2022 Boston Whaler 330 Outrage review

Overview

Boston Whaler's Outrage centre consoles are acknowledged as first-class offshore powerboats, capable of sustaining very high offshore cruising speeds - thanks to their robust construction and solid, smooth-riding deep-vee hull designs. 

Understandably, big power outboard engines are required to push these big deep-vee Boston Whalers at speed, but one Australian customer has taken this to another level - by fitting a pair of Mercury 450R race-bred outboard engines to his Boston Whaler 330 Outrage. 

This incredibly fast, wonderfully appointed Boston Whaler is the subject of this review.

Price and equipment

Boston Whaler dealer Queensland Marine Centre has 330 Outrage boat packages starting from $590,000 with the base engine option, a pair of Mercury 300hp V8 four-stroke outboards in the ultra-longshaft (30-inch) configuration. 

Referring to the twin 300hp Mercury's as "base" engines here is arguably something of a misnomer - as you can expect speeds of 45 knots-plus and a 400nm mile range with the twin 300hp Mercs. 

These big V8 Mercury outboard engines are also equipped with hydraulic power steering, digital throttle and shift, and Mercury SmartCraft instrumentation. 

The standard Boston Whaler 330 Outrage is not exactly a base boat either as it comes out of the factory with a lot of standard features and accessories. 

Some of those features include the wrap-around bench seat at the bow; dual-width console sun pad with armrests and huge storage compartment; dual-width centre console with head compartment/change room with VacuFlush toilet; port side offset helm station with tilt steering wheel, blacked-out fascia; hardtop with tempered glass windshield; twin bucket helm chairs; leaning post with aft-facing bench seat with storage and bait board; self-bailing cockpit with surrounding coaming bolsters; side entry door with dive ladder; transom door; sub-floor insulated kill tanks; transom live well; fold-out bench seat; rod racks; rod/gaff racks; cockpit toe-rails; boarding platform with ladder; eight gunwale rod holders; anchor windlass; plus a whole lot more. 

Electronics gear includes a high-end Raymarine multifunction display, Fusion stereo with JL speakers, iPod/iPhone dock and a VHF radio. 

Our test boat gained a stack of extra gear including joystick piloting and an automatic, self-levelling trim system for the twin Mercury Racing 450R outboard engines, as well as a pair of Raymarine 16-inch Axiom XL multifunction displays; Raymarine radar; FLIR night vision camera; Armourdeck non-slip rubber flooring throughout; black powder-coating to hardtop frame; shade extension; hardtop wing curtains; bow towing eye; underwater LED lighting; cockpit refrigerator; bow and stern teak pedestal tables; shore power; Radial outriggers to hardtop; scuba tank rack; spotlight; and a white external rub rail with stainless steel insert. 

The extras lift the price of the 330 Outrage package to $900K. That's a substantial increase over the standard boat, but the big dollar cost here is the upgrade from the 300hp Mercury outboard engines to the very expensive Mercury Racing 450Rs. 

Hull and engineering

Regular readers might tire of me harping on about the construction quality of Boston Whaler boats, but this really is a strong selling point for this brand. These boats are genuinely better built than most - stronger, more durable, stiffer. 

You can feel the difference on the water. Boston Whalers ride smoothly, but they also ride quietly as the patented Unibond foam composite hull construction tends to dampen, absorb the hull patter/slap you might experience with lesser hulls. 

Similarly, the hardtop superstructures are integrated and properly braced so they do not move, vibrate, or rattle at speed.

Elsewhere, deck and storage locker hatches are gasket sealed, fibreglassed on both sides for durability, and held open with gas strut supports.

Stainless steel fixtures and fittings are used throughout the Boston Whaler 330 Outrage, while quality hard-wearing vinyl is used to upholster the seats, backrests, lounge cushions, and coaming bolsters that completely encircle the interior of the boat.

The hull beneath the Boston Whaler 330 Outrage has a super fine entry shape, stretching aft to a substantial transom deadrise of 23 degrees. 

The 3.1-metre-wide beam combines with a flattened keel to increase stability at rest, and to create a lifting surface to plane the hull quickly and easily from displacements speeds. 

