Boston Whaler 420 Outrage: Fishing Boat Review

With incredible power and performance from quad Mercury 350hp four-stroke outboards combined with a wonderful standard of finish and fit-out, Boston Whaler’s flagship model is a very special boat. This big deep-vee centre-console sportsboat is rigged for game fishing, bay cruising, over-nighting and entertaining. You can do it all in this remarkable flagship, the biggest Whaler ever built..

OVERVIEW
- Fine quality, unsinkable boats since 1958
Renowned US boat manufacturer Boston Whaler has been crafting fine quality, unsinkable boats since 1958. Now part of the giant Brunswick Corporation, this Florida-based boatbuilder is highly rated by experienced saltwater skippers and sportfisher. Boston Whaler boats are regarded as among the world’s best with regard to design, performance, innovation, and quality of construction.

This commitment to excellence in design and construction is evident across the full range of Boston Whaler boats, but showcased in the company’s flagship model, and our test boat for this review, the ultra-impressive 420 Outrage.

The largest of nine Outrage models, the wide beam 420 model combines a 22 degree deep-vee high-performance hull with a centre cabin/console configuration, covered helm station, wide, open decks, and vast seating areas.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
- Big ticket, but superbly outfitted and appointed
The 420 Outrage is a premium quality product and this is reflected in the package price. Australian distributor, Queensland Marine Centre has prices for a standard boat starting at around $1.1 million, but this figure can rise to over $1.5 million, depending on the options and equipment fitted.

Our test boat fell close to the upper end of that range at $1.395m, but boy was it loaded with gear. To start with, the big Boston was rigged with four (yes four) Mercury Verado 350hp supercharged four-stroke outboard engines for a combined 1400hp. Now that is a lot of grunt — and yes the boat was quick!

The entry power for locally distributed models is still quad Mercury Verados, but instead of the 350hp Verados, the Outrage is fitted with four 300hp models for a mere 1200hp. The difference, according to Boston Whaler’s supplied performance figures, is around 3 knots in top speed.

Engines aside, the 420 Outrage test rig was packed with features and fitted with an equal number of options. For the full list of options check the pricing section at the bottom of this review — but some of the important stuff includes Mercury’s Vessel View7 digital display, Joystick Piloting (for easy docking and low speed manoeuvring), digital throttle and shift, a high-end Raymarine electronics package (Raymarine 260 VHF radio, three Raymarine gS165 15.4in multi-function displays incorporating fish finder, GPS chart plotter, and 4kw HD digital radar with 48in Open Array antenna), hardtop canvas enclosure with drop curtains, anchor windlass with 90m all-chain rode, premium audio package, starboard side fish box with freezer plates, hardtop mounted radial outriggers, starboard side fold-out bench seat, teak bow table with filler cushion, and two aft teak cockpit tables.

Also fitted to the test rig was Boston Whaler’s Summer Kitchen Leaning Post assembly behind the helm station, which has dual fridge/freezers, sink with faucet and hot and cold running water, electric grill, bench space and storage/utensil drawers.

Standard boats come with the more fishing orientated Bait Preparation centre. This unit has the same sink and cooking facilities, but is equipped with a 150lt pressurised live well instead of the second fridge/freezer.

With its big live well, tournament anglers may prefer the Bait Prep Centre over the Summer Kitchen leaning post but the dealer opted for the latter because the boat comes standard with a separate 90lt transom live bait tank...  and this will likely be big enough for most fishing applications.

Sport and game fishers might also consider fitting the optional flybridge tower and overhead helm station to gain height and better visibility for spotting schooling bait fish, bird activity, etc.

LAYOUT AND ACCOMMODATION
- Big cabin with convertible berth seating and enclosed head
The 420 Outrage is a big rig, over 13.0m long by nearly 4m wide. The hull has a deep vee bottom with deceptively high topsides which conceal a spacious cabin with seating and berth accommodation and an enclosed head and shower.

A lockable door on the port side of the helm console provides access down into the lower cabin which has full standing headroom.

At the foot of a three-step stairwell there is a full length settee to port and a shorter side seat to starboard and forward of the galley area.

A dinette table with infill cushion drops down between the two side seats to form a very large double berth in the forepeak, while additional seat cushions can be shuffled around to create a comfortable third berth aft.

The starboard side galley is included as an addition or secondary galley to the main outdoor cooking area in the cockpit. It is equipped with a fridge/freezer, sink with faucet and running water, microwave oven, ample storage space and a flat screen LCD TV.

Below decks you’ll also find the enclosed head compartment with vanity and overhead shower, plenty of storage lockers, Fusion stereo, and USB charging ports.

Also included is an iPad tablet networked into the boat’s control systems so you can monitor and change functions whilst away from the helm.

