Lakes Entrance in Victoria was our playground when we decided to review the Whittley CR 2380. This boat reviewing location had it all — a bar crossing, super-smooth estuary flats and rolling offshore swell.

Starting inshore to get a feel for the hull and take some late afternoon shots, I was impressed with how easy the hull is to control. In part due to the massive Duoprop leg and the hull strakes, the boat was confident in turns and a joy to steer. At wide-open throttle, the hull liked a fair bit of trim to get the nose right up, but it didn’t feel uncomfortable, regardless of where the trim was set.

Up early the next morning for a dawn shoot outside the bar we found ourselves in a 1m rolling swell. With long separation, there was little chance to hop from wave to wave, but it gave me a chance to run alongside the swell to feel the hull’s desire to bite into a crest; at all times it felt happy and confident, even backing off coming down a wave on an ungainly angle. Waiting until after lunch, we found ourselves looking at the bar with around 14kt of outgoing current and a good 1m standing compression wave. Great fun was had punching the 2380 through the chop, while the combination also proved easy to pilot through on a more sedate line.

WHITTLEY 2380 CR PRICE

In my opinion, the move to the Duoprop over the SX leg is a worthwhile investment. All in all, the boat is good value – especially so when you consider its true size.

Sitting in the middle of Whittley’s CR range, the 2380 get the benefit of key features from its bigger sisters in a hull that’s trailer-friendly and more affordable. It’s all you need for weekend adventures, from a strong brand with great design values and solid resale. Coupled with the latest technology from Volvo Penta, it will provide years of frugal fuel use and reliability to fulfil your family boating wishes.

HIGHS

• Volume of cold storage

• Berth volume

• Dash size and space

• Massive moulded marlin board

WHITTLEY 2380 CR SPECS

OPTIONS FITTED

Duoprop, NMEA engine data, hot water, flyscreens, side window block outs, marlin board, carpet, s/s rear U-bar and boarding ladder, electric winch, trim tabs, BBQ, 12v outlet, lockable sliding cabin door, Garmin 10in GPS, rear bed

GENERAL

MATERIAL Fibreglass

TYPE Open cruiser

LENGTH 9m (LOA)

BEAM 2.5m

DEADRISE 19°

MAX HP 280

WEIGHT 3236kg (stern drive)

CAPACITIES

PEOPLE 9 (day) 4 (night)

FUEL 200L

WATER 110L

ENGINE

MAKE/MODEL Volvo 200 C marine engine

TYPE Direct injection petrol V6

RATED HP 200

DISPLACEMENT 4300cc

WEIGHT 404kg (inc DPS drive)

GEAR RATIO 1.85

PROPELLER FH4 Duoprop

MORE INFORMATION

99 Freight Drive

Melbourne, Victoria

Phone +61 3 8339 1800

Review Details

Publication:

Tradeaboat

Writer:

Tim Van Duyl

Article Link:

https://www.tradeaboat.com.au/news-reviews/10448