In build: 2004 to 2012
Price range: £95,000 to £135,000 (inc. VAT)

Coincidentally, the founder of the Boston Whaler brand of legendary sportsfishing boats was a man called Fisher. He – full name Richard T. Fisher – had a dream to provide his customers with the safest, highest quality, most durable boats in the world.

In 1958, he set out to realise that dream by creating Boston Whaler hull number one in Braintree, Massachusetts, USA. Fisher claimed two innovations for his boat; firstly, it featured a twin sponson hull design for outstanding stability and a dry ride and, secondly, it had a unique foam core which, Fisher bragged, was unsinkable.

Of course, in a land which grew up with snake oil salesmen, a mere claim was never going to satisfy the good folk of Massachusetts (where the legal ruling judging snake oil to be a scam was made).

Fisher needed to show his cards. To prove the point, he sawed one of his boats in half and duly motored away into the sunset on the half with the engine still attached.

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A serious sportsfisher with family credentials

The critics silenced, Boston Whaler set about building its market share and today the brand, now owned by the Brunswick Boat Group and…