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Author Topic:   The presence of a Boston Whaler

daveweight posted 06-12-2006 10:07 AM ET (US)
Is it just me or do Boston Whaler boats have a "presence", on the water all of their own.
Yesterday my brother Chris and I having volunteered to act as safety boat for a dinghy race held by our local yacht club were stationed upriver from the race course and tasked with slowing traffic on the river down before it got amongst the dinghies. There is no speed limit on the tidal Thames but skippers are responsible for their wake.
In the past this has proved an unpopular duty as the safety boat crews involved have been largely ignored.
Chris and I however found none of this to be a problem and I was wondering if the sight of a 16 foot Boston Whaler tearing across the water at them made people assume that we were some sort of law enforcement agency, as they all without fail slowed as requested. Has anyone else come across a similar reaction from the boating public.
In the UK RIBS are the chosen weapon of Law Enforcement so it can't just be the patrol boat "look" of our twin console SL16.
Any thoughts
Dave Weight
Tom W Clark posted 06-12-2006 10:14 AM ET (US)
Dave,
I'm sure it was merely the sight of the Weight Brothers bearing down on them striking fear into their hearts!
...or perhaps the stainless steel light tower mounted in the stern of your boat ;-)
daveweight posted 06-12-2006 10:35 AM ET (US)
Could be Tom, sadly race practice on Saturday was held in 15-20 knot winds but come race day on Sunday the wind had dropped to almost nil so the dinghies were going backwards against a 4 knot tide and even a shortened race took 4 hours instead of the scheduled 2. To make matters worse all of that with the yacht club and cold beer in plain view, it was a bright cloudless day and 30 centigrade heat. Ah well a day out none the less.
erik selis posted 06-12-2006 11:36 AM ET (US)
Dave,
There's no doubt that in these parts of Europe, Boston Whaler boats radiate some sort of authority. You can see fishermen look at your boat as if it were some sort of law enforcement vessel. Probably thinking their boat will be safety checked and licenses looked into. My buddy has a blue, 17-ft Guardian that used to be a police boat. Even I think he's the police when he's on the water and I see him coming my way. But then again, my eyes aren't what they used to be :)
Erik
Chuck Tribolet posted 06-12-2006 08:07 PM ET (US)
Whaler's do have what they call "command presence".

Chuck
Barney posted 06-17-2006 07:20 PM ET (US)
Let me see your safety stuff.
http://groups.msn.com/Barney9014/shoebox.msnw?action=ShowPhoto& PhotoID=36
Royboy posted 06-18-2006 10:52 PM ET (US)
My buddy has two boats, one of them a 23 Conquest that we lovingly refer to as, "The Cop Boat". Around these parts (Great Lakes), many law enforcement agencies use Whalers. Even my little 13 Sport gets a second look with its 8 foot whip antenna and a blue NAVMAN fishfinder on the console. I've seen people in other boats I'm cruising near, put their beers down and generally get that, "we're not doin' nothin'" posture. It's a laugh. I'm sure I complete the image pretty well with my military haircut and sort of uniformy looking clothes. I really should work on a new look.
Roy
lakeman posted 06-19-2006 07:12 AM ET (US)
I think they, for what ever reason, command a presence on or off the water everywhere. I was in Europe last week on a tour, on Lake Geneva or one of the lakes near there,if you been on a long tour you will understand, I was watching some locals point and talk about something on the water, as I paid more attention, sure enough it was a Older BW 20 Outrage being used in a boat rental agency they were looking at. Oh yes, in Venus, in my tour groups boat ride on the water no less than 5 Whalers, mostly 17 Montauks but a older outrage thrown in, and others on my tour/boat said the words Boston Whalers are here too.

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Author	Topic: The presence of a Boston Whaler
daveweight	posted 06-12-2006 10:07 AM ET (US) Is it just me or do Boston Whaler boats have a "presence", on the water all of their own. Yesterday my brother Chris and I having volunteered to act as safety boat for a dinghy race held by our local yacht club were stationed upriver from the race course and tasked with slowing traffic on the river down before it got amongst the dinghies. There is no speed limit on the tidal Thames but skippers are responsible for their wake. In the past this has proved an unpopular duty as the safety boat crews involved have been largely ignored. Chris and I however found none of this to be a problem and I was wondering if the sight of a 16 foot Boston Whaler tearing across the water at them made people assume that we were some sort of law enforcement agency, as they all without fail slowed as requested. Has anyone else come across a similar reaction from the boating public. In the UK RIBS are the chosen weapon of Law Enforcement so it can't just be the patrol boat "look" of our twin console SL16. Any thoughts Dave Weight
Tom W Clark	posted 06-12-2006 10:14 AM ET (US) Dave, I'm sure it was merely the sight of the Weight Brothers bearing down on them striking fear into their hearts! ...or perhaps the stainless steel light tower mounted in the stern of your boat ;-)
daveweight	posted 06-12-2006 10:35 AM ET (US) Could be Tom, sadly race practice on Saturday was held in 15-20 knot winds but come race day on Sunday the wind had dropped to almost nil so the dinghies were going backwards against a 4 knot tide and even a shortened race took 4 hours instead of the scheduled 2. To make matters worse all of that with the yacht club and cold beer in plain view, it was a bright cloudless day and 30 centigrade heat. Ah well a day out none the less.
erik selis	posted 06-12-2006 11:36 AM ET (US) Dave, There's no doubt that in these parts of Europe, Boston Whaler boats radiate some sort of authority. You can see fishermen look at your boat as if it were some sort of law enforcement vessel. Probably thinking their boat will be safety checked and licenses looked into. My buddy has a blue, 17-ft Guardian that used to be a police boat. Even I think he's the police when he's on the water and I see him coming my way. But then again, my eyes aren't what they used to be :) Erik
Chuck Tribolet	posted 06-12-2006 08:07 PM ET (US) Whaler's do have what they call "command presence". Chuck
Barney	posted 06-17-2006 07:20 PM ET (US) Let me see your safety stuff. http://groups.msn.com/Barney9014/shoebox.msnw?action=ShowPhoto& PhotoID=36
Royboy	posted 06-18-2006 10:52 PM ET (US) My buddy has two boats, one of them a 23 Conquest that we lovingly refer to as, "The Cop Boat". Around these parts (Great Lakes), many law enforcement agencies use Whalers. Even my little 13 Sport gets a second look with its 8 foot whip antenna and a blue NAVMAN fishfinder on the console. I've seen people in other boats I'm cruising near, put their beers down and generally get that, "we're not doin' nothin'" posture. It's a laugh. I'm sure I complete the image pretty well with my military haircut and sort of uniformy looking clothes. I really should work on a new look. Roy
lakeman	posted 06-19-2006 07:12 AM ET (US) I think they, for what ever reason, command a presence on or off the water everywhere. I was in Europe last week on a tour, on Lake Geneva or one of the lakes near there,if you been on a long tour you will understand, I was watching some locals point and talk about something on the water, as I paid more attention, sure enough it was a Older BW 20 Outrage being used in a boat rental agency they were looking at. Oh yes, in Venus, in my tour groups boat ride on the water no less than 5 Whalers, mostly 17 Montauks but a older outrage thrown in, and others on my tour/boat said the words Boston Whalers are here too.