Boston Whaler 345 Conquest: Fishing Boat Review

Boston Whaler needs no introduction, but in recent years this household American brand has broadened its appeal via an expanded range of Conquest dual-purpose fishing and family craft. This 2016 Boston Whaler 345 flagship with triple 300hp Mercury Verados is the most influential expression yet of Whaler's new-age, outboard-powered, bluewater fishing and cruising weaponry.

OVERVIEW
- A little big cruiser with three outboards
Boston Whaler is best known for its unsinkable centre consoles designed for serious fishing. Its Conquest range, with a decent cabin, accommodation, more comforts and still commendable offshore performance, solicits attention from fishers and family looking for a dual-purpose boat.

Traditional motorcruiser owners are also being tempted by the outboard thing Outboards have advantages, not least being agility, reliability and practicality. Fuel burn is about the same for this 35 footer with triple 300hp 2.6L six-cylinder Verados as a 40 footer with twin 480hp diesel engines and shafts. But for the price, there aren’t many new diesel 40 footers being built with decent offshore performance these days.

Although the Conquest boats are higher volume than the Boston Whaler’s lithe centre consoles, this flagship 345 gained a new hull for improved ride comfort in late-2014. The boat has a fine entry and modified chines with a moderate 19-degrees of deadrise at the transom compared with, say, the 23 degrees in Whaler’s Outrage centre consoles.

The volume and resulting accommodation is highlight of the Conquest 345. With an electric scissor berths in the bow, that convert to a double at the press of a button, and an aft cabin, separate galley and head, this boat easily sleeps a family of four for a weekend.

Underway, you all get to travel on the huge raised helm deck in plush seating. There’s a whopping great amenities centre to cater equally to bait and lure prep as putting a barbecue lunch together. The cockpit has flip-away seating to also remain uncluttered when you hook up. And so it goes with the dual-purpose design.

When this writer tested the old 345 Conquest, a pilothouse model back in 2008, it was a tad doughy with twin 300hp Verados spinning 15in props. There’s been quite some water under the bridge since then and this new hull with triple 300hp Verado outboards spinning 17in Rev 4 props offered much improved performance.

With the collective 900hp of Verado four-stroke outboards, you’re looking at a 300nm-plus range at 23-24 knots burning 128lt/hr and a top speed of 44-knots.  But thanks to the amenities, accommodation and comforts, the 345 Conquest is more than a point-and-shoot offshore boat.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
- Plenty of standard kit and plenty of options
The national Boston Whaler importer, Queensland Marine Centre, has been setting up Whalers for the local market for more than five years. Principal Andrew Bennett has noticed a trend to boaters wanting high-performance boats for mixed use.

“Buyers are often owners coming out of a 40 footer, looking for a boat to cross bars, access shallow reefs, do their day boating in a less taxing way, and with amenities for fishing and the family. They get this and 50mph performance,” explains Bennett, setting up his Boston Whaler display for the 2016 Sanctuary Cove display including this model.

We will add a dearth of good second-hand cruisers in the 40-50 foot market has probably helped a few Whaler sales, too. That said, the new-age four-stroke outboards have created a new boating paradigm where owners are discovering greater possibilities and flexibility  over the shaftdrive diesels that previously dominated this price point.

As a base boat at the time of testing, a 2016-model Boston Whaler 345 with triple 250hp Verado outboards had a local retail of $659,286. As we drove it with the triple 300hp Verados and options, this was a $745,332 rig.

Set-up for its Melbourne owner, the 345 test rig had factory optional 12V electric reel mounts, Raymarine electronics, 4kW radar, radial outriggers, split bowrail, spotlight, fuel filter upgrade, fold-out cockpit bench seat, and Comfort Package with fitted bedding in the cabin. The owner also added aftermarket cockpit and helm deck carpet, extended aft shade top, icemaker and freezer plates.

Yet in standard guise, this is a very complete boat right down to the factory fitted 7.5kW Kohler petrol generator and air conditioning, the electric vee berth that converts to a queen island bed in the bow, the 28in TV, Fusion stereo system, hot-water shower, cockpit griddle and supplied coffee maker.

A cool factory upper station option with half tower is also available if you want a full-blown tournament Conquest sportfisher with the family synergy.

