Boston Whaler 230 Outrage: Fishing Boat Review

Boston Whaler has pulled out all the stops with its latest 230 Outrage Centre Console. This fabulous, upscale coastal sportfishing boat is cleverly designed, wonderfully finished, and built to last. With excellent handling, ride and stability, and solid performance from single or twin Mercury outboards, the 230 Outrage is a very special boat. As we tested it with twin Mercury 150s and loaded with options, the award-winning 230 Outrage was just incredible!

OVERVIEW
- Fine quality boats for discerning customers
Boston Whaler needs little introduction to avid boaters and anglers. For more than half a century, this Florida-based boat manufacturer has been producing finely crafted, innovative, smartly designed, safe, and unsinkable fibreglass boats.

A premium quality brand, Boston Whaler is best known for its large, diverse range of centre consoles. In the 2017 range, there are nearly two dozen console boats to choose from, ranging from just 3.4m in size through to more than 13m in length. The boats encompass entry bay-fishing skiffs and family day cruisers, through to long-range offshore sport ishing craft like the flagship 420 Outrage that we also recently tested.

For offshore boating and fishing, Boston Whaler’s Outrage models are the craft of choice. The boats are equipped with soft riding, foam-filled, unsinkable deep-V hulls that are brimming with fishing and family boating features.

There are a nine Outrage models in the current Boston Whaler range, including the subject of this review, the fabulous new 230 Outrage, which has gone on to win awards in America as an exemplary boat in its class.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
- Premium quality, premium price
You will be hard pressed to find a better quality, better designed 7.0m centre console than Boston Whaler’s 230 Outrage.

This is a stunning piece of kit, superbly crafted, and with a versatile new layout that enables the Outrage to serve double-duty as a hard-core fishing boat and a comfortable family bay cruiser.

This exceptional interior design and build quality does come at a cost. Entry boat packages start at around $157k with a single Mercury Verado 225hp four-stroke outboard and tandem-axle, alloy-framed, braked trailer, but can rise to over $200k with options and engine upgrades.

Our test boat had the works and was priced at $211,000 from Australian distributor Queensland Marine Centre. No expense was spared in creating something really special in the 23-footer centre-console class.

The package includes a power upgrade to a pair of Mercury 150hp extra-longshaft (25in) V6 four-stroke outboards and the addition of Boston Whaler’s 230 Outrage Fishing Package. Tick this option box and you get coaming bolster padding to the rear cockpit, pump-out facility for the underfloor kill tanks, raw water deck wash and transom rod holders.

Other key options included an electric anchor winch with rode and anchor, bow cushions and table, reinforced bow towing eye, cockpit sun-shade, forward coaming bolsters, T-top with storage bag and outriggers, freshwater shower, and covers for the helm console and console seat box, and more.

INTERIOR LAYOUT
- Award-winning layout with clever convertible helm seating design
The 230 Outrage is an evolution of the previous 220 series model, but with a range of interior improvements to boost space and versatility. The upgrades have proven significant enough to earn Boston Whaler a coveted 2017 US NMMA Innovation Award, the company’s sixth in 10 years.

The stand-out new interior feature is the cleverly designed helm station lean seat. At a glance, the lean seat looks like a regular two-person width bench seat with flip-up front bolsters. However, the hinged back-rest slots into three different positions for maximum seating comfort — but also folds rearward and down toward the cockpit floor to form an aft-facing padded bench seat. Very clever.

Rotate the seat back up and there is a panel behind the backrest which folds out to reveal a rigging or food preparation table. To be honest I’d be loath to cut up baits on this nicely finished aft-facing table, but for preparing drinks and nibblies for family and guests it should be ideal.

Beneath the lean seat and frame is a 51lt removable ice box/cooler for stowing the aforementioned drinks, cheese and crackers — or for stowing rigged baits and pitch baits on ice for the trip out to the fishing grounds.

Anglers can option the boat with a different lean seat which incorporates a rocket launcher and larger 114lt live well, but for most fishing applications the pressurised (no splash underway at speed) 60lt port side transom corner live bait tank will be sufficient — as it is deep, round and easily big enough for keeping two dozen yellowtail-size live baits.

