# Whipray number 11



## robwill54 (Jan 18, 2011)

I've been wanting to post this for awhile; just a plain and simple fishing machine.I have no actual documentation to support the claim other than the original owner told me he drove from Beaumont, Tx to pick it up and it was the third one built; interesting anyway. Bought from the original owner 5 years ago she is a veteran from the Keys to South Padre Island. Power is the mighty 25 Yamaha. Fish on!

Bob

ps anyone know any of those guys whose names are shown?


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## mikeregas (Mar 15, 2013)

*Re: Whipray number 3*

if I am not mistaken Chris Morejohn is one of the founders and I would assume the others were the employees of HB at the time that assisted with the build.


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## RonBari (Jun 30, 2012)

*Re: Whipray number 3*

Full name of each person involved with the build written on the hull. That is one powerful statement of confidence and pride.. an example all skiff builders should strive to rise to.


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## Snookdaddy (Jan 5, 2008)

*Re: Whipray number 3*

Awesome skiff and it looks great.

Take this with a grain of salt, but it appears that you have hull #11 and the 498 at the end indicates that it was manufactured in April 1998..

I'm thinking that it was probably the 3rd side console Whipray made..

Ultra nice ride!


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## gfish (Jan 14, 2009)

*Re: Whipray number 3*

^^ what he said, that's hull #11
May be the third one they "sold".
Doesn't matter it's a bad azz skiff!!
Almost as good as my Jon boat, Fish on...


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## Cookie (Feb 10, 2014)

*Re: Whipray number 3*

You can see the spray rail is much lower on older whiprays.


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## swampfox (May 9, 2007)

*Re: Whipray number 3*

Man that's just too cool


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## swampfox (May 9, 2007)

*Re: Whipray number 3*

What part of the boat is that written on? Can give us more pics? Like under the deck and hatches. So we can see the craftsmanship and methods used. Some us get off on stuff like that


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## shiprock8 (Sep 23, 2013)

*Re: Whipray number 3*

You've got a great skiff with some history!


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## Fish_specialist (Jan 1, 2014)

*Re: Whipray number 3*

Absolutely fantastic!! Chris, was and is the man!! Don't let that boat go!! You can NEVER replace it!!


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## Ginclear (Aug 11, 2013)

*Re: Whipray number 3*


























That is a great looking skiff , as well as very functional for Texas flats . 
I think Snookdaddy is correct about the hull number and date . And it 
makes sense that it could have been the third side console built . Whipray
hull number 3 was posted for sale on Tribenwater on 11/15/09 . Your skiff
is a very early and historical skiff and the fact that it is signed by Chris 
Morejohn makes it even cooler . Morejohn was one of the original
founders along with Pallot and Chittum , but he was also the guiding 
genius responsible for the design and build schedules of Hell's Bay 
skiffs and the reason why they perform like no other skiff .

Our serial number , as pictured , is handwritten under the forward 
deck , as I assume your's is as well . Our skiff was not signed , but 
the original title was signed by Morejohn . The original owner picked 
it up in Oct. of 2000 , so your skiff is 2 1/2 years earlier than ours .
Attempting to decipher our serial number , from right to left , we
interpret : Model 2001 , made Sept. 2000 , serial # WA000 . This 
may be the first Waterman 16 built or it may be the prototype , hence
the numeral 0 . HIN specs are:
HBH                        WA000                 I              0            01
manufactuers       production or     month of    year of        model 
    ID code           serial #            production  production    year
( The months are assigned letters , "I" meaning September )

I don't know if we are correct about our interpretation of the numeral 0 
or not . Does anyone out there in Microskiff Land have knowledge or 
opinions about that ? Snookdaddy ? 

Actually , the spray rail on older Whiprays is not lower , the freeboard is 
higher . In fact , our skiff may have been one of the first , if not the 
first , to sport the lowered freeboard . Subsequently , the freeboards on 
the later Whiprays were also lowered . Better for poling , worse for waves .


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## Cookie (Feb 10, 2014)

*Re: Whipray number 3*

My 99 whip has its spray rail higher up on the hull.


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## swampfox (May 9, 2007)

*Re: Whipray number 3*

Alright ya'll break out the measuring tapes ;D For real this is some good historical data we need to collect. And forever archive on the old inter-web  With all the interest in restoring these older boats. It could be of importance on down the road.


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## swampfox (May 9, 2007)

*Re: Whipray number 3*

It looks as if the lay up are different as well. The Waterman appears to have a heavier weave of woven roven. Also what is the black carbon ribbon looking stuff? You said it was under the front deck. Was it signed when the cap was off? Or is it visible when you open the hatch? o rdo you have to poke your head in with a light? I have never seen anyone post or talk about this before. Sorry for all the questions. I just find it very intriguing.


