2022 Whitley FF1650 OB review

Built on top of a proven Savage Century hull, the Whittley FF1650 is part of a three-model “fishing friendly” range.

We’re interested in this boat because if you have an average-sized family car and small children, the Whittley FF1650 could be the perfect package to add to the driveway.

The Whittley FF1650 is an Australian-made small fibreglass boat that aims to deliver good value for money compared with similar-sized rivals.

Drive-away pricing kicks off from $57,990 for a base package comprising a 75hp Mercury FourStroke fuel-injected outboard engine and a single-axle mechanically braked galvanised Dunbier trailer with a spare wheel.

But it’s the list of standard-fit extras, many of which will appear on rival brands’ options lists, where the Whittley starts to look impressive.

You don’t pay anything extra to have features such as a stainless steel anchor roller and bow rails; cabin cushions and windows; bow access hatch; helm sports seats with footrests; rubber flooring; a bimini; side pockets with rod storage racks; a transom kill tank that can be optioned as a live bait tank; bilge pump; a stainless steel boarding ladder; LED anchor and running lights; and a two-tone gelcoat with a sports decal kit.

As tested, the price of our boat jumps to $69,832 with the inclusion of front and side clears, an alloy rocket launcher, Savwinch electric anchor winch (with dual battery upgrade) and chromed anchor; stainless steel bait board with drawer and rod holders; aerated live bait tank; raw water deck wash; battery charger, and a vinyl cabin divider that fully encloses the cuddy space.

The Whittley FF1650 tested also upgrades the default cable steering system for a hydraulic one.

Whittley boats are covered under a five-year warranty.

Whittley is a longstanding family-owned Australian fibreglass boat manufacturer with a pedigree running back to the 1950s. Based in Melbourne, it now ranks among Australia’s largest fibreglass boat makers.

The Whittley FF1650 is built on top of a time-proven Savage Centurion hull. Length overall with the bowsprit is 5.4 metres, but the hull length is 5.0 metres.

Interestingly, this hull, featuring hard stepped chines has only a 13-degree deadrise, which is a very shallow angle in this class. Shallow-angle deadrises generally equate to stability at rest, and a dry ride as the spray is deflected down.

That said, the Whittley FF1650 features a sharp bow that helps it cut through waves and chop with ease.

Whittley’s boat-building process uses a fiberglass encapsulated stringer system for strength, noise reduction and longevity. Both the stringers and the cockpit are formed from one-piece moulds, adding strength and minimising rattles and hull noise.

Foam filling is also standard on this boat, which is rated to a basic flotation standard.

Whittley’s FF range consists of fishing-focussed models that is an alternative to the more cruising-oriented Clearwater model line, and not quite as offshore-honed as Whittley’s Sea Legend series of boats.

The cuddy cabin forward is small with good access so that even an adult can crouch down and enter. The vee-berth inside is probably better suited to children, but an infill is available that creates a more useable space for adults.

Padded pockets surround the cabin, and portholes allow natural light into the space – a rare feature at this price point. 

You might want to be a little careful when operating the electric winch around children, as there’s no protective housing to stop little fingers from getting caught. 

The cuddy also has a long, narrow hatch that opens to provide access to the bow.

The Whittley FF1650’s cabin is set well forward to yield as much space as possible to the cockpit. This space takes full advantage of the boat’s generous 2.14-metre beam.

Rather than fit the Whittley FF1650 with an underfloor fuel tank, the boat uses a transparent plastic tank mounted in the transom. This pushes weight aft, but gives the skipper a visual gauge of how much fuel remains.

Duckboards with grab rails sit to either side of the outboard engine housing. The starboard side has a swing-down ladder to provide water access.

The boat is equipped with a pair of aft cleats for tying up. The low bow rail, that sits proud of the cuddy moulding, can double as a forward tie-up point.

I quite liked the look of our white hull featuring subtle graphics, but for those who want a bit more pop out on the water, a number of exterior and interior colour schemes are available.

The Whittley FF1650 features a starboard console with the co-pilot’s chair fronting the large void opening into the cuddy cabin. There’s no grab rail for the jump seat, so you’ll need to brace yourself with the rail mounted on the trailing edge of the windscreen.

A centre-opening section of the windscreen provides good airflow when needed.

The blacked-out dash in front of the skipper is quite small, and suited to smaller dials and gauges. There’s space between the dash and windscreen to mount a smaller chartplotter and fishfinder.

Flat sections of the lower dash are ideal for mounting controls for the electric winch, and trim tabs if you have them fitted. 

The helm seats deserve special mention. Not only do they look good, but they’re comfortable, and each side comes with its own moulded footrest. The one thing they lack is fore-aft adjustment to make it a bit more comfortable to stand at the wheel.

Both the sports wheel and the Mercury’s shift and throttle control fall easily to hand.

