This article was re-posted with significant updates on February 29, 2012. A big thanks goes to Captain Finney for historical and technical corrections. Additional thanks goes to some Aussie and Canadian friends.
Brewer 12.8 Original PDF Brochure (Click to Download)
I seem to see Whitby and Brewers everywhere these days and have been fine tuning my identification skills to pick between the three versions: 42′s, 12.8′s, and 44′s. I was kayaking the Fruit Isles in Fort Lauderdale the other day and passed by the nice 12.8 in the featured photo below. I like her dark green hull color. The easiest one to differentiate is the Brewer 44 ostensibly the subject of this review. But you cannot talk about one without touching on the others, so if you are in the market for a 42 or 12.8, this article should include useful information too. Kurt and Doris Hansen of Whitby Boatworks in Ontario, Canada were the first to build these sailboats. They commissioned Edward S. Brewer & Associates to design her in 1972. The first Whitby 42 splashed out of their yard in 1973. The Hansens went on to build over 200 hulls from 1973 to somewhere around 1990. Previous to this, Whitby Boat Works had built the Alberg 30 and Alberg 37. In around 1980, the Hansens commissioned Fort Myers Yacht and Shipbuilding Inc on the west coast of Florida to build Whibys because they could not meet the exceptional demand. They trucked an old mold from Canada. The Fort Myers Whitbys were casually called Florida Whibys. Continue reading “Brewer 44 Review: Second Generation Whitby” »