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## robwill54 (Jan 18, 2011)

Thanks for clueing me in about the date code, I agree it is number 11 which is cool with me. To see the signatures and hull number you have to kind of do the limbo into the forward hatch. I found it when I installed the trolling motor. Not sure about the fiber but it is only visible under the front deck. I will try to shoot a few more pictures tomorrow weather permitting. Guess I lucked into this little skiff!

Bob


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## Cookie (Feb 10, 2014)

It seems the hand writing is the same for all the names.


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## robwill54 (Jan 18, 2011)

It is. Guess whoever had the best handwriting got the nod. Maybe someone's wife? That's always the call at my house. 

Bob


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## Ginclear (Aug 11, 2013)

Seabob ,
Did you have to cut a doughnut hole through the forward bulkhead
and then tunnel through foam to fix nuts on the through bolts to fix 
the trolling motor puck to the deck like we did ? Fun , hunh ? But 
the big payoff was , we got to enjoy a view of the hand written 
serial number ! 

The layups do look somewhat different between the 2 skiffs . I 
would really love to know more about that . When we sanded 
parts of the deck to fix holes left by another brand of trolling 
motor and bow lights , the exposed material was grey , like 
a carbon fiber/e glass . I guess for strength and lightness .
I do know that our skiff doesn't flex at all when running and 
yet is very light weight ( 325 lbs ) . Maybe somebody will
get on the inter-tube and posthole some answers on twitter-
book . We Texans are just as hep-cat as those tweet -faced
beatnik computer greeks .


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## shiprock8 (Sep 23, 2013)

Looks like I have the 4th Whip hull made in 2001. The build month is January.  Here is a pic of the foredeck with all the hardware removed.  It's the Islamorada edition in ice blue.


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## Ginclear (Aug 11, 2013)

> Looks like I have the 4th Whip hull made in 2001.  The build month is January.  Here is a pic of the foredeck with all the hardware removed.  It's the Islamorada edition in ice blue.


Boy that skiff is gonna turn some heads . What a beaut . Bet you can't wait to get her back in the water .
Post pics when she's done . Was the serial no. under the deck or had they quit putting it there by then ? 
Is this one of the lowered freeboard models ? If it is , it's one of the early ones . I really like the single
hatch lid aft . What are you having done to it ? Is there a limit to how many questions I can ask ?


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## robwill54 (Jan 18, 2011)

There is no bulkhead forward of the cockpit in my boat so it was a snap installing the trolling motor puck. Drilled 2 holes under the port gunnel fore and aft for the cables and hung them tight under the gunnel.

Bob


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## Ckirk57 (Sep 27, 2009)

I have an 02 17.8 whipray hin# hbh00410J102
So I guess mine was the 410th one built in late 2001? Seems like they really ramped up production.


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## robwill54 (Jan 18, 2011)

Wonder when they started using a letter for the month?

:-?


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## Cookie (Feb 10, 2014)

My old waterman #HBH00564I203 I dont the HB can make 564 boats a year.


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## rsm13 (May 19, 2013)

*Re: Whipray number 3*



> That is a great looking skiff , as well as very functional for Texas flats .
> I think Snookdaddy is correct about the hull number and date . And it
> makes sense that it could have been the third side console built . Whipray
> hull number 3 was posted for sale on Tribenwater on 11/15/09 . Your skiff
> ...


 I may be wrong but I think your WA is really a "WR" for Whipray. My Whipray serial number says WRXXX on the hull....and i think i was told that stood for Whipray.


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## Ginclear (Aug 11, 2013)

The WA000 serial number as handwritten could be construed as WR000 , as cap A's and cap R's can
be written to look similar , but the original manufacturer's statement of origin is clearly typed as WA .
If it was WR , then our skiff would be the first Whipray ever built . That would be cool . Problem is ,
Hell's Bay has located the original Whipray and has acquired it . Our's also has the Waterman logo on
the hull . Interestingly it has Whipray logos on the Ramlin fenders . We are still not sure if it is the 
first Waterman or a prototype . It also has 16 Whipray/Waterman hand written on the wooden dipstick .


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## Cookie (Feb 10, 2014)

My 03 waterman had whipray on its ramlin fenders too.


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## Snookdaddy (Jan 5, 2008)

My Aluminum Ramlin for a 18' Waterman also has Whipray treads on the fenders.


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## rsm13 (May 19, 2013)

Just call Mona at hells bay (nice lady, she normally is the one who answers the phone), giver her your serial number and she can tell you how it breaks down.....she deciphered mine for me.


