2001 Boston Whaler 13 Sport

Testers Notebook: Boston Whaler 13' Sport Location: Stuart, Florida. Test load: One adult, one youth, safety gear, half fuel. Test day conditions: Winds 5-10 knots variable, one-foot swells. Synopsis: Performance in the Boston Whaler 13' Sport, powered by a Mercury 40, is not measured in speed alone, but in the boat's stability and the fact that it performs its intended functions very well

By: Mark Rotharmel
      Having raced and tested some of the world's fastest boats, pleasure boating shouldn't make me nervous - but it does now. 
      At home or at the helm, I like being in charge - your typical male control freak. While the thought of losing control of a high-speed performance boat occasionally causes anxiety, I've nevertheless been there before and lived to tell the tale. I rely on my skills, knowledge and experience to kick in when needed, and try to become one with the boat.
     What scares me now has nothing to do with driving 100 mph water rockets. It has to do with family.
     Owen, our teenage son, will soon be boating solo. By showing common sense and earning an operator's proficiency card, he deserves the opportunity. He's been driving boats under supervision for years, most recently taking a Mercury 40 hp, four-stroke powered Boston Whaler Sport 13 through its paces for Power Boat Television.
     So what's the big deal? Both Owen and his 11-year old sister, Marina, were plunked into boats before they could walk. They have been warned of dangers that exist, and respect the water. They steer and throttle our cuddy-cruiser in open areas.
     Still, they have been passengers, not drivers. My own boating memories (and I cherish them dearly) keep taking me back to moments I'd rather not see my children go through. Being a performance boater has blurred my vision. I really don't want my kids following in Dad's wake. As a risk-taking racing driver, I survived a sport that many don't, and frankly, while still passionate about boat racing, I'd rather have my own children take up golf.
     Just in case they choose lakes over water hazards, they'll be equipped with a safe, appropriately powered boat to learn in. That Owen tested a Boston Whaler during March Break was no coincidence.  For years our family has talked of owning a boat that everyone would feel comfortable driving.
     Boston Whaler arranged a test near Stuart, Florida. Timing and circumstance brought us to test the actual boat that Ship Shape TV 's expert DIY host, John Greviskis, had purchased for his wife. In fact, John took delivery immediately following our shoot, so we had a chance to discuss the virtues of  "The Unsinkable Legend."
     That two independent boating TV hosts would even consider buying the same boat at the same time is coincidental, but our reasons for doing so are common. We both wanted a safe, low-maintenance, easy-to-operate hull.
     In my Performance segment on PBTV, agile, high-speed, low-profile hulls powered by big-block motors are generally used to define "performance." Owen debates this in his pre-test commentary. "I'm here to settle an argument I'm having with my Dad - I personally think performance is about having fun in a safe, reliable boat that works the way it was designed, regardless of speed."
     Of course Owen is right. Performance is relative, and to be satisfied with any boat, it has to perform the way it was intended. Whether traveling at 38 mph, like the Whaler 13' Sport, or at 138 mph, a boat needs to handle well, and if you learn to drive a good boat, you will clearly notice the difference in a poor one.
     That said, kids make mistakes, mess up once in a while - all part of the learning curve. At 15, I did too, but thankfully I was driving a reliable, appropriately powered boat. Like the Whaler, it had a multi-hull design, was well-balanced and solid. Sure, there are plenty of safe, good-handling boats and ones that look much "hotter" than the Whalers, but I'm comfortable with the design and practical construction.
     Whether one company builds a better boat than another is not the point. That young operators be given the opportunity to understand the intricacies of performance boating is.  And the safer the boat, the better. 
     Now that I have a boat floats when cut in half, I don't want to see it put to the test. I'm hoping our kids do as I say, not as I did. I know exactly why my own father's hair turned prematurely grey, and hate that cliché, "what goes around, comes around." But I know it is possible.
     When we're together in the boat, I'll do my best to teach my children skills, consideration for others and safe boating practices. When I'm not there, I'll be nervous.
     Yes, what goes around, comes around.

Specs:

For the dealer nearest you contact:

Boston Whaler Inc.,
4121 South U.S. Highway 1,
Edgewater, Florida 32141-7221 U.S.A.
(904) 409-6419 Fax: (410) 758-3907
www.whaler.com