 2001 we briefly discussed: http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000915.html
LHG	posted 03-15-2006 01:13 PM ET (US) Well, then who bought up the molds and put them back in business? This happens all the time with boat companies. It's kind of like restaurants, everybody want to try their luck at a dream.
Tom W Clark	posted 03-15-2006 01:19 PM ET (US) Larry, All you have to do is click the link I provided. You would learn that Robalo Boats, LLC is owned by Marine Products Corporation (MPX). Big news flash for you: Boat companies are bought and sold. Boston Whaler has been bought and sold, probably more times than Robalo Boats. It is hardly worthy of comment.
LHG	posted 03-15-2006 04:23 PM ET (US) Big news flash for you too, Tom. We can't all be brilliant, boat industry experts, computer nerds and know-it-all's like you are. You young guys have to show some respect for some of the old idiots around here, you know, the ones who are old enough to have bought some of these classic Whalers NEW, so you guys can buy them cheap USED.
Kingsteven18	posted 03-15-2006 04:26 PM ET (US) I've got one of the 18' Ray Hunt, Boston Whaler style Robalos for sale up in NE Pa. Nice style boat and a nice project for someone.
Tom W Clark	posted 03-15-2006 04:33 PM ET (US) Larry, Hey! I resemble that comment. Be careful who you call a nerd, I'm not the guy putting 12 coats of varnish on the wood parts of his boat...in his kitchen. And I've bought a few classic Whalers NEW myself...
JLL	posted 03-15-2006 05:06 PM ET (US) tjb222, You did not mention the age of the Robalo. I had a 1976 23' and it was a solid boat, but I understand many, (as mine did) suffer from weak transoms as a result of the wood core rotting. My Montauk is a much better boat!
cappypat	posted 11-22-2008 10:17 PM ET (US) FYI the robalo was first manufactured by Robalo Marine Manufacturing Inc. in Miami Fl. Bill Laurie and Jud Garvin commissioned the origanal 19' design from C. Raymond Hunt. They where billed as the toughest 19' fishing boat at the time. They were the first boat to use explosion proof foam in the fuel tanks, had hand laid transoms, all s/s fittings and all teak trim.
swist	posted 11-23-2008 07:17 AM ET (US) Getting back to the original question, I was once close to buying a Robalo 24' walkaround, but thought the fit and finish were not as good as the equivalent ProLine I actually did buy (this was in 1992). But over the years I owned the ProLine, I began to understand it was pretty much middle-of-the-road in quality terms, so where did that leave Robalo? Hint: when a boat comes with a vast array of standard equipment and sells for the same price as competing brands (which come with less standard equipment), that should be a bit of a red flag - where is the money for those add-ons being made up - obviously in the base boat. Anyway that was my impression of Robalo.
RJG	posted 11-23-2008 08:31 AM ET (US) Also that 20ft. Robalo has a relatively flat bottom for its size which makes for a rough ride. Check for weak spots in the floor as well.
Bertramp	posted 11-24-2008 01:12 PM ET (US) I had a 1970 19' Robalo. It was a great boat. I believe Jud Garvin was the owner of the company. The hull was designed by Ray Hunt and it was a PHENOMENAL boat. The hardware was twice what everyone else was using at the time and they were foam filled. I referred to it as a Bertram built like a Whaler. AMF bought several high quality companies around then, which included Robalo, Hatteras and Harley Davidson. They did not keep the quality as it once was in any of them. Down the road, people had trouble with the transoms on the original 19 Robalos, but all in all ... they were great boats and way better in ride than the Montauks.
cubanwhaler	posted 11-25-2008 07:37 PM ET (US) jimH, you made a mistake in one of your edits of this gentleman's original post. i don't understand why you feel the need to micromanage and constantly edit, but make sure you at least proofread your own edits. The Post: ""I know [the discussion area on the CONTINOUSWAVE WEBSITE where I am posting this article] is a [Boston Whaler Boat discussion site], but I [plan to buy] a 20 foot Robalo. It has some small cracks around the Starboard bow gunwales and on the [forward] storage area, a little bigger than the normal spider cracks that all boats seem to get. Anyone know anything about [spider cracks]?"" CONTINUOUSWAVE is spelled as so. :)