boat whalersport

When Whaler began its business, it was tough enough just to get one of them. They were, after all unsinkable, and they drew inches of water, which meant you could take them into shallows that you were not possible in other models and either anchor them and wait for a school or fish you were chasing to turn around and head back out on the tide or, if there was a good driveway nearby, drive your trailer into the water and trailer it out, thus getting around any extra fees.

Anyway you looked at it; the Whaler was quite a boat from its center console to its use of unsinkable materials. It employed many artisans thats because creating the moldings and other needed parts required just that, real artisan and, of course, when they were purchased by Brunswick Marine, the jobs and people headed south with the Whaler design.

The interesting part was about the same time Brunswick also purchased the Mercury outboard division of Mercury Motors and so suddenly the name Whaler and Mercury or MerCruiser were linked. It has been a great marriage that has produced a host of offspring in the last 45 years.

Whaler Sport

Holding up the bottom end of the Whaler line is the five-model Sport series:

1. 110 Sport2. 110 Tender3. 130 Super Sport4. 150 Super Sport5. 170 Super Sport

Sport 110/Tender

At the low end of the line is the 11-foot 110 Sport/Tender. Capable of being equipped with the traditional Whaler center console and 25-horsepower outboard engine, this is the model that most define the essential Whaler, even today.

Equipped with the 25-horsepower engine, this small Whaler just over seven-foot beam and seven-inch draft can serve many important uses. At a marina, it can run passengers and crew out to moored craft and serve as a tender and, if it is owned by the larger crafts owner, then it can serve at the tender for the larger craft.

The beauty of this model is that it can cruise for hours, if you take the engine down to the five-horsepower minimum powerplant. It makes a nice, day-fisher, if youre not in a big hurry and dont care to carry more than two.

Around a marine, equipped with a small engine and tiller steering, the 110 is the perfect runabout or utility boat as it can take care of many chores, including hauling tools or replacement parts around.

As a fishing boat, you cant beat its size and weight. Plus, when you do trailer them out of the water, youre not dragging a lot of weight back there, maybe 700 pounds with engine, gas and battery.

Super Sport 130

Moving up to the real motorboat category, we come to another of the real Whalers, the Super Sport 130, or boats that catch the Whaler mystique as it still retains a V-style hull and small outer runners -- in style.

Thirteen-feet with a beam thats nearly six-feet, this is a very stable craft that draws a grand total of seven inches.

You can equip this beauty with a 40 horsepower Mercury outboard and, if youre just out for a day of goofing around, you can idle for hours or, if you want to use it for a day of water fun.

Super Sport 150

Moving up a couple of feet, the Super Sport 150 is 15 feet long and mounts the traditional Whaler center console. Theres also a combination anchor/stowage area at the bow, which is convenient, as are the cup holders and skippers seat that can seat three and can be reversed so that the three in the middle can talk with the three people in the rear. The 150 will mount up to a 60-horspower outboard and will carry up to 70 gallons of fuel which you will need if spend hours planing at the 150s nearly 50 mph maximum speed. Your fuel use will suffer, though.

Super Sport 170

Rounding out the Sport lineup is the Super Sport 170, a 17-footer that can be used either as a day-fisher or a ski-boat. The 170 features a full transom top and is again, stable, as it runs on nearly a seven-foot beam.

The 170 will seat up to 9 (3-3-3) and will mount up to a 90-horsepower engine. The minimum engine for this platform is the 40 and she will carry up to 70 gallons of fuel.

The interesting piece, though, is at the rear of the 170 where a small half-round piece of metal sits that can act as an effective ski arm, if you want to.The 170 also mounts two to four fishing rod holders and the center console not only features the traditional wheel, but also the same Plexiglas windshield that other Whalers mount. She will plane at nearly 50 also; she will only run 54 miles at top speed, like the 150.

All of these Whalers are, like the originals, unsinkable and made of Unibond construction.