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## Chris Morejohn (May 12, 2014)

Sea Bob,the skiff you have is hull # 11 built for a really nice guy by the name of Claude Burwick. He was the first guy to order a skiff from us at our first boat show in Huston Texas from a very rough one off skiff that was hull # 1. The first 18 skiffs built had their Chines 3 inches lower before we raised them . I signed a lot of the skiffs that first year with the guys that were working along side me. Stan Nash was the guy that helped me build all the plugs and molds during my time at HBBWs, about 120 molds for all the parts we did with my drawings and by hand. No computer machines then for me as it was very cost effective to do every thing in house.


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## Chris Morejohn (May 12, 2014)

Blue skimmer,
The skiff you have was my idea to bring in a very simple skiff to compete with the john boat crowd and to get sales going to keep cash flowing. Boat building is a very risky business if you don't have sales and boats to build. The idea was to eliminate everything possible but still have a few lockers and rod racks to get the price way down. The cloth you see is 18 oz. roving on top of 1 1/2 oz. Matt. Both sides.
Everybody loved this skiff but all wanted it to have side decks and look like the Whipray but at this lower price. So the rest is history with the skiffs getting more complicated . This is my favorite skiff for all around and the original Whipray as the Yacht version.hope this helps.


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## cutrunner (Jun 8, 2010)

Chris
it is really an honor to have you on here, I'm sure all the hells bay owners will soon be delighted


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## ziggysrq (Aug 27, 2013)

Not to derail but while we have the attention of Chris I wonder if I could ask about a hull a friend of mine has.  I believe the plug was built by Stan but I'm not sure.  I was told it was a hull never put into production and maybe you could shed some light as I think the design is very interesting.  Thanks for your time.


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## redsonfly (Jun 8, 2007)

The date code is correct. I purchased hull number 13 from Chris and Flip and Hal, and it was the last of the low chine whip rays.  They were finishing the plug for the high chine whiprays when I picked my boat up in Titusville; the freeboard is the same as the ones made afterward, but the chine was raised since there was a little slapping with the low chine boats, especially oceanside with a little more wind and wave action.
the first 13 hulls were drier boats, though.
I sold mine to a friend and still fish it along with my newer whip ray. the first one was drier.  My friend is about 60 pounds lighter than I am so he never experienced any hull slap with the low chine boat and will not ever sell the skiff.
You hull #11 is a real classic, and again being signed by Chris and the crew who worked at HB when the boat was produced is a real plus, as mine was.I definitely caught more fish out of the early boat compared to the later non-signed ones I owned.
Tight lines and screaming drags!


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## Chris Morejohn (May 12, 2014)

Cut runner, zingy,
I am glad to be here as I have the time now at present to be able to talk to people. I left HBBWs in 2001 and was eventually bought out by April of 2002 so I do not know much of what has happened there since then as it has been out of my hands.
The boat pictured i believe could be a skiff that was built after the guy that bought HB from Hal tried to build down the road after filing for bankruptcy. This 
Is one of many stories that I've heard.
In the industry now there are quite a few boats being built that at first glance look to be one of my designs by the outward appearances like that upper chine detail that I introduced on the Marquesa my last design at HB. This was a styling idea of mine to try and separate our skiff lines. One of the departures that I made when coming up with the Whipray was to take the chine out of the water and put it up high to catch the spray and not to have it slap. At the time the quite boats were the Maverick And Dolphin skiffs. They were known to be tippy as their bow water lines were very narrow. This I could change here too with a design from scratch not having to redo an existing hull.Having it run all the way aft just added inside space. All the shops that now copy this detail like on the Kevin Fiens ,Yellowfin,boats etc. need to really make sure it is in the right 
spot or it is just a waste. Before HBBWs and the Whipray came about I had already made two previous skiffs ,one that I used, and 7 others that I built for friends, plus a one off that I built for Charley Causey of Islamorada. When Hal Chittum approached me about he and Flip looking for me to build a one off John boat for them I handed them my past 2 designs and told them I had better ideas for the next one.This skiff then ended up becoming the Whipray and the beginning of HB. These skiffs were built in the mid 90 s ,Charley's of all core.


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## rsm13 (May 19, 2013)

WOW...this is very fascinating. Thanks for the insight Chris! BTW...how did you settle on the name Whipray anyway (apart from the obvious shallow water connotation)?


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## PastMidnite (Jan 5, 2009)

I believe the name comes from whipray basin in the everglades


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## rsm13 (May 19, 2013)

> I believe the name comes from whipray basin in the everglades


Ah yes I remember that now. Thanks


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## robwill54 (Jan 18, 2011)

Chris,
Thanks so much for your input on my boat. I bought it from Claude, who still lives in Beaumont, Tx. He took immaculate care of it and I still enjoy it today!

Bob


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