Whittley Sea Legend 601

Whittley is a well-known Melbourne-based builder of trailerable family cruising craft. Huge expansion over the past few years, a burgeoning export market and number of new world-class models bear testament to the popularity of its products.

This success has historically been built around producing quality family cruising boats, with fishing inclusions generally something of an afterthought. According to the company, there has been many a Mum that's objected most strongly to those 'smelly fish' being brought aboard 'her' Whittley!

It would seem, though, that a market has developed which is demanding a boat that will satisfy the needs of the keen angler but still comfortably accommodate a family for weekend outings.

Over the past few years, Whittley has brought a couple of the New Zealand designed Rayglass hulls into its factory, added some Whittley touches topside and in the interior, and marketing them here under the Sea Legend marque.

When the Sea Legends first came onto the scene, the cruising to fishability ratios were, in the eyes of the angling-minded boatie, still far too heavily weighted in favour of the cruising fraternity ? probably around the 70:30 mark.

Whittley's latest Sea Legend 601 model goes a long way to addressing that imbalance. It's now got the space, simplicity and necessary features expected of a fishing boat, yet doesn't sacrifice the quality finish and number of standard inclusions the cruising market demands.

DRESSED UP
The sleek Sea Legend 601 certainly looks the part, from its bottle-nosed bowsprit, raised foredeck, curved windscreen to the cutaway transom.

The anchor is mounted on a twin roller set-up in the bowsprit. A very large anchor locker and solid cleat are cleverly hidden under a forward hatch and this gives the boat very clean, uncluttered lines.

Just aft of this locker is a tinted Perspex hatch on gas struts, which provides good access to the cabin. Forward access is also reasonable around the gunwales, just in case Mum objects to sandy footprints on the cabin bunks. Visibility was good through the tinted three-piece curved screen. The bimini featured sunshades behind the six-pot overhead rod rack and forward in front of the windscreen for excellent protection from the elements ? another of those lovely little Whittley touches.

The stainless steel rod rack is well constructed, and it forms part of the bimini support structure as well as providing mountings points for aerials or even a pair of outriggers.

AIRY CABIN
The fully-lined cabin is light, airy and roomy, featuring wide storage pockets which are upholstered to make good backrests ? there's even a couple of scatter cushions thrown in. Access into the cabin is easy because the bulkhead has been almost completely cut away. Privacy is provided with a clip-on curtain.

A Porta Potti is installed at the apex of the V-berth, and there's plenty of headroom throughout.

Radios are mounted inside the cabin behind the control console, simply because there's no bulkhead to mount them on. Well, you can't have everything. And besides, this open plan does let in plenty of air and light.

The Autotechnica polished aluminium helm with black and blue mock leather certainly looks trick. The control console is beautifully moulded and features a couple of 'shelves' in the style of much larger vessels.

Directly forward of the skipper, a Garmin Fishfinder and GPS system were mounted on the dash. Gauges for fuel, temperature, rpm, trim and hours are fitted on a slick black panel and are clearly visible. The switch panel is mounted lower, right behind the wheel.

INSIDE OUT
The two forward helm seats are mounted on mouldings which form part of the interior liner, and moulded into the back of these are nifty little seats which swing out to face aft. These are great to sit on while watching your trolling lures.

Although the main seats are fixed, they are comfortable, and are mounted to provide plenty of room to stand and drive as well. Footrests either side add to the comfort factor. An EPIRB and fire extinguisher are fixed in their own mouldings under the seats.

The mate's chair has a big space in front due to the cutaway bulkhead, so a grab handle has been installed on the port side and another (plastic) one mounted on the front of the strong, aluminium reinforced 'screen, but it doesn't follow the screen down to the gunwale mountings.

This set-up is still quite strong, though, and will be a relief for people whose shoulders inevitably get bruised on such fittings.

Carpet covers everything in the forward section and it clips on and off for easy cleaning. There is a very large hatch in the middle of the cockpit floor with a split lid ? one large, one small.

The Whittley 601 features a fully self-draining deck, padded coamings at thigh height and storage for rods and tagpole in side-mounted rubber clips, but there are no sidepockets.

Two rodholders are neatly fitted on each of the gunwales, but the forward two are too close to the rod rack mountings.

Wide boarding platforms flank each side of the 140hp Mercury outboard, with a grabrail on the port side to make it easier to climb aboard from the water. There is no rear transom door, but stepping over the stern onto the interior steps is easy enough. There's also plenty of dry storage found under these steps.

Incorporated centrally in the transom moulding is a moulded fibreglass livebait tank which, when unclipped, swings forward to reveal oil bottles and a battery stored out of harm's way. It's a great idea ? unless the baitwell is full of water and yakkas. There is also a baitboard which, when removed, reveals a short ski pole. Yep, there's the touch of Whittley versatility!

TOO ROUGH TO BOOGIE
Power options are outboards from 140 to 175hp or sterndrives in either petrol or diesel from 135hp (diesel) to 210hp (petrol).

The hull has a deadrise of 23°, wide, reversed chines, two strakes, a narrow planing plank and a keel strip on the nose to protect the hull when coming on to the Mackay dual-axle, keel and side roller trailer. Another great idea.

However, I was not enchanted by the hull's performance. To be fair, on the test day Port Phillip Bay was very much on the wild side and we were unable to record any meaningful figures, but the boat felt a little light. Mind you, the fuel gauge was showing empty and there was no gear aboard.

The headsea was a little too much for the boat, as it would have been for many others, but downsea we recorded 60kmh at 3000rpm with plenty in reserve, although my passenger was holding on very firmly indeed in what was a very rollicking ride. Going across sea at a considerably reduced pace was quite okay.

In my opinion, the new computer-designed hulls which are currently being designed in-house at the Whittley plant are better, and it wouldn't surprise me to see them eventually underpin the Sea Legend range.

In all, the Sea Legend 601 is a really nice boat, and beautifully finished in keeping with the Whittley tradition. It should fit the bill for many fishermen who prefer to head outside in comfortable sea conditions, and who want to keep Mum and the kids happy as well.