I’d never been to Queenscliff before and by all reports it was going to be like a washing machine, So when we met Alan Whittley on the docks at the marina, we were surprised that the entrance of Port Phillip Bay looked like a mirror. Even after putting up the front to check out the surroundings, they were impeccable in every way – in short, a crappy day for boat testing.

Sure, we can take a pile of awesome looking images, but we don’t really get to test the chops of the hull when things get nasty.

That’s not to say that this Whittley hull is untested. It’s derived from the old Mako hull from John Savage, which has subsequently been increased in beam and has a pair of air-filled pods in the position where you’ll usually find bolted on duckboards.

“That’s an important way that we can make the boat more stable but still able to go out and fish offshore for tuna,” said Whittley chief, Alan Whittley.

Indeed, Alan seems perpetually excited about all of the boats in the Whittley range and as a company head that’s not scared of getting out and selling rigs, he realises the price points that tick boxes with boating families.

“This rig is put together to sit under the $XX,XXX mark, and that’s a level which seems to keep a family happy that wants to move up into a bigger, more comfortable fibreglass boat from a tinnie,” Alan continued.

The fact that the boat/motor/trailer rig weighs in at only 1500kg is another bonus. It means that many family cars will be able to tow it without having to upgrade a tow vehicle.

Stepping onto the boat through the transom door, you immediately notice that the customer decking on the floors look fantastic. This synthetic, fibreglass floor covering is becoming incredibly popular in modern boats and Whittley’s treatment of the material looks the goods.

The cockpit is clean and the gunwales padded.

Both driver and passenger helm seats are comfortable and set up with a system to cover a split-lidded cooler box – maybe one for your pinkies and one for your lunch. Either way, the cockpit flows forward into the open cabin, which is ample to get the family out of the sun, wind and rain.

Hammers down on the Yamaha and the rig was surprisingly quick onto the plane, which was surprising because the CW1950 is rated to 150hp. The best economy from the boat came at 4500rpm, where at 43km/h the Yamaha delivered 2.2km/L of petrol burned. Need to get back to the ramp in a hurry? Drop the hammers and you’ll hit 60km/h at 5900rpm. Naturally, economy suffers and WOT will yield 1.5km/L.

Overall, the CW range is a great compromise between price, quality, comfort and fishability. Can you get better value for money on the market for $XX,XXX? We dare you to try.

For more information, visit your local Whittley dealer or www.whittleyboats.com.au. Also, make sure you like the Whittley page on Facebook for updates on the latest models.

SPECIFICATIONS
Overall Length 6.17m
 Length on trailer 7.1m
 Height on trailer 2.45m
 Width on trailer 2.22m
 Beam 2.2m
 Deadrise at transom 19º
 Fuel 115L
 Tow weight 1500kg
 Rec hp 115
 Max hp 150hp

PERFORMANCE
Rpmspeed (km/h) economy (km/L)
Idle…………….. 4.6………………………. 4.2
 1000…………… 5.4………………………. 6.6
 2000………….. 10.0……………………… 2.2
 3000………….. 14…………………………. 1.5
 4000………….. 34………………………… 2.1
 4500………….. 43…………………………. 2.2
 5000………….. 50………………………… 1.8
 5900………….. 60………………………… 1.5

Review Details

Publication:

Fishing Monthly Magazine

Writer:

Steve Morgan

Article Link:

http://wp.fishingmonthly.com.au/2018/05/23/whittley-cw1950-with-yamaha-115-4-stroke/