Boston Whaler 26 Outrage

Forgive me for this glowing appraisal but as Big Kev, that home-grown cleaning-product salesman, says: "I'm excited." I have that dizzy feeling you get when you find something you just have to have, when a wave of feeble-mindedness clouds your brain, when you are prepared to pay anything to get it.

You see, I went to sea on the unsinkable legend and have come away, much like an impulse shopper, moved to the point of complete abandonment. It seems that no charge could be too high for the privilege of being on the Boston Whaler 26 Outrage.

Though it costs a whacking $235 a centimetre, you can't put a price on a ride like this. When it comes to performance there is no pretence about the unsinkable legend.

The 26 Outrage more than lives up to the hype and hoo-ha which accompanies so many American boats. Along with Russian caviar, Cartier watches, and Krug champagne, this is an item for connoisseurs.

The thing which had me in raptures was the priceless ride - which belies the boat's size. After spending time on the 26 Outrage, after dashing inside the surfline and setting up for a long cruise east, I found myself re-evaluating long held beliefs.

Centre-consoles are supposed to be wet, flighty, uncomfortable, hard on the knees, hard on fishing gear, young men's boats. Right? Err, no. The 26 Outrage breaks the mould and will change your perception of CCs.

The idea that the ideal sportsfisher needs at least a cuddy-cabin ain't true. Even greying folk will find the ride no more taxing than taking a stroll in the park. Okay, a bit more taxing, but still very compatible and compliant.

Like the mind-altering effects which accompany a mouthful of Russian caviar or the sensation you get from a flute of top-shelf champagne, the Boston Whaler sets new standards. It makes its competitors seem like lumpfish roe or, perhaps more fittingly in a bad sea, Spumante.

BUILT TO FLOAT
The Boston Whaler derives its impressive performance and terrific strength-for-length ratio from two things: a unique construction method, and an underwater hull design that somehow teams a piercing wave-cutting edge with giant downturned chines for great stability and dryness.

It was back in the 1950s Boston Whaler designer Dick Fisher first made a name for himself. He cut his original boat in half with a crosscut saw in front of a crowd of doubters. Still afloat, he started the outboard, drove away in the remaining half a boat, and there began the legend.

These days Boston Whaler, which is owned by US marine giant Brunswick, demonstrates the strength of its hulls in other ways. It drives a 32,000kg truck over a hull without so much as damaging it. To illustrate the unsinkable nature of its boats it floods an overloaded Whaler with more gear and people than seems possible and still the hull floats.

Boston Whaler hulls are, of course, foam filled. They are made by pouring a unique closed-cell foam in between two heavy-duty fibreglass skins. When the liquid foam sets, the boats become stiff as a board, beautifully soundproof and, well, unsinkable. When swamped they float level, not stern down.

At the end of the day, the built-in buoyancy that is a feature of these boats could save lives. The company recounts the tale of an American sportsfisherman, many miles from care, who made it home after punching a massive hole in the side of his Whaler.

Submerged shipping containers, angry sharks, flying flyers are no problem. Indeed, Boston Whaler provide swamped-capacity with the specifications of all its models. In case you're wondering, the 26-footer I drove will support more than 20 men, twin 200hp outboard motors, as much gear as you can pack into it and a belly full of water.

BIG BROTHER BACKING
Preferred chase vessels of the US Drug Enforcement Agency, police and fire departments, and assault vessels for the US armed forces, Boston Whalers have a cult following in America. In recent years, the designers have concentrated on the performance aspect of its boats to try and lure more recreational boaties to the fold.

The 26 Outrage CC has a so-called AccuTrack hull with an exceptionally deep forefoot flanked by giant reverse-chines.

At sea, the boat carves through the waves like the proverbial hot knife through butter. The big chines spurt the spray sideways, while a full bow above the waterline - with a false chine and countersunk spotlights - ensures water won't dump aboard. The high freeboard gives a great sense of confidence.

