Boston Whaler 130 Super Sport (2019- )

Brief Summary

Boston Whaler’s new 130 Super Sport has improvements to the seating, storage capacity, bottom shape and general styling, making it a very different boat than the old 130. She is designed for both youngsters and oldsters and protected water, and makes a good utility boat to bomb around on.

Key Features

• Swim ladder
• Fiberglass helm bench seat with 2 drink holders
• Battery box with hold-down strap
• Navigation lights with rope guide
• Galvanized trailer

Test Results

Specifications

Length Overall	14' 0'' 4.27 m
Beam	5’ 10'' 1.78 m
Dry Weight	695 lbs. 315 kg
Tested Weight	1,381 lbs. 626 L
Draft	9'' 0.23 m
Deadrise/Transom	13-deg.
Max Headroom	open
Bridge Clearance	6' 0'' 1.83 m (max)
Weight Capacity	990 lbs. 449 kg
Person Capacity	4
Fuel Capacity	6.5 gal. 25 L
Water Capacity	N/A
Total Weight	1,381 lbs. 626 L

Acceleration Times & Conditions

Time to Plane	4.0 sec.
0 to 30	10.1 sec. (0to20)
Ratio	N/A
Props	10.1 x 14 x 4 Spitfire
Load	2 persons, full fuel, no water, 50 lbs. of gear
Climate	64 deg., 45 humid; wind: 15-20 mph; seas: calm

Engine Options

Tested Engine	1 x 40-hp Mercury 4-stroke
Std. Power	1 x 40-hp Mercury ELPT EFI Black 4-stroke
Opt. Power	1 x 25-hp Mercury ELPT Black 4-stroke

Captain's Report Learn More
Watch Our Video

Contents of Report

• Mission
• Major Features
• Design
• Hull Shape
• Performance
• Handling
• Boat Inspection
• Construction
• Optional Equipment
• Warranty
• Observations

Mission

Boston Whaler believes in building a reliable, user-friendly, fun and safe boat. The new 130 Super Sport is also stylish. All this, while putting a new twist on a timeless classic, while providing a better ride and more options for customization. The vessel is targeted to people who want a trusted name with the highest construction standards in the hands of their children and grandchildren.

Boston Whaler’s trademark, a built-in, positive flotation system, makes the 130 Super Sport unsinkable. She will also float level when swamped with up to 1,525 lbs. (692 kg). Now, every boat 20’ (6.10 m) and under is supposed to float level if swamped by federal (USCG) law. Trouble is, every couple of years we hear about someone finding one that doesn’t. Needless to say, it is never a Boston Whaler.

Major Features

• 40 ELPT EFI FourStroke Mercury engine
• Welded stainless steel side rails
• 316L stainless steel hardware
• Fiberglass helm bench seat
• Bow locker with fiberglass cover and overboard drain
• Navigation lights with a guide for mooring lines and anchor ropes
• Bow and stern lifting eyes
• Galvanized trailer

Design

The new 130 Super Sport was redesigned from the keel up for 2019. She features a precision-engineered hull and an extremely shallow, 9” (22.8 cm) draft intended to empower boaters while navigating hidden waterways to summer lake-side locations with equal confidence.

Hull Shape

The completely redesigned and improved bottom has a 13-degree deadrise at the transom which promises stability and decent speed with low power. She has a sharper forefoot to reduce pounding, but remember this is a skiff for protected water, not an offshore buggy.

Performance

She measures in at 14’0” (4.27 m) long (including the swim platforms), has a 5’10” (1.78 m) beam, and her hull draws 9” (0.23 m). With a dry weight of 695 lbs. (315 kg), two people, 6.5 gallons (24.6 L) of fuel, the 40-horsepower Mercury engine, and test equipment on board, we had an estimated test weight of 1,381 lbs. (626 kg).

Top Speed. With the 40-hp Mercury 4-stroke motor turning an aluminum 10.1” x 14” (25.6 x 35.5) four-blade Spitfire propeller and wound up to 6130 rpm, we recorded a top speed of 31 mph (49.9 kph) in light chop with the wind of the optional Bimini top in its boot, probably costing us 1 or 2 miles per hour in top speed.

Best cruise came at 4000 rpm where we saw 16.5 mph (26.6 kph) and a fuel burn of 1.8 gph (8.7 mph). That translated to 9.2 mpg (3.9 kph) and a range of 54 statute miles (86.9 km) while holding 10 percent of the boat’s 6.5-gallon (25 L) fuel capacity in reserve.

Acceleration Test

Now comes the crucial test for any small boat with a 40-hp 4-stroke engine. Does the engine have enough low-end torque to get the boat on plane, and does weight have to be moved forward to get the bow down to accomplish it?