The underwater hull shape is also configured to absorb and carry the weight of twin outboard engines to a maximum weight of 635kg, which is roughly the combined weight of the two Mercury 450R V8 outboard engines. 

Despite having the maximum-weight engines on the transom, the Boston Whaler 330 Outrage sits quite flat on the water, with just the right amount of squat at the stern when the boat is a rest.

Design and layout

Boston Whaler Outrage centre consoles are fishing boats first and foremost, but modern examples are designed to double-up as family boats for day cruising and sports boating. To that end, these craft have plenty of seating and lounging areas. 

Like its siblings, the 330 Outrage has seating at the bow and the stern of the boat. But, instead of the pronounced v-shaped bow seating configuration of most Outrage models, the 330 has a smaller, aft-facing bench seat to enlarge the forward deck for fishing.

Conversely, the dual-width sun pad/chaise lounge in front of the console has grown in size to keep the most avid sun worshippers very happy.

Additional seats in the boat include the twin bucket helm chairs, an aft-facing bench seat behind the cockpit leaning post, and a transom bench seat which cleverly pulls out from the transom wall. 

Another cool feature is the folding back-rest behind the bench seat leaning post - which unpacks to create a thigh height cocktail/drinks table. 

Storage compartments up forward include the anchor well on the short foredeck, safety gear locker beneath the bench seat, a sub-floor insulated ice/storage box and a huge compartment beneath the sun pad.

The latter incorporates a horizontal rod locker, provision for two large buckets, and the option, as tested, for a scuba tank rack. 

Toward the stern, there are two mackerel/wahoo-sized sub-floor insulated fish boxes (with pump-out), along with a huge lazarette/mechanical room beneath the cockpit floor, and a storage box beneath the lean seat/bait station. 

The step-down head compartment inside the console also doubles as a storage area, complete with a side bin alongside the VacuFlush toilet, and a storage cupboard beneath a sink with benchtop and pull-out shower rose. 

There's an extra pull-out freshwater shower at the transom, alongside the starboard side transom door. 

Helm and hardtop

Boston Whaler has its helm and hardtop layouts properly sorted. In the 330 Outrage, everything for the skipper is close to hand, easy to view and operate.

The tilt-adjust steering wheel is offset to the port side with the dual-engined throttle box positioned dead centre. Skippers can set it up to run the boat with one throttle lever, or both. Similarly, the trim can be set so both engines lift individually or together.

That said, our test rig was optioned with Mercury's Active Engine Trim system that automatically changes the outboard drive angle to match the engine revs and boat speed.

The gloss black-coloured fascia panel accommodates two huge displays; our test boat was packing a pair of Raymarine 16-inch Axiom units along with the VHF radio, Fusion audio system head unit and Mercury VesselView 4 display. 

Overhead, beneath a stitched vinyl trimmed brow, waterproof rocker switches give the skipper speedy access to the ship's features and functions. 

Other features include a two-tier moulded fibreglass footrest, a slide-out helm platform for height-challenged skippers, dash compass, windscreen wiper to the tempered glass windscreen, power actuated windscreen ventilation panel, 12-volt sockets, a lockable glovebox, Joystick Piloting control, cup holders and switching for the included Lenco trim tabs.  

The hardtop, also included with this boat package, is incredibly sturdy and rigid, the powder-coated alloy frame also acting as a hand-hold for the crew. 

Hardtop features include solid roof mounting bases for the outriggers, radar dome, navigation lights, radio aerials, etc.

Beneath the hardtop, the skipper has access to the overhead radio/storage box, cockpit spreader lights, rocket launcher rod rack, and hardtop shade extension optioned to our test boat.  

Fishing fit-out

Various different leaning post configurations are available for the 330 Outrage. Our test boat was largely standard - but for the addition of a starboard side refrigerator. 

Tackle drawers are built into the leaning post on the port side, while the storage compartment beneath the aft-facing bench seat can be optioned as an additional plumbed live well.

Behind the leaning post, the cockpit stretches about 1.5m aft to the full height transom wall and the pull-out aft bench seat. 

