Historical Material of and about the Boston Whaler Harpoon

Updated: 09-07-2006

Excerpts from The Harpoon News 1977, Vol. 1, No. 1

Off to a Great Start
Maintenance Tips (coming)
Inaugural Regatta (coming)


Excerpts from The Harpoon News 1978, Vol. 2, No. 1

The Harpoon 4.6 Debut
North Sails developed the Harpoon Sails
First Harpoon Fleet in Dallas (coming)


Learn to Sail - An Educational Publication by Sail Magazine  

This interesting publication from the 80s featured in all of its accompanying pictures a yellow BW Harpoon sailed by Gary Jobson and crew. The following sample pages are .JPG files which will open into a new window.
Front Page

Get out of irons - Page 54  by Steve Colgate
Get out of irons - Page 55

Travelers, Vangs and Fine Tuning - Page 56  by Gary Jobson
Travelers, Vangs and Fine Tuning - Page 57

Undocking and Docking - Page 58  by Ernie Barta
Undocking and Docking - Page 59

Heavy Weather Spray

Heavy Weather Sailing - Page 64  by Gary Jobson
Heavy Weather Sailing - Page 65
Heavy Weather Sailing - Page 66
Heavy Weather Sailing - Page 67


Links to Pages that are relevant to Harpooners

Down Pamlico Sound in a 17-foot Open Boat
by Tim Lemmond

This article [from the Small Boat Journal No. 59 Feb/Mar 1988] recounts an exciting adventure on a Harpoon 5.2 in the Carolina Outer Banks and features a fine painting by Bert Petri.


Available Download Files (Just click to open with Acrobat or initiate download )

Harpoon Handbook (6,607 kb)
Harpoon 5.2 Class Association Constitution (1,200 kb)
1977 Harpoon 5.2 Price List (135 kb)
1978 Harpoons Price List (475 kb)
1982 Harpoons Price List (245 kb)
Front Page of First Harpoon Newsletter (317 kb)
Harpoon 5.2 Technical Drawing (186 kb)








OFF TO A GREAT START
FROM THE OFFICE:
Harpoon 5.2 Class off to a great start
(Please, click original images for bigger view)
Since we first announce the Harpoon 5.2, the enthusiasm for Boston Whaler's first sailboat has been nothing short of overwhelming. We're very excited, and, this being the fist issue of our class newsletter, we thought perhaps you all would enjoy hearing how this whole thing got started.

It all began with a good, close look at ousrselves. We knew that at Boston Whaler we had a truly unique approach to boatbuilding in our foam sandwich construction technique...
... if we were going to build a sailboat, the standards would be no lower. We, therefore, established a complete set of requirements which any sailboat built by us would have to meet.

Once this was done, several leading yacht design firms were contacted and asked to submit a proposal. In the end, the Cassian and Cuthbertson Design Group [C&C], know for some of the finest sailing yachts in the world, was selected to design the first Boston Whaler sailboat. A number of key design features were to complement those that already made the Boston Whaler name famous. The basic specifications were to be:

1. Performance - It would have to be good, without the need for acrobatics, trapezes, etc. achieved primarily through a very broad beam of 7'6".

2. Cockpit - it would be large, very spacious, with a relatively small amount of shelter/storage space up forward. In essence, a daycruiser.

3. A Family Boat - The boat would be designed for families first and foremost. Easy to sail, trailer, rig and maintain.

4. Safety - Because of its family appeal, the boat would have to meet the high safety standards of Boston Whaler. This would mean utilizing our foam sandwich technique along with a foam-filled mast and sewn-in masthead flotation to reduce turtling.

5. Self-bailing - Unlike most boats her size, the Harpoon 5.2 would be self-bailing at rest as well as underway.

Once we had agreed on a design, a wooden prototype was built in the late winter of 1976 to be ready for April sailing trials. Initially, we spent 10 days sailing the boat against other competitive daysailers. The results were surprising. The Harpoon 5.2, a prototype, consistently out-accelerated and out-pointed all of them.

Throughout the summer the boat was extensively sailed. This was our chance to experiment with the Harpoon. To look for subtle and not-so-subtle changes in rigs, sails, equipment - anything to improve the total performance of the boat. We even got some advice from people like Peter Harken, Bob Bavier, Steve Taylor and Jim Crance - some of the sport's very finest sailors.

A particularly interesting story is the way the Harpoon 5.2's sails were developed. Ten sailmakers were approached and asked to submit bids for the project. Five were asked to produce prototypes. Each suit of sails was sailed and carefully inspected (we even tested some Hong Kong sails - low in quality - to determine how these stacked up against the others. Such sails are commonly supplied as standard equipment on many boats of this size, and are generally referred to as "cookie cutter" sails after the cookie cutter fashion in which they're produced.)

