Whittley CW1950 with Yamaha 115 4-stroke

by Steve Morgan •

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 $60,000 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.

Whittley makes boats in the spectrum from luxury through to fishing boats. The CW 1950 sits at the fishing end and does the job well.

The 115hp supplied on the test boat is 35hp less than the maximum, however the boat ran with good economy (2.2km/L) and hit 60km/h at 5900rpm.

The front cabin is open to the cockpit and the bunks are long enough to stretch out and get some rest between bites.

Moulded in footrests allow the driver and the passenger to support their weight when the conditions get rough. We didn’t need them on the test day!

The cockpit is lined with custom-sized and designed SeaDek. It looks great and is easy to wash down. Of course, it’s non-slip.

There’s room on the dash to flush mount large electronics. The test craft was set up with no frills, just a simple combo unit and the Yamaha gauges.

The whole aft of the cockpit is useful fishing space and the transom door design is unobtrusive.

Quality seats and clever cooler mounts underneath maximise the use of space.

The CW 1950 boasts the near-standard rocket launchers to get the rods up and out of the way.

Side pockets get some of the essential fishing gear out of the way and padded gunwales make it comfortable to hang a line over the side in deeper water.

Instead of bolt-on duckboards, there are pods, which are an extension of the hull. These offer extra buoyancy.

Keep your live baits in here - the tank is on the port side and the transom door on the starboard.

You’d be amazed how many boats lack a decent grab rail for the passenger. The Whittley has a great one.

The rear pods are designed to add stability to the 1950 hull.

Easy to drive and quick onto the plane, the Whittley CW 1950 is a sweet way to move up and into the Whittley family.

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 $60,000? We dare you to try.

For more information, visit your local Whittley dealer or www.whittleymarinegroup.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
Rpm                speed (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