Summary of the Whitby-Brewer Fleet
Updated 02 November 2020
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The Whitby Brewer Boat History project is a collection of information of every Whitby and Brewer sailboat built at Whitby Boat Works in Whitby, Ontario and Fort Myers Yacht and Shipbuilding in Ft. Myers, Florida from 1972 until 1990. The project has two primary goals:
- Status of every hull number in the Whitby Brewer fleet (active, destroyed, etc.)
- Owner history for every Whitby & Brewer hull number
Summary of the Whitby-Brewer Fleet
| Hull Nos. | Years | Manufacturer | Model | # of boats |
| 001-201 | 1972-1982 | Whitby | Whitby 42 | 201 |
| 301-335 | 1983-1986 | Whitby | Whitby 42 | 34 |
| 202-233 | 1980-1982 | Fort Myers | Whitby 42 | 32 |
| 234-267, 269-272, 275 | 1983-1987 | Fort Myers | Brewer 12.8 | 39 |
| 268, 273-274, 276-306 | 1987-1990 | Fort Myers | Brewer 44 | 34 |
| 001-003 | 1985-1986 | Whitby | Whitby 55 | 3 |
| Total boats in WB fleet | 343 |
| Whitby 42 built in Whitby | 234 |
| Whitby 55 built in Whitby | 3 |
| Whitby 42 built in Fort Myers | 33 |
| Brewer 12.8 built in Fort Myers | 39 |
| Brewer 44 built in Fort Myers | 34 |
| Total built in Whitby | 237 |
| Total built in Fort Myers | 106 |
| Total in Fleet | 343 |
Overlapping Hull Numbers
| Hull Nos. | Years | Manufacturer | Model |
| 001-003 | 1972 | Whitby | Whitby 42 |
| 001-003 | 1985-1986 | Whitby | Whitby 55 |
| 301-306 | 1983 | Whitby | Whitby 42 |
| 301-306 | 1989-1990 | Fort Myers | Brewer 44 |
In several cases, the 3-digit hull numbers of some of the boats overlap, creating some confusion. Whitby, ON built three Whitby 55's with hull numbers 001-003, the same as the first three Whitby 42's built. Also in several cases, the 3-digit hull numbers of boats built in Whitby, ON, overlap with those built in Fort Myers, FL.
Of course, the full 12 or 13-digit Hull Identification Numbers for all of these “overlapping” hulls is unique for each boat. Confusion can still occur as there are several types of format for the HIN. Further explanation of various types of HIN's can be found in the article, What's in a Number? - Hull Identification Numbers of Whitbys & Brewers.
Status of the Fleet
| Status of Boat | Number of Boats |
| Active Boats | 224 |
| Active? Boats (Not 100% Sure) | 59 |
| Destroyed | 9 |
| Never Completed (#201) | 1 |
| Unknown Status - No Info | 50 |
| Total Boats | 343 |
| Owner Records w/o Hull Number | 86 |
| Boat Records w/o Owner or Hull Number | 12 |
Of the 343 Whitby and Brewer sailboats built, current information shows that at least 224 boats remain active in the fleet. Another 59 boats are labeled “Active?” meaning they are thought to be still active, but concrete information about the current owner is lacking. Nine boats are known to have been destroyed or parted out, and one boat was never completed, but used only for a building mold. “Unknown Status” indicates that no owner information at all is currently available.