Alongside the rear bait tank is a bench seat which folds out from the centre transom wall. The seat can accommodate two adults, and when retracted, the transom wall is completely flat or flush so you can stand up against it comfortably to fish over the transom.

There is additional seating up in the bow with a half-circle-shaped moulded seating area for three or four adults. An optional infill board/cushion slots into place between the seats to form a sunpad, or you can remove all the cushions to create a fishing platform.

Other features including grab rails, drink holders, vertical rod storage, anchor well with optional anchor winch and a cushioned, insulated seat/storage box ahead of the helm console.

You’ll also find storage bins under the centre bow seat cushion (again insulated) and beneath the floor in the bowrider compartment.

If you are still searching for storage space, there is a room in the spacious head compartment under the console, as well as beneath the floor in the rear cockpit.

These large in-deck cockpit floor lockers are designed as kill tanks. They have overboard drains and are insulated so you can keep your catch on ice.

Anglers will also be impressed with the stainless steel toe-rails which encircle the cockpit, along with the wide side coamings, horizontal gunwale rod storage racks, inboard mounted stern cleats, starboard side transom door, four gunnel-mount stainless steel rod holders, and coaming bolster padding.

The layout of the self-draining rear cockpit is doubly impressive and, well, near perfect. The height between the floor and the padded coamings is ideal at between 650-690mm, and everything you need is close to hand. Everything you don’t immediately need — such as the rear bench seat — is tucked away yet readily accessible.

AT THE HELM
- Two-person width anti-glare console with overhead soft-top
The helm console and hardtop are wide enough to shelter the skipper and a second crew member. There is space on the anti-glare coloured fascia for two big electronics displays, a couple of radios, along with switch panels, drink holders, and a dual-level footrest.

The stainless steel steering wheel and accompanying throttles are offset to port so a crew person can stand alongside the skipper. In practice we found the helm layout works well. The wheel and throttles are comfortably within reach at all times and there is excellent visibility through the acrylic windscreen.

The 230 Outrage is available with a fixed hardtop, but our test boat had a canvas T-top over a powder-coated alloy frame with aft facing rocket-launcher rod racks, and mounting plates for navigation lights and the optional outriggers.

PERFORMANCE
- Single and dual Mercury four-stroke outboard options  
The 230 Outrage is available with a range of Mercury outboard engine options. With the standard ultra-longshaft (30in) Verado 225hp four-stroke you can expect a top speed of 37.4 knots with sufficient mid-range power and acceleration to satisfy most fishing applications. That said if you want more sporting performance you might consider a 300hp or 350hp Mercury Verado as these larger engines will yield a top speed of 45.2 and 47.2 knots respectively.

Another engine option, and one that will be preferred by many offshore anglers, is a pair of 150hp EFI Mercury four-stroke outboards. Running twins is more expensive, but having two engines will give you peace of mind when fishing wide offshore waters. If one should fail for whatever reason, you can run home comfortably on the remaining engine.

Our test boat was packaged with the twin Mercury 150s and we found the boat nicely balanced, easy to drive, and manoeuvrable, especially around the marina or boat ramp at docking speeds.

According to performance figures supplied by the manufacturer, the 230 Outrage will run to a top speed of 44 knots with the dual 150hp engine option.

Best and most economical cruise is at 3000rpm for a speed of 21 knots and a fuel consumption figure of 30.3 l/ph from both engines. These figures yield a maximum range on the standard 416lt fuel tank (less 5 per cent for line losses) of about 262nm.

ON THE WATER
- Smooth, quiet, dry riding hull
Boston Whaler has been manufacturing deep-V hull planing powerboats for nearly 60 years so you’d reckon they would have their hull shapes pretty well sorted — and of course they have.

The 21 degree deep-V hull under the 230 Outrage is fabulous, combining a wonderfully soft ride with rock-solid stability, and excellent handling.

The 230 Outrage is also remarkably dry, and that is important for a centre console. The noticeable running strakes in the hull at the bow, along with the pronounced outer chines, do a wonderful job of directing spray down and away from the boat.

Underway, the Outrage is also quiet (thank to the foam-filled hull), responsive and well-balanced.