In my many salty years of boat testing I haven't experienced a ride as smooth, safe and dry on a centre-console before. Over the course of some hours I found myself inside the surfline, crashing over breaking waves, hanging high in the air, running downsea into the sea, and cruising at the most economical revs.

In all instances the 26-footer was forgiving and foolproof.

The testboat also gained a little something extra by the fact it was built to commercial and military standards. This meant the lay-up was stronger than normal, there was a watertight side-door in the hull, dive racks, a watertight storage hold, stainless steel cutwater for keel protection, and beefed-up hardware.

But even the recreational model is overbuilt and understated, with nothing that is gimmicky or likely to fail over years of abuse. What you don't get is push-button madness, too many switches, trendy flashes and graphics. Yet the finish is beautiful and beyond your usual production level.

For something special the importer has his 26 Outrage gelcoated in Rybovich's famous fighting lady yellow.

LAYED OUT FOR BUSINESS
The layout of this commercial and government-spec 26 Outrage has been dumbed down. But in either models the transom has a three-person lounge that folds away or unclips to reveal a clean, flat area from which to fish.

Access to the batteries, isolating switch and scuppers are back in under the transom. The recreational model has a livewell, raw-water washdown, integral swim platform with ladder, transom door, aft coaming bolsters and stainless toerails around the cockpit sides.

Underfloor are two huge fishboxes with a watertight hatch ahead of the console. Up front is a deep anchor locker, while amidships is a cool driving station with 100% waterproof switches, room for flush-mounting electronics, and useful heavy-duty grabrails.

A porta-potty is an option that can be fitted inside the console, which has a tap and sink. In the rec' model, helm seating consists of a leaning post, while you also get bow quarter seats with a neat rod storage locker under the port-side seat.

There are also under-gunwale rod racks, lockable storage inside the console, and on the rec' model a rod rack on the leading edge of the console.

While the commercial boat had a simple leaning post with neat anodised alloy framework, the rec' model also had a bait-prep station off its aft edge and a portable Igloo cooler.

The leaning post was a gem in so far as you could stand up and drive all day while perfectly braced. At lower speeds, say when trolling, the post was a great place to plonk yourself on top of for extra fish-spotting elevation.

The boat comes with four rodholders, and two extras in the leaning post, but the super-wide coamings allow you to mount more holders, downriggers, whatever extra deck gear takes your fancy. Notable options on the rec' boat include a windlass and overhead electronics box under the T-top. The anchor well is perfectly deep.

As far as consoles go, the 26 Outrage has a lovely two-person wide moulding that offered some protection from the elements. Mercury 'Smart Gauges' for the twin outboards reduced clutter. There was plenty of room for mounting the Raytheon L760 all-in-one sounder/GPS plotter and a VHF radio. The waterproof switchpanels are fused and labelled with their respective amperage.

The T-top was missing from the commercial spec model. But a call to Black Marlin Towers, a pair of Lees riggers from TMA, a handful of shortstrokers and a lure bag are all you would need to make this the best centre-console in town. The boat I drove already had the Clarion Marine CD player.

With twin throttles for the twin 200hp Mercury Optimax outboards, sight gauges for the oversized and recessed Bennet trim tabs, and Smart Gauges that give at-a-glance engine data, engine status and audio and visual alarms, the boat is ready for long-range fishing.

The hull holds 758lt of fuel for a cruising range of 375nm and 75lt of water for the internal sink. There are auto sump pumps draining fore and aft bilges, fishbox pump outs, you name it...

While the Boston Whaler 26 Outrage costs a king's ransom, you get what you pay for. A wonderful boat that cuts the mustard - and the sea water - like no other centre-console I've set foot in. Even the open-weave rubber floor matting is delicious.

With dual factory prerig and those 200hp direct-injection Optimax Mercs, the 26 Outrage does better than 55kt. All this Whaler needs is some personal touches. A good spread of electronics and you could explore well beyond the canyons. Nonetheless, even in bare bones form, after just a few hours, the boat will change you forever.

Yep, I'm excited.