Classic Boston Whaler Models

Launched in 1979, the Outrage took the Boston Whaler unsinkable foam-cored hull offshore in earnest. With its deep-V forefoot, wide beam, and serious freeboard, it brought Whaler reliability to bluewater fishing without ever pretending to be anything other than a working boat.

The Boston Whaler Montauk is, for many, the Whaler. Introduced in 1973 on the proven 17-foot smirk hull, the Montauk took the small-boat formula — unsinkable foam construction, simple center console, no nonsense — and turned it into the most recognized recreational fishing boat in America.

Beyond the headliners — the Outrage, Montauk, 13, 15, and 16 — Boston Whaler built a long tail of less famous but no less interesting boats: walkaround cabins like the Revenge, Conquest weekenders, the Newport dual-console, the Dauntless, and a number of one-off and short-run models.

The 16′7″ Boston Whaler hull is one of the most underrated corners of the brand's history. A foot longer than a 15 and a foot shorter than a 17, the 16 is a forgiving, dry, and surprisingly capable boat that wore a long list of trim names over the years.

The 15-foot Whaler hull is arguably the brand's perfect compromise: bigger than the legendary 13, lighter and cheaper to run than the 17 Montauk, and with enough freeboard for honest coastal use.

In 1958, Dick Fisher and Ray Hunt launched a 13-foot, foam-cored, cathedral-hull skiff and proved it unsinkable by sawing one in half on national television. Both halves stayed afloat — and an entire boat-building category was born.