LAYOUT AND ACCOMMODATION
- Flipping from fishing to family
Despite the triple rack and three cowls over the 2.6L six-cylinder outboards, the transom and its intersection with the water is easily accessible. There’s plenty of stability to walk out the starboard marlin door and clear your rod tip around the engines, gaff or tag a fish, dive overboard, and the inherent buoyancy sees no discernible shift in the big hull. 

Back aboard, the serious self-draining cockpit will swallow a fishing and/or family crew. The port corner has a whopping great pressurised live-bait tank, there are underfloor baffled fish boxes, side rod and gaff racks, toe-kick bars for locking under when leaning into the padded coamings, a nice spread of rod holders including two in the bow for drift fishing, and clear-away rod holders in the two-pack painted hardtop frame.

The flip down lounge and optional port bench in the cockpit create enough seating for four around a casual table that you might carry in the lazarette. Underway, the rear lounge is probably the most comfortable open-air seat in the boat, while the port lounge would be a nice spot to sit while bottom fishing.

The step-up walkaround decks backed by grab rails lead to a high flared bow with heavy-duty anchoring kit and enough space to fish should you wish.

While a lock-up helm deck is available as a pilothouse option, this open-backed arrangement is superior for integrating the helm deck with the cockpit. At the division between the two is a large transverse amenities centre with pull-out Kenyon barbecue on tracks and a food –prep area.

A portable Yeti cooler and tackle drawers are built in, so you can flip the lunch area into bait-prep station. The icemaker is opposite along with an insulated drinks box (there was also an aftermarket freezer with a plate, too), plus a separate fridge and sink behind the helm seat.

When travelling, the main helm deck passenger seat faces forward. But when you are trolling, its backrest across to create aft-facing seating. There’s a pull-out footrest for comfort under the hardtop while you sit here and watch the lures or baits swim.

The helm deck seating also doubles as a casual dinette area, with the moulded table in place and the seating either side of it. The skipper’s seat can swivel around to face the feast, while a powered opening centre windscreen, hardtop hatches and strategically placed air-con outlets take care of ventilation.

We had a spot of rain during our test and this helm deck was a great sanctuary. The wipers and full windscreen running to the hardtop and small side clear infills only mean you have great vision. With some bedding and insect repellent, you could probably sleep on the helm deck, too. The aforesaid dinette converts to a daybed and it looked long enough.

The matt-grey helm station had twin 16in Raymarine screens, VesselView engine data display, a stainless wheel with crank knob for screwing the donks, and a big bank of rocker switches. A bow thruster was fitted to assist docking, but you can splash $36k on a Joystick Piloting setup if you want.

The cabin offers the kind of amenities and accommodation one expects in a sportscruiser with zero fishability.

The electric vee-berth and dinette convert to a queen island berth at the press of a button, with the table retracting as the beds come together, while a transverse double back aft is ready 24/7. The saloon lounge converts to a berth as well, allowing you to sleep five below and one on the helm deck if you had to.

Certainly, a family will be comfortably ensconced, as will tournament anglers and those into for some long-range fishing and offshore coastal adventure. With full headroom, a galley with fridge and microwave, and 240V outlets for appliances while on the generator, plus a separate head with dignified freshwater Vacuflush toilet and hot shower, you have a weekender.

HULL AND ENGINEERING
- Quality remains the name of the game
Although a mainstream production brand in America, Brunswick Marine hasn’t skimped on investment or finish. The boat has complex deck and hull mouldings with a great finish and full foam filling for that unsinkable Boston Whaler claim and sales pitch.

There are big-boat stainless steel deck fittings that won’t rip out, plenty of grab rails, a beefed up anchoring set-up, stainless struts on hatches, lids that are RTM moulded, and proper cruiser-like plumbing and electrical systems.

The big electric breaker panels couldn’t be simpler, while a battery distribution plan shows were the six powerpacks are stashed aboard and underscore the thought that has gone into weight distribution.

Bilge access is impressive, too, with a big hatch to the lazarette revealing the generator, fuel filters, water pumps, bilge pumps, sea strainers, air-con units, fuel tank access and sender all in one go. This is a boat made to be serviced easily.

ON THE WATER
- A cruising range between 300-400nm
Mercury’s hydraulic power steering is the best in the high horsepower game by our reckoning. Still we would fit an autopilot for our long-range offshore running and game fishing use. That said, off-the-wheel steering and performance was a highlight of this sporty all-rounder.

The Lenco big trim tabs and the outboard leg trims let you run this boat at virtually any angle you desire. Hole shot was snappy, without being neck-snapping, on par with the big supercharged Verados from past experiences. I’m equally pleased that there wasn’t any annoying reverberation of sound around the helm deck when cruising in the sweet spot.

