Anyone who’s been around fishing boats for a minute knows about Boston Whaler. They already know these boats are built with a glass-foam-glass sandwich that makes them unsinkable, they already know these boats are built with topnotch quality, and they already know these boats retain their resale value far better than most. Boston Whaler has spent over six decades establishing a rock-solid reputation for all of the above, so they think long and hard before making any substantial change in the way their boats are designed and built. This year, however, they’ve announced two new models that break the mold in a significant way: the 290 Outrage and the 330 Outrage.
Look at either of these models closely and you’ll see something in the hull bottom which Boston Whaler has never done before: they added a pair of steps. The whole idea behind hull steps is to introduce air to certain segments of the hull bottom, breaking adhesion and reducing friction, to gain a boost in performance and efficiency. Many step designs also improve a boat’s ride by delivering a flatter running angle. If you’ve been boat shopping there’s no doubt you’ve come across a stepped hull or two, because steps have become more and more popular in recent years.
But there’s a catch. Steps that aren’t ideally designed can cause a boat to handle unpredictably. Some stepped hull boats built in the late 90s and early 2000s were utter disasters, but the issue has been ironed out in most modern stepped hulls through careful design and testing. When Boston Whaler decided to add steps to these hulls you can bet they were uber-cautious to make sure they did it right—and the net result is what they’re calling the WhalerStep.
This unique design incorporates an element not seen on others; a skeg-like appendage running aft from the back of the second step. This adds a stabilizing force when the boat is put into turns, boosting handling control and predictability. And it gives the 330 and 290 Outrages exactly what Whaler was looking for. They enjoy the benefits of a stepped hull, including a cruise of just over 40 mph while getting around 1.4 mpg on a 330 Outrage powered with a pair of Mercury Verado 425s. Top end for the rig goes north of 60 mph. Rig with a pair of 300s and the boat cruises at around 40, tops out a bit over 50, and hits a most efficient cruise of just under 1.6 mpg. Yet the boat delivers the same turn-on-a-dime feeling when you crank the wheel hard over. Added bonus: running angle is indeed reduced so the sharpest part of the bow meets the waves, and you enjoy a smoother ride.
Along with the new hull design the 330 Outrage has an updated bow cockpit, with molded-in backrests for the flanking bow seats. It also has a slick convertible leaning post with aft-facing seating featuring a flip-down backrest that turns into a rigging area. The 290 is designed with a wide wraparound bow seating arrangement which can do double-duty as an elevated casting deck when the cushions are removed. And the back of the leaning post has an aft-facing seat with a livewell underneath.
Both the 290 and the 330 boast fold-away transom seating, an uber-comfy lounger in front of the console with gobs of stowage underneath, and mounting spaces designed to accommodate an electric trolling motor on the bow. On the 330 Boston Whaler also came up with an ingenious way to stow a pile of rods on the boat where you can securely lock them up and keep them out of harm’s way: the forward console lounger incorporates a rack for up to 10 rods, and the tips pass through into the console head compartment.
Boston Whaler is one of the best-known names in the world of boats, so anytime they introduce a new model it makes the news. But when they make an introduction this big, there’s no doubt that it will make some serious headlines. And this time, those headlines are stepping to a new beat.
Boston Whaler 330 Outrage and 290 Outrage Specifications (330/290)
- LOA – 33’0”/30’6”
- Beam – 10’2”/9’4”
- Displacement (wet) – 12,579 lbs./10,870 lbs.
- Draft (min.) – 2’1”
- Transom Deadrise – 23 degrees
- Fuel Capacity – 300 gal./194 gal.
- Water Capacity: 39 gal.
- Max. Power – 850 hp/750 hp