ENTERTAINING ABILITY
- Vast seating areas, comfy chaise lounges, bow and stern cockpit tables
On the surface the 420 Outrage looks to be rigged mainly for offshore game fishing, but the boat is also an excellent entertainer... thanks largely to the variety and number of seats scattered from the bow to the stern.

Up in the bow for example, there is comfortable seating for around nine adults with a traditional u-shaped wrap-around seating area in addition to a huge convertible lounge seat/sun bed in front of the helm console.

All of the seats and back-rests can be moved about to create various forward and aft facing chaise style lounge seats and/or wide sun beds.

There is a smattering of cup holders around the bow area, loads of storage lockers, and a pedestal mounted teak cocktail table which slots in between the u-shaped seating area. The table is height adjustable so that it can be lowered to create a wide sun bed with the addition of a centre cushion.

The test rig was also optioned with two rear teak cocktail tables so you can entertain at the bow and the stern of the boat simultaneously.

The rear tables slot into the cockpit floor, close by the superbly designed folding rear bench seat and optional starboard side bench seat. The tables are easily removed for fishing and stowed under the hatch to the lazarette compartment.

As you would expect, there is still more seating at the helm. Three wide, comfortable deluxe chairs (with flip-up front bolsters) cater for the skipper and two crew members, with the outside chairs capable of swivelling and facing aft so the crew can watch the lures or baits while trolling.

Behind the three helm chairs there is a cleverly designed folding bench seat to accommodate another three adults, which enables six adults to sit under the hardtop, sheltered from the elements.

AT THE HELM
- Comfortable, functional helm station with great visibility and hardtop shelter
The helm in the 420 Outrage is a comfortable place to be due to the large bucket helm chair (the middle of the three chairs), the wide, anti-glare coloured instrument panel and fascia, the three-tier level foot rest, and the folding platform for height challenged skippers to stand on for improved visibility.

The tilt-adjust steering wheel, engine throttles and joystick control are all well positioned, and there are convenience features such as drink holders, glove box and grab rails provided.

There is provision for three big electronics displays to be flush-fitted into the fascia. Our test rig was optioned with three 15.4in Raymarine gS165 units so the skipper could allocate each one to a specific function.

Overhead there is a radio box under the hardtop for the VHF, along with storage space.

Forward, the full-height, deck to hardtop tempered glass windscreen (with wiper) provides excellent visibility and shelter from the elements. A vent at the top of the windscreen can be opened to provide air-flow on warm days.

Clear drop curtains attached to the sides of the powder-coated hardtop enclose the helm and provide further weather protection should it be required.
On the trailing edge of the hardtop a retractable cockpit sunshade/awning folds out electrically to provide shelter over the rear cockpit.

COCKPIT AND FISHING FEATURES
- Spacious, uncluttered game fishing cockpit with toe-rails and padded coamings
The Boston Whaler 420 Outrage is a true multi-purpose vessel and this is evident in the superb design and layout of the rear cockpit. You can configure it for entertaining with the bench seat and cockpit tables deployed before the Summer Kitchen Lean post/box assembly, or you can stow all this stuff away and have a wide, uncluttered (self-draining) rear deck for fishing.

There are plenty of fishing features and accessories too. Such as the 90lt port side transom live bait tank, fresh and raw water deck wash (with 15m hoses) internal cleats, power sockets, as well as under-gunnel storage shelves with downrigger weight holders!

You will also find dual 1.8m sub floor kill tanks with overboard drains (and each can be converted into a fridge/freezer), deck level stainless steel toe-rails and nicely padded coamings for security and comfort in rough weather.

Other features include a port side dive door, starboard side transom door, a dozen or so stainless steel coaming rod holders, hardtop rod rack, and a lazarette compartment which contains a 10kw generator, and provides access to the batteries, steering and plumbing gear, etc., for servicing.

ON THE WATER
- Swift, smooth and wonderfully soft riding
It is not often we get to test craft as good, or as exciting as the Boston Whaler 420 Outrage. It really is one very special boat. It is well mannered, handles beautifully, and for a pretty big boat, it is very easy to drive.

The 420 Outrage is also wonderfully soft riding, stable as a rock and blisteringly fast with four Mercury Verado 350hp four-stroke outboards across the transom.

Accordingly to figures supplied by Boston Whaler, with quad 350hp Mercury’s the big Outrage will run to a top speed of 46.5 knots, which, for a 40ft recreational boat, is stunningly quick.

And the boat is not much slower with the standard engine quad 300hp outboard configuration, achieving a speed of 43.5 knots.

More impressive than the top speed however is the acceleration from displacement speeds. It leaps out of the hole and powers strongly into the middle rpm range and right through to wide open throttle.

The Boston Whaler’s low speed manoeuvrability with four engines across the transom is very good with or without Mercury’s joystick control system, but if you can afford it then we recommend ticking that option box as it will make it easier to slip into a marine berth or come alongside a jetty in windy or swift current conditions.

