Brunswick to expand Boston Whaler

my3sons

my3sons

Well-Known Member
Feb 24, 2009
3,046
Western NY (Lake Erie)
Boat Info
2004 400DB, Onan 9 kw Generator, Highfield RIB,
Engines
Cummins 6CTA M-3
This was in Daytona’s paper today.
Looks like some of the ex-Sea Ray people and others will work there.

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That certainly sounds like good news for those employees. Glad Brunswick did not forget about them.

-Kevin
 
I was on a 2019 420 Whaler at a show this weekend asking $971k. I just don't get the target demographic and hoping for a return on investment. There can't be that many fisherman looking for a million dollar boat that small to go fishing in.. I am very pessimistic that the big fun money is going to keep flowing with the economy as it is.... And then go and invest in an R&D facility.... Leads me to think I don't know the market or they don't.
 
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A long way from the days of Boston Whaler when my 13' sport was made in 1956. My wife and I love that little boat for days of exploring rivers and other waters in our area when we need a break from the big lake. Through the 80's and even late into the 90's Whalers were marketed at families with young kids that needed an avenue into learning the ropes of boating on their own. I doubt anyone will be going out and purchasing one of these new Whalers for their 13 year old son or daughter!
 
Blueone said:
I was on a 2019 420 Whaler at a show this weekend asking $971k. I just don't get the target demographic and hoping for a return on investment. There can't be that many fisherman looking for a million dollar boat that small to go fishing in.. I am very pessimistic that the big fun money is going to keep flowing with the economy as it is.... And then go and invest in an R&D facility.... Leads me to think I don't know the market or they don't.
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There is a definite trend of people with 60-70ft boats downsizing to smaller center console type boats. Have personally seen this with two of my friends.

Lot of people who are in that size of boat are getting older, they don't want the complexity of running that size boat. They may not be into the "operation" part of boating, but they love to be on the water. In south Florida the options are endless for cruising on good days. Couple of hours they can be in the Bahamas. They can easily take the center console to dinner at pull up restaurants. Maintenance is simpler. Dealing with Hurricanes simpler. The list continues.

Look at the popularity of picnic style boats such as the Hinkley.
 
FootballFan said:
There is a definite trend of people with 60-70ft boats downsizing to smaller center console type boats. Have personally seen this with two of my friends.
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That makes a lot of sense in Florida. I guess I have a limited view up here. Still, I wouldn't pay a million dollars for a 40' center console no matter how much money I have.
 
It'll be interesting to see what their R&D comes up with. I have two 13' Whalers, one is a 1971, the other a 2010. Amazing differences between the two in ride, handling, etc. We love both boats and enjoy exploring places we can't go in the SeaRay.
 
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Gofirstclass said:
It'll be interesting to see what their R&D comes up with. I have two 13' Whalers, one is a 1971, the other a 2010. Amazing differences between the two in ride, handling, etc. We love both boats and enjoy exploring places we can't go in the SeaRay.
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Our 13 year old and his 13 foot 1986 Sport. Used it everyday in the summer until he learned to drive.
 
The resale value of a whaler is why they sell for high $$. A three or four year old 13 will fetch almost what a new one costs.A older 1970's will fetch almost what it cost new or more in good condition.I have been looking around for a deal on one for a while,not happening yet.
 
Huge fan of Whalers. Kids started out with paddle boards, then a dinghy, and then earned a 130 Sport.

The lessons learned, the respect for the water / other boats and boaters / rules has been priceless - worth every penny. And the joy of their happiness and growth - priceless.

Selfishly - the 1,700 mile father/son round trip to pick it up was amazing...

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My wife and I used to take the kid's Whaler out two or three times a year. It was a great way to visit friends staying at the city marina without the hassle of finding a parking spot for our big boat. It was also a blast to run out the Grand Haven channel when the big lake was rough. It could go up one side of a big wave and down the other side and never make you feel like you were tempting fate. Loved driving it, but the ride at speed was brutal and wet. We bought it new with a trailer for $6,800 total price out the door. Both kids used it for years and took good care of it. After maybe 15 years of ownership we sold it to a private party for $3,500. The boat looked great but the trailer was getting a little long in the tooth from sitting out doors for years.
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Yup, grew up running around on my friends 13ft Whalers. Then later on my cousin's 17ft. Later in life I bought my 18ft. Outrage. Took that boat all over the Cape and the Islands. Never felt in danger in any Whaler no matter what the seas. Or so it seemed.

How I boat now or did boat, another small cruiser fits the bill as it would be used as a weekend condo. I still have the itch for another Whaler.
 
Boston Whaler has strong brand equity and brand loyalty; they decided their schtick is a solid center console/fishing rig, and that's what they've done.

Sea Ray made a very good attempt at producing boats between a small bow rider and a large yacht, but sometimes folks want the specialist in their segment, and that could explain why we no longer have >40 footers from them.

Imagine if Canada Goose came out with a swimwear line.
 
I bought our first Whaler, a 2010 130 Super Sport, with a 40hp 4 stroke Merc with all the bells and whistles about 5 years ago. We fell in love with it and found ourselves taking it out instead of Beachcomber. We live about 5 minutes from the launch ramp so we can be on the water 10 minutes after pulling out of the driveway. Here's "Little Beach"...
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Our second one is a 1981 that I bought in Kingman, AZ about 3 years ago. It's lighter weight than the newer one and has a 40hp Evinrude 2 stroke and the boat is faster than the newer one.

The guy we bought it from had completely restored it including new wood, new wiring, new gelcoat, new seats etc. The only thing he didn't replace was the motor. Here's "Sunny Beach"...
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We're in the planning stages of an extended (4.5 month) trip around the coast of WA and up into Canadian waters. The Whaler will be in salt water most of that period so I wondered if bottom paint would be needed to protect the bottom. I sent an email last Friday to BW to get their thoughts on it.

I got an email back yesterday with the reply from one of their customer service folks. The answer was "no" because the boat wouldn't be in salt water that long and, while it was in salt water it would be moving much of the time.

They get good grades on their customer service.
 
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