The problem was that arriving at a fair comparison was surprisingly difficult since each suit was constructed according to widely varying specifications. Our solution was to go back and ask that two of the companies put together another suit of prototype sails - this time to equal specifications, i.e. the same number of reinforcing patches, the same batten picket construction, etc. With this common denominator base to help in the selection process, North Sails finally came out on top.

The selection of a sail, of course, is a matter of pure function. Aesthetics play virtually no role since all sails lootk pretty much alike. But there were other areas where shape was a key consideration.

A good example of which was the boat itself. We wanted it to perform well, be safe, durable and all that, true but we also were very concerned with how the boat would look; how attractive an image it would present. To help us, we went to Gregory Fossella Associates, industrial consultants, whose job it was to thoroughly study the boat and recommend a total design approach according to human engineering concepts. Three examples of their contributions were the cuddy, the sunken walkways forward, and the smooth, flowing lines of the centerboard trunk.

Paralleling these efforts, we then had a research team of Harvard business students do an in-depth survey of the daysailer market. Our feeling was that if the boat was to be the success we expected it to be, it would have to appeal strongly to a specific group of sailors. Out of the study came several changes which we then made on the boat - details as the pintle gudgeon and rudder head design, centerboard pivot and mast step assembly just to mention a few.

Finally the big day was ready. All the efforts we'd made to make our first sailboat a big success would have to prove themselves. In the Fall of 1977, the Harpoon 5.2 was finally introduced to the public, and we needn't have worried about how well it would be received. already, the Harpoon is catching on all over the country. It couldn't have happened to a more exciting boat!






Maintenance Tips






Inaugural Regatta in Dallas, TX






The Debut of the Harpoon 4.6
FROM THE OFFICE
Harpoon 4.6 Joins The Boston Whaler Sailboat Line
In the last issue of the Harpoon News we told you the story of how the Harpoon 5.2 sailboat came to be. This is a continuation of the Harpoon story. Here in chapter two you'll meet our second "main" character... the Harpoon 4.6. This character, if you haven't already seen her, can be seen today in all her glary at your local Harpoon dealer.

The 4.6 was developed because we at Boston Whaler saw that an acute need existed for a versatile "club" sailboat.

Look in at ten different yacht clubs and you are likely to find ten different boats being used for teaching and racing. Look more closely and you are also likely to find that the boats in question will be ideal for one function but completely impractical for the other. The 470 or 420, for example are fine high performance Olympic racing machines. But for teaching they can instill fear rather than confidence. Likewise such yachts as a Beetle Cat make fine teaching boats, but don't provide too many thrills to the competition racing enthusiast.

The Harpoon 4.6 has been designed to accommodate both the teaching function and the racing function required of today's "club" sailboat. To achieve such an accommodation was not easy. But after two years of design, testing, and evaluation we're excited about the end product and think that you will be, too.

Before building the 4.6, we visited numerous Yacht clubs, schools and universities. We asked questions. We enticed debate. We received first-hand advice from some of the nations's best teachers and sailors. And from all of this we formulated some critical requirements.

- The boat must have a main and jib, for how else is the young learner to truly appreciated the relationship between main and jib.

- The sails must be easily and fully adjustable for trimming in various wind conditions.

- The boat must be absolutely safe...unsinkable, self-bailing and easily rightable.

- The boat must be forgiving under sail to allow the less experienced sailor room for error without a capsize.

- A highly resilient rubrail is a necessity.

- The potential buyer must know that this boat will keep a high resale value.

- The 4.6 must be roomy, sleek and uncomplicated, yet able to accept all the abuse of exuberant youth.

- The boat must give the helmsman a good feel of action and control.

- Sails must be carefully designed to suit the boat instead of the other way around.

- Spinnaker packages should be included as optional equipment.

- They must have storage area without cluttering or taking away from the sailor's comfort.

- Blocks, fittings and bailers should be correctly placed and guaranteed to last.

- The boat must be competitive in a wide spector of winds.

- She must be easily trailerable or dry-sailed.

- There must be an aggressive fleet development program to assure keen, competitive fun away from one' home base.

We approached the C&C Design Group with our requirements. With their design in hand we then produced the prototype. Like the 5.2 prototype the 4.6 was extensively sailed and evaluated over many months.

