Boston Whaler's New 270 Outrage Is One Sleek Character

The Boston Whaler 270 Outrage is a modern, good-looking boat with many features that make it a great offshore fishing machine. First of all she’s a center console, which allows the angler to fight a fish all around the boat without obstructions. The corners are nicely rounded and the decks are clear. No toe stubbers or knee knockers! The stainless steel handrails in the bow are recessed into the foredeck, so they are readily at hand to provide security if needed, but are not in the way of the angler.

The forward fish box/cooler/storage is large, insulated and readily accessible. The forward seats have storage underneath, with rod holders inside for those times you want your expensive rods safely out of sight. On each side on the aft ends of the seats are a couple of convenient built-in rod holders in the right location to get the extra rods quickly out of the way when fighting a fish, while still allowing the baits to be kept in the water.

The center console itself is well designed, with access inside to a marine head, a sink with a hand held shower, and enough room and head room to make it usable. There are storage cabinets within that are sealed so use of the shower doesn't wet what you want to keep dry. The center console provides convenient access to the underside of the instrument panel for future repairs or additions. The batteries are safely housed in their own easily accessed compartments. At the business end of the console the wheel is at a good height and angle, the throttles fall readily to hand and the instruments are well laid out.

The T-top as equipped on the test boat had good rod storage and a nice fabric hide-away for the required life saving devices that most boats never seem to have a good place to store. You hope you never need them, but on the 270 at least they are available if you do. The leaning post has good storage for all the junk we all like to carry, and is well positioned for steering, either while standing or sitting with the swing down footrest. The sturdy, lockable radio box covers are removable and have a built-in storage space in the compartment below the wheel.

The fish boxes in the aft deck are large and long enough to hold good sized king fish or dolphin. They have overboard drains or an optional pump for draining. On both sides adjacent to the transom are downrigger ball holders, a nice touch to keep the gel coat and toes from getting dinged. In the transom and the swim platform are nice sized hatches for access to the mechanical and electrical gear hidden within, not just small pie plates. The transom also holds a live baitwell with bait-prep cutting board. A fold down rear seat gives passengers or anglers a place to rest, instead of standing all day.

The twin 200 Mercury engines moved the boat very well, and she was out of the hole in 4.8 seconds. The Outrage 270 handled the tough chop from the 20 knots of wind on our test day like a much bigger boat. We found that the boat planed easily and was nicely maneuverable. And with the 200-gallon fuel tank she has plenty of range for those long days offshore.



By Capt. David Hill

Test Captain

Speeds measured with Stalker ProSports radar gun. Fuel consumption (gallons per hour) measured with Floscan digital fuel-flow meter on gas inboards, sterndrives, and outboards, TechMate electronic scan tool on gas EFI inboards, Caterpillar digital fuel-flow meter on diesel engines, or permanently installed fuel-monitoring equipment. Range is based on 90% of published fuel capacity. Sound levels determined using Radio Shack digital decibel meter on A scale. 68 dBA is the level of normal conversation.

Performance Chart

Test Conditions