Boston Whaler Launches ‘Unsinkable Legend Tour’

February 2003 -- Boston Whaler, in cooperation with Dodge Trucks, announced the start of “The Unsinkable Legend Tour” at the Miami International Boat Show. The tour demonstrates Boston Whaler’s inherent unsinkability afforded by its exclusive Unibond foam-filled construction. To emphasize this point, the Whaler that will be driven at dozens of events along the east coast of the United States has been cut in half with a chainsaw.

To captain the remaining half of the boat at the various locations, Boston Whaler selected a husband and wife team who are Whaler owners and experienced boaters. Maria and Dave Russell, of North Palm Beach, Florida, will pilot the aft section of the Boston Whaler 180 Dauntless along the East Coast’s waterways.

In 1994, Maria Russell founded Women Aboard, a social network for women who enjoy boating. Her husband Dave holds a captain’s license issued by the United States Coast Guard.

“As boaters we have a healthy appreciation for the safety associated with having an unsinkable boat,” said Maria Russell. “That’s why we own a Boston Whaler. Our daughter’s first date was on a Boston Whaler. Our dog loves the Whaler. We trust the Whaler with our most precious gifts. And now Dave and I will spend eight months on only half of one!

“I don’t know of any other boat that you can cut in half and drive around,” said Russell. “It’s almost impossible to imagine until you’ve actually seen it in person. And then you realize that the Whaler can still get you home if you hit a submerged log, get caught in a storm or even forget to put the plug in. It’s like a floating life jacket.”

The Russells will drive the half boat at approximately 35 Boston Whaler dealerships and events throughout Florida and the East Coast, culminating with a return to the company’s birthplace in Massachusetts during the Boston Boat Show in October. The boat will be powered by a Mercury Marine 135 horsepower OptiMax engine.

When the boat is not in the water, it will be transported on a customized EZ Loader trailer and towed by Dodge’s newest truck — the Ram Heavy Duty 3500, selected as Motor Trend’s “Truck of the Year.”

“The truck and trailer will have special graphics promoting the tour and advertising the next event while the boat is being trailered down the interstate,” said Boston Whaler President Mike Myers. “The trailer features a special cradle that holds the part of the bow that we cut off. It is situated a few feet from the rest of the boat so you can clearly see that the boat is in two pieces.”

Although the 180 Dauntless cut in half for this tour is new, the concept of cutting a Whaler in half is not. In 1961, Boston Whaler founder Richard T. Fisher was pictured in Life magazine sitting in half of a 13-foot Whaler that was still floating after being cut in half with a buck saw. This image captured national attention and gave rise to Boston Whaler's reputation as the “Unsinkable Legend.”

Myers said the company briefly considered having the couple run the boat up the coastline exclusively by water, but rejected the idea for safety reasons. “The boat could definitely make the trip from Florida to Massachusetts by water, but we are interested in promoting responsible boating, “ said Myers. “The late winter and early spring weather can be unpredictable and hazardous. Our goal is to promote boating as enjoyable recreation not an endurance test.”

As a further commitment to promote safe boating, Boston Whaler has teamed up with Mustang Survival for the duration of the “Unsinkable Legend Tour.” Mustang provided inflatable AirForce personal flotation devices (PFDs) for the Russells and their passengers to wear while the boat is on the water. “Mustang inflatable PFDs are easy to use and comfortable to wear,” said Myers. “This is a superior quality brand and it’s a good fit with Boston Whaler and our customers.”

The “Unsinkable Legend Tour” can be tracked via the Internet on www.whaler.com. The site contains a listing of the destinations and events where the public is invited to see the boat and to meet the Russells.

Tentative Calendar of Events

Feb 22-23 Caribee (Islamorada, Keys)
March 1-2 P & J (Gainesville, FL)
March 8-9 MarineMax (Sarasota, FL)
March 15-16 Bonita Boat Center (Bonita Springs, FL)
March 21-22 MarineMax (Clearwater / Tampa)*
March 28-29 MarineMax (West Palm Beach, FL)
April 5-6 Marine Max (Cape Haze, FL)
April 26-27 MarineMax (Stuart, FL)
May 2-3 Lauderdale Marina (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)
May 10-11 MarineMax (Jacksonville, FL)
May 17-18 Emerald Coast Boat Show (Destin, FL)
May 24-25 FishStock Fishing Tournament (Daytona Beach, FL)*
June 6-8 Chesapeake Whalertowne- Bay Bridge Swim (Baltimore, MD)
June 13-14 Sea Ray of Savannah, GA
June 15-16 Sea Island Marine, Beaufort, SC
June 20-21 Sea Ray of Charleston, SC
June 22-23 Nautica- Georgetown, SC
June 27-28 Crocker’s- Wilmington, NC
June 29-30 Morehead Marine-Morehead City, NC
July 11-13 North Bay Marine- Selbyville, DE
July 18-20 Taylor- Milford, DE
August 2-3 - Island Marine Center, Ocean View, NJ
August 9-10 - Hance & Smythe, Manahawkin, NJ
August 16-17 - McCarthy's, Brielle, NJ
August 23-24 – Pelican Harbor, Lanoka Harbor, NJ
August 30-31& Labor Day - Hampton Watercraft, Hampton Bays, NY
September 6-7 - Connors & Birbarie, Branford, CT
September 13-14 - Surfside 3 Chelsea Piers, New York, NY
September 18-19-20-21 - Norwalk Boat Show, CT
September 27-28 - Surfside 3 Norwalk, CT
October 2-5 - Boston In Water Boat Show, Boston, MA

*Denotes half boat will be operated by alternate drivers.