Whittley CW 1600: Review

Here is an ideal little dayboat for the family or for fishing. It’s affordable, easy to launch and recover, economical to run but, best of all, it’s built by the Melbourne-based Whittley Marine Group – a very reputable company that’s been making boats for Aussie families for decades.

OVERVIEW
- A practical and versatile cuddy
The Whittley CW 1600 is Whittley’s entry-level boat to get you out on the water economically and easily.

The hull actually has its origins with Savage where it was called the Savage Centurion.

Whittley has changed the deck from a full walk through to a proper cuddy cabin and filled the hull with foam. The result is a stiff, robust boat that can handle a bit of the rough stuff, yet at around 1200kg on the trailer, it’s light enough to not require a full-size four-wheel drive to tow it.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT
- Good standard equipment for the price
The Whittley CW 1600 can be purchased from $34,999. That’s with a 50hp Yamaha engine,  trailer, navigation lights, bimini, bilge pump, cabin cushions, bow rail, two-tone paint, removable transom seats, four stainless-steel rod holders, side storage pockets with rod racks, and more.

Our example had some sensible upgrades including an engine upgrade to a 70hp four-stroke, Raymarine Dragonfly5 CHIRP Sounder and GPS, electric anchor winch, carpet and a rear boarding ladder taking the total up to $45,490, but now we had a pretty well set-up all-rounder with enough kit for fishing and a day out with friends or family.

If you’re a keen fisho, you might want to add live-bait tank, bait board and maybe some more rod holders. We’d like a VHF and a stereo, but with just a few extras, you can trick these boats up really well. And you can fit these things yourself pretty easily.

DESIGN AND LAYOUT
- Roomy and light
It seems strange to say this of a boat that’s 4.80 metres in length, but it feels roomy. The cockpit is spacious and you could fish two or three big blokes in there with no problems.

The cabin is light and airy with a big forward hatch where you can easily access the anchor if you didn’t have an electric winch like our test boat. As you can see by our photos, the winch was mounted on the shelf in the cabin. Not ideal we thought, as you could get gear or even errant fingers stuck in it, not to mention the mud and other muck that the anchor and chain can bring up from the deep. We suggest enclosing it somehow or, better yet, having a dedicated anchor locker with overboard drain.

You’re not going to be sleeping in the cabin but it is a nice little refuge from the elements or a place to sit and have your lunch while at anchor or even to get changed after swimming.

Back outside, the skipper and co-pilot get sturdy pedestal seats that are certainly better than some we’ve tested in this price range. Sitting at the helm I found that the standard instruments were partially obscured by the top of the steering wheel, but apart from that the ergonomics were sound.

Down the back, there is seating for two which was quite comfortable for my not-insignificant frame, so she’s a full four-seater and, in fact, is rated to five adults.

Side pockets run up the hull to forward of the helm seats and you can fit plenty of fishing gear in there, and also tuck you toes underneath when fishing.

HULL AND ENGINEERING
- Sturdy construction with a tight feel
As mentioned, this is not an ‘all-new hull’ but it is a proven one. Filled with foam, it offers a smooth and quiet ride, and it’s interesting to note that it only has 12 degrees of deadrise.

Also mentioned earlier, the design was originally a walk-through, however, when it was enclosed, the cabin had a lateral support added across the roof and down the sides. This support really stiffens the boat and adds to the feeling of structural integrity, and maybe that’s why it feels a bit bigger than it is.

Under the floor, the 1600 gets a 60-litre fuel tank which, depending on which engine you choose and how spirited your driving style is, should be enough for a day or even a weekend on the water.

Steering is standard manual non return which we found to be fine for this size boat.

ON THE WATER
- Fun and stable platform
One of the advantages of the very moderate deadrise is that it makes this a really stable boat at rest. We had three big guys on the rail at one stage and, despite the fact that the freeboard isn’t very high, the boat felt stable and not at all tippy.

Fitted with the 70hp four-stroke Yammie, we had enough poke to get us up and planing quickly with maybe just a little bit of a ‘hole’.

Once up and boogying, we found a really nice cruise of just over 20 knots at 4500rpm while using only around 13 litres per hour. Up the ante a bit and we were doing 24 knots at 5000rpm and then 30 knots at 5500rpm. Wide-open throttle is at 6200rpm where we were doing 34 knots and drinking 23.5lph.

It was a lovely day out on Port Phillip for our test but that didn’t equate to one that will tell us how the CW 1600 goes in a big headsea. What little chop we did have was easily taken care of by the hull, with only a few minor thumps under the hull.

The performance with the 70hp four-stroke engine was not scintillating but it was safe, and the boat never felt like it was going to get into trouble. It’s the kind of rig where you can get in, hit the throttle and not have to worry about over-cooking it – the kind of boat you’d happily let the kids drive.

VERDICT
- Honest and reliable boat for the experienced or entry-level boater
It doesn’t matter what level of boater you are, you can have economical fun on the Whittley CW 1600. It takes me back to when I had a 16-footer with a 75 on the back.

A great dayboat for the harbours, lakes and bays. Take it exploring up a river, pull it up on a beach somewhere and have a picnic, take some friends fishing. All those things, and then flush it out and stick it in the garage till next time.

It’s not that expensive that you have to use it all the time. And it’ll be towed by just about anything bar a Fiat Panda.

Hey, it’s just plain fun.

RATINGS
Overall rating: 4.56/5.0
Mechanical/equipment: 4.6/5.0
Packaging and practicality: 4.7/5.0
On the water performance: 4.7/5.0
Value for money: 4.8/5.0
X-factor: 4.0/5.0

LIKES
>> Economical boating
>> Safe handling
>> Stable platform at rest

NOT SO MUCH
>> Anchor winch should be better mounted (even though it’s an option)
>> Not the quietest engine in the Yamaha four-stroke range
>> Some of the finish could be smoother

Specifications:
Price as tested: $45,490 with Yamaha F70 four-stroke outboard, Mackay trailer, rear carpet, electric anchor winch kit, Raymarine Dragonfly5 CHIRP sounder and GPS, rear ladder
Priced from: $34,999 including 50hp Yamaha and Mackay trailer
Length overall: 4.80m
Beam: 2.14m
Towing weight: Approx 1200kg
Deadrise: 12 degrees
Maximum power: 90hp
Engine as tested: Yamaha 90hp four-stroke
Fuel: 60 litres
Maximum Persons: Five
Supplied by:
Whittley Marine Group
99 Freight Drive, Somerton Victoria 3062
P: 03 88339 1800
E: sales@whittley.com.au
W: Exhibitors wishing to reserve space should also visit www.www.whittleymarinegroup.com.au