Robalo R180

Although this is the smallest boat in the Robalo range, you can take comfort from the fact it shares its DNA with sister ships to 30-feet running twin 350hp outboards in centre console and walkaround designs. Chaparral, which makes bowriders and sportscruisers in the same factory, adds something to the fit and finish. The result is big-boat thinking, over-spec’d deck gear, proven engineering and class-leading comforts in a high-volume 18-foot centre console.

OVERVIEW
- A big 18-footer with classic centre-console layout
Chaparral Boats Australia landed the big one, the Robalo national dealership, back in 2012. This wasn’t surprising for three key reasons: (a) Robalo is made by Chaparral and, in fact, on the same production line; (b) Robalo is an established fishing-boat builder that had no representation here; and (c) offshore boats have been hot property thanks to our booming sports fisheries for bluefin tuna, striped marlin, bay snapper and deep-water kingfish.

According to the blurb, the Robalo story dates back to 1968 when the company's first 19-foot fishing boat, a centre console, made a name for itself. There was lots of water under the bridge before the famous Yankee brand was acquired by Chaparral in 2001. Its founder Buck Pegg is said to have a lifelong passion for bluewater fishing and he certainly breathed life into Robalo.

While American to the core, the Robalo centre console, walkaround and crossover ski/fish bowriders should hook local anglers. There’s something for everyone, ranging from the hardcore offshore guy switching marlin or trolling tuna right down to the family man who wants to just dangle a line. Factory options let you take the boats as far as your budget allows, but the integrated keel-up designs are always built with fishing foremost in mind.

Meantime, the fit and finish is in keeping with the Chaparral sister ships: that is to say, the mouldings are very fair, the stainless-steel deck gear is all through-bolted and serious saltwater standard (the heavy-duty bow rail on this boat says it all), while the proprietary Hydro Lift deep-vee hulls aim to provide a soft, dry and economical ride.

The subject of this test, the R180 from the Centre Console range, is the smallest boat in the entire Robalo fleet. Tied to the marina at Williamstown, the 18-footer doesn’t look that way and immediately impresses with its sheer volume. This is a big ‘little’ boat, with especially high freeboard in the bow, enhanced by the swooping sheerline and a full beam taken well forward above the waterline using a good dose of Carolina-style flare for a dry ride.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
- Premium price but this 18-footer is no minnow
Sure, there are 18-foot centre consoles that don’t command the price of this Robalo but as we said, this is a big rig. And in more ways than one. Power was the maximum recommended, a 150hp four-stroke outboard from Honda, with Yamaha a pre-rigged option. Of course, there was (albeit upgraded) hydraulic steering (courtesy of Sea Star).

Options included the alloy T-top with blue canvass and four-holder launcher, the fully-welded bow rail that makes a statement about durability and intent, a raw-water washdown, dual batteries, anchor and rode, and Magic Tilt alloy trailer. There aren’t a lot of other fishing options, as the R180 is big on inbuilt standard features instead.

To increase the boat’s versatility, the importers added a Porta Pottie in the step-down console or quasi ‘cabin’, bow cushions over the forward casting platform, and an aft powder-coated ski pole. This brought the rig price from a base of $61,500 (with 115hp outboard) to $86,999 as tested. If you want to save some brass we reckon the boat would work well with one of the new-gen lightweight 115hp  four-strokes from Yammie.

But with our fishing bent and money, we’d drop the toilet and definitely the ski pole and keep our R180 as a sportsfisher, spending some leftover dough on  a decent multifunction nav/fish finder screen on the dash. A bucket for a pee and a stern eye for towing the tykes will save you a motza. Besides, this is a centre console after all.

LAYOUT AND FISHABILITY
- Design integration and clean decks
There’s a level of design integration you get in the better American centre consoles not found on our lower-volume local boats. The R180 is a good example of this, with inbuilt storage, integrated fishing features and some family consideration in the mix.

It’s nice to see you get a decent anchor well as standard (though no bow roller or sprit), with plenty of depth for deep-water rope and rode. The deck gear — including that sturdy bow rail — is all through-bolted.

With the clip-out cushions removed, the forward raised casting platform has plenty of foot space for standing and casting lures or flies. This raised platform deck also serves as an elevated position from which to retrieve the anchor (if not using your own buoy-retrieval system).

The bow rail offers support while standing on the forward deck. Underfoot, there is non-skid and a lid that lifts on a strut to reveal an internal lined ‘bin.’ This will come in handy for carrying drinks, fish and/or bait. It’s insulated and drains overboard, so you could carry the catch/bait on ice back home with an easy hose-out afterwards.

Amidships, there are no toe kicks to assist leaning outboard, the entire cockpit sole (and surrounding gunwale) is topped with diamond-pattern non-skid to assist your footing. Padded coamings provide thigh support around the aft cockpit, too.

As this is a wide boat, with a good clear thoroughfare, there’s room for optional vertical rod racks mounted on the side of the helm console. These are worth considering if you like to mix-up your fishing styles. As standard, you get four gunwale-mounted rod holders. The amidships rod holders are angled at 45 degrees for trolling a spread of flat lines. Run a shotgun off the rocket launcher and you’re set (if you don’t fit outriggers).

There is some interesting seating on the R180. Up front, a forward-facing ‘mother-in-law’ seat  is located ahead of the helm. It doubles as a hinged door into the cavernous, step-down quasi ‘cabin’, where there’s useful dry storage, the optional WC in case nature calls, and direct access to the helm dash wiring. The lock-up storage provides somewhere to stash valuable rods when you go ashore or return to that coastal caravan park during your trailerboat fishing trip.