The Whittley FF1650’s cockpit is surprisingly spacious for its size. One of the factors contributing to this is the boat’s rather generous 2.14-metre beam that creates a large, square space.

There’s enough room for two adults to comfortably fish on opposite sides, and space to spare so that if you wanted to add a child or two to the mix, you could.

For fishing purposes, the two seats on either side of the transom, complete with their own outboard armrests with stainless steel grab rails, can remove to provide unfettered access to the transom, important if you’re working a fish to the boat or handling a landing net.

There are plenty of rod holders across the back of the boat, including two in the surprisingly expensive-looking and robust stainless steel bait board topped in a plastic cutting board and with a drop-down door cavity beneath it. The bait board even has a fence to stop knives and the like from rolling off into the water.

Below the bait board is a kill tank that has been converted to an aerated live bait tank.

The Whittley FF1650’s side pockets are lined and include plastic inserts for holding a couple of rods. There’s plenty of underfoot space so you can get snug with the flat and wide coamings.

The entire floor in the Whittley FF1650 is rubber-lined. As well as the Whittley logo, the floor has a built-in brag mat so you can size the catch.

We tested the Whittley FF1650 in rather calm conditions on Dartmouth Dam in Victoria’s northeast. 

This large man-made structure, used mainly for irrigation, floods a deep valley with depths of more than 150 metres.

The day of our test was pretty calm, so we’re not able to vouch for the Whittley FF1650’s rough water chops. However, in the relatively calm conditions, the hull was flawless.

One noticeable difference was cornering. The Whittley FF1650 sat much flatter in turns than what you’d expect from a deeper-vee boat, with the hard chines gripping the water. We’ve talked about go-kart-like handing in boats before, and the Whittley definitely falls in this category.

And it is fun to chuck around. The 75hp Mercury, fitted with a stainless steel propellor as standard, is more than enough to push the boat along at more than 30 knots when asked, and the Whittley FF1650 is a delight to throw into corners.

Part of the reason for this can be attributed to the optional hydraulic steering fitted to our test boat. The hydraulic ram produces smooth and progressive steering feel with little to no load fed forward from the engine. 

Twirl the wheel, let it rest on a lock with just a slight amount of torque, and the engine will follow without complaint.

Performance with the 75hp Mercury FourStroke was surprisingly spritely with just two people and 30 per cent of the 70-litre fuel tank onboard. 

Of note, this 2.1-litre outboard engine family also includes 80hp, 90hp, 100hp (the FF1650’s maximum horsepower rating) and 115hp versions, so if you’re regularly crossing bars or intend to one day pull kids around on skis, there are plenty of performance upgrade options on tap.

Powering up, the 75hp Mercury FourStroke needs very little trim, preferring to remain tucked into the transom rather than feathered out. Even with a little bit of outward trim, the boat will start to porpoise, indicating you’ve been a bit overzealous with the controls.

No trim tabs are offered as part of the options list but could be worth the investment.

One place where the Whittley excels is when at rest on the water. That low-cut vee gives the back of the boat a lot of flotation, which means two adults can comfortably stand side by side at the transom.

It’s odd to see the fuel sloshing around in the 70-litre fuel tank tucked into the transom. Other designs would have a sub-floor fuel tank, but unless it’s something like a Bar Crusher with a fuel tank window you’re relying on the electronic gauges to see how much fuel is left.

There are cheaper 5.0-metre boats out there that you can tip your money into, but few would come close to matching Whittley’s list of standard features.

The other thing is when you buy a Whittley you’re not just buying the boat, but you’re also buying into a complete boating network.

From the moment you take delivery, Whittley will come to you to ensure the boat’s servicing is up to date, and Whittley’s extensive and extremely active owners’ groups provide a safe and effective way to discover how to get much more lifestyle experiences out of your ride.

Yep, you don’t just buy a boat.

Priced from: $57,990 including LED anchor and navigation lights; stainless steel bow rails; tinted cabin windows; inshore safety kit; rubber flooring; cuddy side cushions; removable rear seats; sports steering wheel; sports seats; bow roller; boarding platforms with stainless steel folding boarding ladder; stainless steel boarding rails; decal kit; moulded baitwell; 4x  stainless steel rod holders; carpeted side pockets with rod holders; automatic bilge pump; single battery; bimini; 75hp Mercury FourStroke outboard engine with gauges; mechanical steering; galvanised single-axle galvanised Dunbier trailer with spare wheel; ratchet straps.

Price as tested: $69,832 including front and side clears; alloy rocket launcher; hydraulic steering; Savwinch winch and anchor; stainless steel bait board with rod holders and storage drawer; aerated live bait tank; raw water deck wash; dual battery system with charger; vinyl cabin divider; storm travel cover.

Supplied by: Whittley Boats