In a following sea, the test rig rode easily out of deep wave troughs, pushing spray out to the sides and responding quickly to helm and throttle input.

Overall, this is a hull you can count on to get you safely and comfortably out to the fishing grounds... and back again.

VERDICT
- A world-class centre console sportfisher and five-star family day cruiser
Over the years Boston Whaler has produced many fine quality boats for family boaters and fishermen. The new 230 Outrage is another beauty, combining safety and seaworthiness with an excellent interior layout, and a class-leading standard of build quality, fit and finish.

Yes, the ticket price for a Boston Whaler is high, but when you buy one, you are getting the best of the best, a world-class quality powerboat with great pedigree, along with proven handling, ride and performance.

LIKES
>> Soft, dry ride
>> Dual-engine reliability
>> Class-leading standard of finish
>> Multi-function helm lean seat
>> Clever fold-down transom seating
>> Great cockpit fishing layout
>> Spacious console head compartment

NOT SO MUCH
>> Options lift price substantially

RATINGS
Overall rating: 4.64/5.0
Mechanical/equipment: 4.9/5.0
Packaging and practicality: 4.6/5.0
On the water Performance: 4.8/5.0
Value for money: 4.2/5.0
X-factor: 4.7/5.0

PERFORMANCE
5.4kts (10.0km/h) @ 1000rpm
7.0kts (12.9km/h) @ 1500rpm
7.8kts (14.4km/h) @ 2000rpm
10.7kts (19.8km/h) @ 2500rpm
20.1kts (37.2km/h) @ 3000rpm
26.0kts (48.1km/h) @ 3500rpm
30.7kts (56.8km/h) @ 4000rpm
35.1kts (65.0km/h) @ 4500rpm
38.9kts (72.0km/h) @ 5000rpm
43.0kts (79.6km/h) @ 5500rpm
44.0kts (81.4km/h) @ 5700rpm (WOT)

PERFORMANCE – ECONOMY (BOTH ENGINES)
7.2 l/ph @ 1000rpm
12.1 l/ph @ 1500rpm
18.9 l/ph @ 2000rpm
28.4 l/ph @ 2500rpm
30.3 l/ph @ 3000rpm
39.4 l/ph @ 3500rpm
52.2 l/ph @ 4000rpm
65.1 l/ph @ 4500rpm
84.4 l/ph @ 5000rpm
108.3 l/ph @ 5500rpm
108.3 l/ph @ 5700rpm (WOT)
MAXIMUM RANGE ON 95% OF 416L FUEL TANK: 262.16nm @ 3000rpm

Specifications: Boston Whaler 230 Outrage
Price: $211,000 including twin Mercury 150hp EFI  extra-longshaft (25in) four-stroke, counter-rotating outboards with Mercury Vessel View4 digital display, hydraulic steering, tandem-axle alloy trailer to Australian specifications with electric-hydraulic break-away brakes, 230 Outrage dual engine Fishing Package (incl. coaming bolsters, pump-out fish box, raw water deck wash, transom rod holder), electric anchor winch with rode and anchor, bow cushions and table, bow tow eye, cockpit sun-shade, forward coaming bolsters, T-top with storage bag and outriggers, freshwater shower, and covers for the console and console seat box.
Priced from: $144,000 including a single Mercury Verado 225hp super-charged in-line six-cylinder ultra-longshaft (30in) four-stroke outboard with Smartcraft instrumentation and hydraulic steering. No trailer.
Length overall: 7.01m
Beam: 2.59m
Draft: 470mm
Hull weight: 1,724kg
Towing weight: 3,200kg (full fuel)
Deadrise: 21 degrees
Maximum power: 350hp
Maximum engine weight: 413kg
Engines as tested: Dual Mercury 150hp four-stroke outboards
Fuel: 416lt
Freshwater: 76lt
Maximum persons: 10

Supplied by:
Queensland Marine Centre
Unit 10, 71 Shipper Drive
Coomera QLD 4209
Telephone (07) 5591 7032
Email: sales@qmc.com.au
More at Queensland Marine Centre.

and

www.bostonwhaler.com.