This space is ideally set up for offshore fishing; there is ample cockpit deck space and freeboard, along with stainless steel toe-rails on each side to keep you secure when fishing in rough seas. 

Specific fishing features include the 190L centre transom live well, bolstered side coamings with multiple stainless rod holders, two huge, insulated subfloor fish boxes, optional non-slip foam rubber flooring, and gunwale rod racks on the starboard side, side entry door to port. 

On the water

Paired with the twin Mercury ultra-longshaft (30-inch) 450R outboard engines, the 330 Outrage is a true weapon on the water. This craft is blisteringly, yet deceptively fast. 

The Boston Whaler 330 Outrage hull is so big, solid and well balanced that you don't realise how quick it is until you glance down at the speedo, or in this case down to the speed read-out on the massive 16-inch Raymarine Axiom display. 

You expect to be able to go as fast as you like in smooth harbour waters, but the 330 Outrage can sustain ridiculously high speeds offshore as well, making light work out of quick fishing trips out to the wide offshore canyons.

Conditions offshore during my sea trial were quite mild, yet I was still startled to discover at one point that I was skipping across the tops of the wave swells at almost 50 knots. 

The Outrage is just so well planted, and in mild conditions this boat's 10m waterline length allows you to take liberties that you simply can't do in smaller or lesser craft. 

Ultimately, when the wind and seas pick-up, you do have to slow down, but the Outrage is still capable of sustaining remarkable point-to-point offshore speeds. 

Having noted the above, and how impressively quick and responsive this boat is with 900hp on the transom, you really don't need that much grunt. 

With the standard 300hp V8 Mercury four-strokes on the transom, the Boston Whaler 330 Outrage can run to 45 knots and still be quick and responsive in the mid-rev range.

Another option for a little more power would be a pair of 350hp supercharged Mercury L6 Verados, but I think I would stick with the more recent tech V8 300s as these smooth, yet throaty motors are exceptional.

Performance*

Range on 95% of the 1135L fuel supply at 4000rpm: 365.7nm
*Both engines

Verdict

The Boston Whaler 330 Outrage is a seriously good offshore fishing boat, but it is also a capable family day cruiser. 

And that's the point of these modern Boston Whalers; you can run fast out to the 'shelf for a morning's game fishing, but be back at the marina restaurant for a late lunch followed by an afternoon spent tubing and wakeboarding with family and friends.

The Boston Whaler 330 Outrage is mighty expensive, but if you've worked hard all your life, achieving the goals you have set, and are financially independent, why not reward yourself with one of the best boats you can buy in this market segment. 

Specifications
Model: Boston Whaler 330 Outrage
Length overall: 10.08m
Beam: 3.10m
Draft: 550mm
Bridge clearance: 3.0m
Deadrise: 23 degrees
Weight: 4083kg (hull only)
Weight with engines (wet): 5,705kg
Maximum power: 900hp
Maximum engine weight: 635kg
Transom height: 635mm (30-inch) ultra-longshaft
Engines as tested: 2x450hp Mercury 450R V8 four-stroke
Fuel: 1135L
Water: 151L 
Holding tank: 24.6L
Live well: 189.2L 
Flotation: Level standard
Passengers: 14

Priced from: $590,000 including dual black coloured 300hp Mercury V8 ultra-longshaft (30-inch) four-stroke outboard engines with power steering, digital throttle and shift, SmartCraft instrumentation.

Price as tested: $900,000 including dual black coloured 450hp Mercury 450R V8 ultra-longshaft (30-inch) four-stroke outboard enginess with SmartCraft instrumentation, power steering, digital throttle and shift, Joystick Piloting, Mercury Active Trim, twin Raymarine 16-inch Axiom XL multifunction displays; Raymarine radar; FLIR night vision camera; Armourdeck non-slip rubber flooring throughout; black powder-coating to hardtop frame; shade extension; hardtop wing curtains; bow towing eye; underwater LED lighting; cockpit refrigerator; bow and stern teak pedestal tables; bow sunshade; shore power; Radial outriggers to hardtop; scuba tank rack; spotlight; anchor rode; and a white external rub rail with stainless steel insert. 

Supplied by: Queensland Marine Centre