Finally the mold was made and early this year the first Boston Whaler Harpoon 4.6 left Rockland, Mass for the New York Boat Show and her inaugural showing. The boat is of foam sandwich construction reinforce at critical stress points. She's completely unsinkable, self-bailing, and so durable that she carries a 10-year hull warranty. The sails are specially designed by North. And, like her 5.2 sister, the gear is first class, Harken blocks, Elvstom bailers, Kenyon spars.

One interesting innovation to the 4.6 is the seat angle. Seats are angled 7 degrees in an opposite direction to the heeling angle. Thus, when the boats has a 7 degree heel, you are sitting at a neutral angle on the seat. This feature adds comfort and security to the beginner while making hiking easier for the racer. Now only eight months after her inauguration, the Harpoon 4.6 is "joining the club" all over the nation. And there's every indication that when the collegiate racing year begins in September, she'll be well represented. What else would you expect from a member of the Harpoon family?




The Development of the Harpoon 5.2 Sails

North Explains Harpoon Sails
In our sail development program for the Harpoon, we required that we be able to sail the boat for a number of days to become acquainted with its handling characteristics, stability, centerboard and rudder efficiency, and the ease with which the hull moves through the water. This information enabled us to determine the most efficient camber depth for the main and jib as well as the position of camber.

The main and jib both tend to be quite full sails with their draft built in quite far forward. The deepness of the sails makes the boat perform extremely well in light to moderate air and the forward draft position enables the boat to accelerate quickly after tacking. The modern shape of the centerboard and rudder is also a contributing factor in selecting the fullness of the sails. The shape of the Harpoon centerboard and rudder is a modern airfoil section which can tolerate fuller, more powerful sails. This means the Harpoon can sail with fuller, more powerful sails than boats with poorly shaped centerboards and rudders. This greatly enhances light air performance.

The North main has three lower battens and a compression batten at the top of the sail. By making these battens extra long, we are able to put a large smooth roach on the sail and keep a nice uniform cross-sectional shape right up to the floatation patch at the head. If a compression batten was not used in this sail, a very bumpy and irregular leech would develop because of the weight and size of the flotation patch. A second use of the compression batten, one that is seldom taken advantage of, is to vary the camber depth of the sail for various wind velocities. If the batten is fastened extremely tightly with the velcro closure, the sail will develop a deep round shape in the upper section. Likewise, if the batten is fastened loosely, the top of the sail will assume a much flatter profile. In effect, what you can do is to match the depth of the sail to the wind conditions.

The main also comes standard with a set of reef points which greatly enhances the versatility of the boat. On those windy days when you might hesitate to take the family out sailing due to the difficulty in handling the boat, by putting in the reef you are able to reduce the sail area enough to sail safely and comfortably where you otherwise couldn't. Most boats in this size range do not have reefs as standard equipment, but in an attempt to realize as much of the Harpoon's potential as possible, it was felt a reef should not be an extra but a standard part of the sail.

Finally, other characteristics that set this sail apart are the heavily reinforced patches at the head, reefs, clew and tack. Also, at the head and clew, the bolt rope is reinforced with a Teflon cloth that reduces chafe and permits the sail to slide easily along the mast and boom. A cunningham also comes standard. The cunningham's function is to allow ease in adjusting the luff tension of the sail without having to move the boom up or down. The luff of the sail should always be tensioned to the point where the luff wrinkles just disappear.

The main obviously is the work horse of your two sails and receives the most attention. The jib of the Harpoon, however, is also important. Notable features of the jib are the extremely large patches, brass jib hanks and the addition of a sighting window that allows clear visibility to leeward of the boat. Most sails today, including our own, are constructed with a "stretchy luff". That means that there is no constricting wire in the luff of the sail. The advantage of this is you are able to change the shape of the jib for different winds strengths. In light air, the halyard should only be tight enough to keep horizontal wrinkles from appearing. As the wind velocity increase, you should constantly increase the tightness of the halyard to keep the sail properly shapes. At no time should scallops appear between the hands.

North Sails' involvement in Boston Whaler's Harpoon project has been a very rewarding experience in that Whaler has developed a boat that is truly a quality product. The same quality that went into the design and construction of the boat has been carried into the sails and sailplan. While this would seem only natural, it is really a unique experience for us as sailmakers as most production boats builders tend to supply the cheapest sails available for their product in the hope of keeping the price of the package as inexpensive as possible. What happens, in fact, is that a good boat is often compromised in the last stages of development. What could be a good boat turns out to be a poor performer. Boston Whaler, on the other hand, came to us and asked us to develop a main, jib, and spinnaker that would realize the maximum potential from the 5.2 and at the same time incorporate features that would make sailing for the family oriented yachtsman as simple and safe as possible.

James R. Crane
North Sails