With regard to fuel economy, you will need to keep a full wallet handy with this big rig. The figures supplied by Boston Whaler show that the test boat is most economical at 4500 rpm and a speed of 30.7 knots and fuel burn of 197.6l/ph. This equates to a maximum (on-plane) range of 335.1nm on the standard 2271 litre capacity fuel supply (less 5 per cent for line losses).

VERDICT
- A world-class sports boat, entertainer and game fishing platform
Powerboats really don’t get much better than the Boston Whaler 420 Outrage. It is a magnificent vessel, superbly built, intelligently designed and wonderfully outfitted. The Outrage commands a premium price, but it is a world class sports boat, family cruiser and offshore fishing platform.

LIKES
>> Loads of power and performance
>> Stunning ride, excellent handling
>> High cruise speed for long-range fishing
>> Versatile layout
>> Clever fold-down transom seating
>> Excellent build quality
>> Lots of seating and lounging space

NOT SO MUCH
>> Premium price tag
>> High running costs

RATINGS
Overall rating: 4.66/5.0
Mechanical/equipment: 4.9/5.0
Packaging and practicality: 4.6/5.0
On the water Performance: 4.9/5.0
Value for money: 4.1/5.0
X-factor: 4.8/5.0

PERFORMANCE
4.7kts (8.7km/h) @ 1000rpm
6.9kts (12.8km/h) @ 1500rpm
8.6kts (15.9km/h) @ 2000rpm
9.7kts (17.9km/h) @ 2500rpm
11.6kts (21.5km/h) @ 3000rpm
17.5kts (32.4km/h) @ 3500rpm
25.2kts (46.6km/h) @ 4000rpm
30.7kts (56.8km/h) @ 4500rpm
35.4kts (57.3km/h) @ 5000rpm
39.8kts (65.5km/h) @ 5500rpm
43.2kts (79.9km/h) @ 5700rpm
46.5kts (86.0km/h) @ 6400rpm (WOT

PERFORMANCE – ECONOMY (ALL ENGINES)
18.9 l/ph @ 1000rpm
28.0 l/ph @ 1500rpm
44.3 l/ph @ 2000rpm
71.9 l/ph @ 2500rpm
102.2 l/ph @ 3000rpm
126.0 l/ph @ 3500rpm
165.4 l/ph @ 4000rpm
197.6 l/ph @ 4500rpm
242.3 l/ph @ 5000rpm
297.5 l/ph @ 5500rpm
390.6 l/ph @ 5700rpm
461.8 l/ph @ 6400rpm (WOT)
MAXIMUM RANGE ON 95% OF 2271 FUEL TANK: 335.4nm @ 4500rpm

Specifications: Boston Whaler 420 Outrage
Price: $1,390,500 including Quad Mercury White Verado 350hp ultra-longshaft (30in) 4-stroke outboards with Vessel View7, digital throttle and shift and joystick piloting, Raymarine electronics package (Raymarine 260 VHF radio, three x Raymarine gS165 15.4in multi-function displays incorporating fish finder, GPS chart plotter, and 4kw HD digital radar with 48in Open Array antenna), hardtop canvas enclosure with drop curtains, canvas cover package (with stern seat back-rest cover, helm and console cover, forward lounge and seat cushion cover, lean post cover), anchor windlass 90m all-chain rode, premium audio package (with additional JL waterproof speakers, summer kitchen leaning post assembly (to replace the bait preparation centre), Boston Whaler dishware set with storage, bow tender towing eye, six dive tank holders, starboard side fish box with freezer plates, hardtop mounted radial outriggers, split S/S bow rail, white rub-rail with S/S insert, starboard side fold-out bench seat, bow sun-shade, teak bow table with filler cushion and canvas cover, and two aft teak cockpit tables.
Priced from: $1,147,000 including Quad Mercury Verado 300hp ultra-longshaft (30in) 4-stroke outboards with Vessel View7, and digital throttle and shift. Standard boat has bait prep centre leaning post with cutting board and 150l live well – instead of the summer kitchen leaning post assembly.
Length overall: 13.0m
Beam: 3.96m
Draft: 790mm
Deadrise: 22 degrees
Weight (dry, no engines): 9979kg
Weight (engines, fuel, water): 11249kg
Maximum power: 1675hp
Maximum engine weight: 1542kg
Engines as tested: Quad Mercury Verado 350hp four-stroke outboards
Fuel: 2271lt (two x 1135lt tanks)
Freshwater: 227lt
Live bait tank: 91lt
Toilet holding tank: 76lt
Maximum persons: 20
Flotation: Level Standard

Supplied by:
Queensland Marine Centre
Phone: (07) 5591 7032
Email: sales@qmc.com.au
Website: Queensland Marine Centre.