Our test captain was careful to start by slowly moving the throttle forward rather than jamming it forward. After one second, he put the hammer down.

At 3 seconds we see the bow begin to drop, and by 6 seconds the boat is clearly well on plane with the bow way down, and most of the hull in the water and a rooster tail astern.

Calculating time-to-plane is not a precise science, but clearly it happened between 4 and 6 seconds. This is a good time for a small boat with a 40-hp 4-stroke engine. We also ran through 20 mph (32.1 kph) in 10.1 seconds.

With more people aboard, all small boats become weight-sensitive, so moving weight forward balances the load, including on the 130 Super Sport.

Handling

This little boat is just plain fun to drive. Once on plane, with the trim about six clicks up, she provided a smooth ride. When I put the boat into a turn, she stayed flat and slid through handily.

Boat Inspection

The 130 Super Sport comes standard with a fiberglass bench seat. Options include bucket seats with a passageway between them. The seats can be reversed so one can be in a spotter’s position for tow sports. These seats are quite luxurious for a 13’ (3.9 m) boat.

The helm bench seat is 4’ (1.2 m) wide. Just to the right of the five-spoke wheel are the tachometer, the switch for the navigation lights, and a charging port. An optional smoked acrylic windscreen sits atop the panel and just below it and forward, is a locking glovebox.

The throttle and shifting lever is mounted on the starboard gunwale with the ignition key behind. Just below the controls, the white navigation light clips into place for storage. Forward of the console to starboard are a pair of beverage holders and the socket for that white navigation light.

Pockets on the back of each bucket seat provide additional storage. Behind the helm seats, the cockpit measures 4’7” (1.39 m) wide by 2’5” (0.7 m) fore and aft. The cockpit depth is 20” (0.51 m) and 16" (0.41 M) aft, and freeboard at the stern is 13” (0.33). There are two 8” (0.2 m) cleats on the inboard side of the stern eyes.

On each side of the engine and to seaward are small raised swim platforms; the boarding ladder is to port.

The 130 Super Sport is NMMA Certified using ABYC standards, which here means the ladder reaches 22” (55.87 cm) below the waterline.

The Bimini top with a stainless-steel frame is an available option. With the top deployed, there’s a slot in the canvas to accommodate fishing rods from the rail-mounted holder.

Moving forward, alongside the helm to port, an optional 50-quart (47.3 L) cooler secures in a bracket with a bungee cord. Amidships are standard grab rails which run parallel, and just below the cap rail. Our test boat also had an optional high rail that wraps around the bow. We recommend it.

The test boat also had an optional bow cushion that measures 4’4” (1.32 m) by 2’6” (0.76 m). The non-skid foredeck is raised 14” (36 cm). A large anchor locker is cut into the center of the deck. The hatch is finished on the underside and includes a channel for the rode.

We like the center-mounted 8” (20.3 cm) cleat, a size that we sometimes don’t even see on far larger boats. By being center mounted, it is in the correct position for anchoring.

Construction

Boston Whaler lists “swamped capacity” as one of the boat’s specifications. In other words, she will stay afloat even while swamped with up to 1,525 lbs. (692 kg) aboard.

Optional Equipment

Some accessories must be installed at the dealership, a fact that may give buyers an enhanced feeling of control over the buying process. The following are some of the options with which to outfit the Boston Whaler 130 Super Sport:

• 25 ELPT EFI Black FourStroke Mercury engine
• Mercury VesselView mobile app
• Boston Whaler logo and model designator in various colors
• An array of seating options
• Sun-top with boot and stainless steel fittings
• Stainless steel steering wheel
• Synthetic teak boarding steps
• Rod holders
• Dash appliqué
• Bow rail

Boston Whaler also offers some attractive hull color options in addition to the standard white.

Other colors can be ordered for either the hull sides or the hull side and bottom. The colors available are Classic Desert Tan, Glacier Green, Light Blue, and Light Gray. All the colors are light so they won’t show salt and will age gracefully.

Boats can also be ordered with the same accent colors as above: Classic Desert Tan, Glacier Green, Light Blue, and Light Gray.

Warranty

Boston Whaler provides a 10-year structural hull limited warranty; a 3-year limited warrant on components manufactured or installed by Boston Whaler; a 1-year limited warrant on upholstery items, canvas, teak and powder coating; and a 1-year limited warranty on accessory components.

Observations

The Boston Whaler 130 Super Sport is a new take on a classic entry-level boat with improved seating, storage, and ride. She comes with a galvanized trailer for easy transport, and on the water, she’s just a blast to drive, according to our test captain.

By the way, we can’t think of a better holiday gift for a grandchild, than this Boston Whaler 130 Super Sport with a 25-hp engine.