Boat test: Whittley FF1950

Whittley FF 1950 powered by Mercury 135hp

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FMG Steve Morgan

s.morgan@fishingmonthly.com.au

Those who are fans of Whittley boats will not be familiar with the new way that some of the hulls are named. If you have watched some of our previous boat tests you will notice that the CW range is now called the FF range. This was the very first question that I asked Whittley Queensland’s Laurie Jackson when we were presented with the FF1950 to test.

The test rig was fitted with a 3L Mercury 135hp outboard. This 4-stroke Main: Whittley FF1950 is a rebadged version of the previous CW1950. The test boat was fitted with a 3L Mercury 135hp outboard. Above: Theoretical range was just under 300km at the most economical cruising speed.

Like all modern big-bore 4-stroke outboards, the Mercury 135 was quiet and packed a punch.

power plant has stood the test of time, and the large displacement means that there is plenty of power at hand.

Made in Melbourne, Australia, Whittley boats have had associations with Yamaha and Volvo Penta over the years that I have been testing boats. Their current association is with Mercury, and you’ll be seeing a few Whittley/Mercury tests over the next year or two.

“This boat is a tried and true offshore hull,” said Laurie Jackson from Whittley Queensland sales, “so there’s no problem taking it offshore on days you are comfortable and the ride if soft and dry.”

Indeed, this boat is all about fishing from the helm back, but comfortable in the cabin area. If you are looking to move up into a family suitable boat from a tinny, this is well worth looking at.

Whittey’s custom foam decks mean that clean up is easy after a trip and there’s plenty of clever storage – under the cockpit floor with a kill tank, under the helm seating with esky space and double side-pockets eat up the regularly used gear.

There is also an aftermarket drop in, wide bait station on the transom, a transom door is standard and a live bait tank in the back can hold your lives. The test boat was also fitted with a raw water deck wash.

There is also plenty of rod storage in the rocket

SPECIFICATIONS

Length:.............. 6.17m Beam:................ 2.20m Fuel: .................... 150L Max hp:................. 150 Capacity: .... 6 persons drive on and off at the ramp. The whole rig will tow easily and safely with nearly all twin-cab utes.

This boat doesn’t come with a lockable cabin, so remember this if you’re looking for a rig that will get left unattended from time to time.

Performance wise, this rig hit 65km/h at 5800rpm, giving the economy of 1.2km/L burned. The most economical cruising range was at 3500rpm and 36km/h, which gave us 1.9km/L. Couple this with a 150L fuel tank and you get nearly 300km of theoretical range.

Personally, I’d opt for the 150hp outboard, which is the maximum for this craft. It’s the same weight and would give similar economy, just with the extra punch that you may need on a bar crossing.

As tested, this rig comes in at $93,990, although packages can start from under $80,000. Check out www.whittley.com.au or your local Whittley dealer for more details.

launcher that is built in to the canvas bimini top. And if you are a serious angler, rest assured you can flush mount a multifunction display up to 12” right into the helm.

It is fitted on a twin axle bunk trailer that is easy to

PERFORMANCE RPM............Speed (km/h) ... Economy (km/L)

800..................................5 ......................... 0.9 1000................................8 ......................... 0.9 3000.............................. 27 ......................... 1.2 3500.............................. 36 ......................... 1.9 4000.............................. 47 ......................... 1.7 4500.............................. 53 ......................... 1.7 5000.............................. 60 ......................... 1.5 5800 WOT ..................... 65 ......................... 1.2

Top: Like all modern big-bore 4-stroke outboards, the Mercury 135 was quiet and packed a punch. Above: The transom door is standard and helps getting in to and out of the boat, especially while on the trailer. The split windscreen gives easy access to the anchor well. The test boat however was fitted with a winch.

Custom rubberised decks are virtually standard in most offshore boats nowadays. The Whittley ones look great.

From the helm forwards, it’s all about shade and comfort. The bait board fitted into the test boat is aftermarket. It has plenty of room though and comes out very easily.