The anodised framework for the optional (must-have) T-top with rocket launcher and the matching framework around the leaning post had clean welds. The thick tube diameter suggests this boat means business. In use, the leaning post is good for two people when running to the grounds. There’s a large carry-on portable Coleman icebox of 68-litre capacity with padded top underneath. Pull it out and as a seat or casual lunch table.

The transom arrangement is interesting. There's terrific integrated aft-quarter seats, but you wouldn’t know they are there when folded flat to create the aft casting platform. Mid-transom, between these flip-up quarter seats, is the boat’s impressive 56-litre live well with pickup and pump. LED lighting adds to the boat’s night/dawn/dusk fishability when you chase livies, but we’d like spotties on our T-top, too.

The intention of the optional powder-coated ski bar mounted mid-transom is to provide elevation for wakeboarders chasing air. But the ‘scaffolding’ hinders this boat’s fishing purpose. So we’d leave that off our R180. The only other option that crosses our mind was to mount a cutting board on the framework.

Internally, the transom seems lower than other bluewater boats and you certainly don’t gain support on your thighs or legs. But overall the R180 feels surefooted and like a pretty big 18-footer. For sport and game fishing, it will work well in a going-forward fishing-fighting role.

HULL AND ENGINEERING
- Backed by big warranties and big-boat thinking
Using Kevlar reinforcing, a composite transom core, and wood-free construction, the R180 hull is backed by a 10-year warranty. There are impressive tinned-copper waterproof wiring and toggle switches, the dual battery option, and a fuel/water separator for the underfloor tank.

The 189-litre fuel capacity will serve long-range tuna fishing trips with the four-stroke 150hp outboard. A spin-off inspection hatch in the splash well grants access to the bilge and deck wash pumps, with overboard shut-off on the deck-wash plumbing in case there are issues.

On the road, the boat/outboard weight of 1179kg plus 900kg for the trailer with mechanical brakes means you’re coming in around two tonnes fully loaded. With a 2.44m beam, the R180 rig will be easily towed behind a family car or mid-range 4WD tug.

ON THE WATER
- Abundant buoyancy and a feeling in unsinkability
Even with the relatively heavy 220kg Honda 150hp four-stroke outboard on the tail, you never feel like you’ll ship water on the R180. Interestingly, the Mercury 150hp four-stroke competitor is 10 per cent lighter. The new 115h class of four-strokes are considerably lighter again.

Whatever outboard you choose, the R180 has a huge amount of reserve buoyancy, high sides for a feeling of safety, and loads of stability. On the water, the centre console with upgraded fish-hook graphics looks smart. We also like the fact the boat will swallow plenty of gear, take on a big passenger and fish load, and retain high freeboard. The self-draining cockpit provides added reassurance, along with level and upright foam floatation.

Although we tackled just Port Phillip Bay, it was a typically blustery day sans true open-ocean conditions. The buoyant bow needs some negative or in-trim to keep it in contact with the water and we think the boat will run even better once loaded up.

The four-blade 15in Solas prop and so-called Hydro Lift hull, with variable deadrise tapering to a modest 18 degrees at the transom, does ride high and is slippery. All the boat above the waterline, and the flared bow and big chine, ensure this is a very dry centre console.

The double-width console with stainless-steel wheel, waterproof switch banks, and room for flush-mounted electronics mid-dash right where you want them, adds to this offshore intent. Suffice to say it was child’s play ranging from Williamstown to St Kilda in the 20-25 knot northerly.

Low-speed plane was clocked at 3000rpm for a heavy-weather cruise around 15 knots, while the usually economical revs of 4000rpm returned around 20 knots for 16.3 litres per hour on this lightly laden boat. That’s a bit less speed than anticipated and the boat might wear a bigger prop than the four-blade 15in.

On the throttle, WOT gave 37.9 knots, but it was at 25-26 knots fast cruise in the 4500-5000rpm range, where the 150hp Honda was using 24-25 litres per hour, that this Robalo 18 footer felt best on the test day.

VERDICT
- A big, easily driven platform with a saltwater finish
The R180 looks the part. With the T-Top — something of a Robalo speciality — the leaning post, the fish-hook graphics, and on alloy Magic Tilt trailer, this is an attention-grabbing rig. To make it complete to fish, all you need is electronics, perhaps some outriggers, and of course your fishing kit.

Chaparral Australia added a good spread of options to improve the offshore and family application. But we would drop the ski-towing apparatus and, if anything, consider a bow-mounted electric to boost the boat’s inshore lure- and fly-casting options.

After all, at the end of the day, the Robalos are fishing boats. And this baby in the range punches above its weight with a lot of promise and intent. It’s a big platform, with a price premium, but one that feels eminently seaworthy.

Down Under, the Robalo R180 would more than capable for tackling red-hot fisheries like the Portland bluefin, Bermagui yellowfin, Port Stephens marlin, bay snapper and kings at the Rip and East Coast reefs. If you need weather protection, well, there’s always a Gortex jacket.

HIGHS
>> Great fit and finish and saltwater build
>> Respected brand with a big reputation and renewed backing
>> High-volume, self-draining hull with loads of buoyancy
>> Excellent inbuilt fishing features

NOT SO MUCH
>> Optional ski pole will hinder fishability
>> Do we really need the optional marine toilet?
>> No bow sprit or bow roller
>> Could do with more rod holders and perhaps a bait-rigging station
>> Premium price

Supplied by:
Chaparral Australia
Anchorage Marina
The Strand Williamstown, Vic
Tel: (03) 9397 6977
For more information: click here