The figures I noted were 5-10 per cent better than those supplied on the official data sheet due, it soon revealed itself, to the official boat having an optional upper station fitted. But let’s go with those supplied numbers anyway.

With the triple 300hp Verados 3500rpm you will get 16-17 knots cruise for 280nm range. This jumps to 300nm in the sweet spot around 4000rpm and 23-24 knots where you are burning 128lt/hr (no better than a 40-foot diesel boat with twin 480hp Cummins).

At 5000rpm fast cruise, you sound like a Learjet doing 32-34 knots fast cruise. Flat out I saw 44 knots versus the factory 42 knots. It’s an exciting drive at the faster speeds but totally in control and predictable in keeping with the Boston Whaler reputation.

There wasn’t spray lashing the windscreen and I didn’t record a thump in the grey offshore conditions. Vision was nice and clear through the deep glass and open rear view to the cockpit.

Interestingly, the 350hp Verados based on the same 2.6L block, as displayed at the 2016 Sanctuary Cove boat, shows better range figures. According to the stock sheet, you will get almost 400nm at 28 knots and a 46-knot-plus top speed. So if you can stretch to these water-cooled supercharged 350s then we’d take that rack every time (even though 95 fuel is recommended the economy gains are 30 per cent at cruise).

VERDICT
- Where fishing and family meet
The Conquest 345 is a little big boat with some serious offshore ability. Three outboards, a generator for autonomy, 1500 litres of fuel, 170 litres of water, a hot shower and barbecue. This is all you need to stay away for a long weekend.

You can reel in the sea miles and fish this Conquest as wide as you desire, through the night for broadbill swordfish, on the sea mountains for bar cod, around the canyons for blue marlin, and chasing big Southern bluefin around the current lines down south.

Equally, you could just bash the bottom for a boatload of tasty table fish and head home smiling. Long-range reef fishing on the GBR and island hopping would be right up this boat’s alley. So, too, tournament fishing. But with the comforts, you have a social boat and a family cruiser across all this as well.

The volume, headroom, seating and amenities are such that this boat is accommodating enough to visit and sleep aboard at the marina without feeling like you're camping. The big TV, cool blue strip lighting, and rod storage on the walls add to the sporty vibe of this bluewater all-rounder.

With the outboards, you can get right in tight to beaches, explore exclusive anchorages, and trim the legs up at the end of the day knowing you don’t have running gear sitting in the water gathering barnacles.

The test boat was sold into Melbourne, there’s a sister ship in Darwin, and there’s now a new stock boat doing the boat-show rounds on the Eastern Seaboard. All of these Conquests are purchased for crossover family and fishing use without compromising offshore performance.

The 345 Conquest is not unlike having a Range Rover 4WD Sport for the family. Pretty unstoppable and everyone’s comfortable.

LIKES
>> Stable, smooth and dry foam-filled Whaler hull is a highlight at sea
>> Superb helm deck creates a really beautiful social cruising boat
>> Big cockpit for fishing and family pursuits
>> Accommodation that sleeps four to six
>> Serious fishing features for tackling the biggest predators

NOT SO MUCH
>> A big ticket boat with a triple-engine price premium
>> Fuel consumption of 125lt/hr at 23-24 knots isn't miserly
>> Performance better with the 350hp Verados v 300hp models
>> We would add an autopilot

Specifications: Boston Whaler 345 Conquest
Price as Tested: $745,332 with triple 300hp Mercury Verados and options and upgrades as listed above
Priced From: $659,286 with triple 250hp Verados landed
LOA: 10.95m with pulpit
Centreline Length: 10.36m hull only
Beam: 3.56m
Draft: 0.56m
Cockpit Depth: 0.71m
Weight (dry no engines): 6441kg
Maximum Weight Capacity: 2531kg
Swamped Capacity: 2222kg
Persons: 14
Sleeps: 4-6
Deadrise at Transom: 19 degrees
Fuel Capacity: 1514lt
Water Capacity: 170lt
Waster Tank: 75lt
Bridge Clearance with Hardtop and Radar dome: 2.93m
Maximum Horsepower: 1050hp
Minimum Horsepower: 750hp
Transom Height: 30in
Engines on Test: 3 x Mercury Verado 300 L6 DTS 2.6L six-cylinder supercharged FourStroke outboards.