CONTINUOUSWAVE

Q1: when did Boston Whaler switch to the GUARDIAN designation from the RED DOT hull marking?

Q2: do red dot hulls have more value of the standard hull?

Q3: how does a red dot affect the market value of a hull

BACKSTORY
A Montauk 17 boat I looked at has a red dot. I understand the red dot designated the commercial hull.

ASIDE: thank you to all the continuouswave forum longtime users who have generated such a wealth of knowledge on these magnificent vessels,

The red dot boats represent the initial heavy duty layup hulls that were produced prior to the formal creation of the Commercial Products Division (CPD) in the early 1980's, later formed into Brunswick Commercial Products Division (BCGPD) around 2000.

Most red dot hulls had the same interior components as non-red dot hulls whereas the CPD and BCGPD models had different names and unique sets of options (hardware, console, engine(s), seats, equipment, electronics) as well as customer ordered components.

As for value, a red dot hull will have a small premium to the buyer who appreciates the designation. To the general buying public, there is no premium.

CPD and BCGPD boats are vastly different then that of their recreational brothers and warrant the premium price.

PHIL--Thank you for the reply.

The linking of the custom commercial or government or military hulls sold under the GUARDIAN model designators to be equivalent to the recreational standard boats sold with a "work boat hull layup" or "red dot" is not correct.

The hull marking with a red dot indicated the hull layup was heavier. This was called a "work boat hull."

In general I would expect the influence of a red dot on the hull of a recreational boat to have a positive effect on the market value of the boat, unless the service history of the boat was in heavy commercial use and the hull was in poor condition.

The value of any used Boston Whaler boat is mostly in the boat's present condition. If comparing two identical boats in identical condition, and the only difference was one boat had a red dot hull, there might be a preference for the red dot hull boat because its layup was stronger at the time of manufacture and a buyer might value that higher hull strength.

Jim—Thank you for the reply.

Any inference red dot hulls and CPD/BCGPD boats are similar is incorrect.