I loved the 13-foot and 16-foot Boston Whalers I had a half-century ago, so I was eager to run Boston Whaler’s new 350 Realm. It melds the workmanlike qualities of a center console with the luxuries expected on today’s cabin craft. For sure, the 350 Realm is more than a one-activity center console for the family. It’s also set up for entertaining, fishing, overnight cruising and diving. With a rakish windshield and fiberglass hardtop with finlike steps, the 350 Realm has Whaler’s trademark profile. Her equipment and amenities separate her from the pack too. At the helm are double Raymarine monitors, a flip-down platform for standing tall, and a footrest on the doublewide helm seat. That seat’s back flips forward to create a shaded entertainment area under the hardtop, facing a second row of seating for two. Add an optional, removable table and you have all-weather cruising comfort. That second seat’s back also flips, creating a mezzanine seat overlooking the cockpit and its folding transom seat. That means, in total, there’s seating for six guests, with room for a cockpit prep area that can be fitted with an optional livewell or a grill and sink. Under the mezzanine seat is a cooler (optionally refrigerated on our test boat) for a few days’ worth of drinks and food. In-sole fish boxes, a standard transom livewell and a portside dive door are here too.
Forward are a lounge and wraparound seating in the bow. An optional table or filler cushion can be added, and a bow shade protects guests when the sun gets high.
In the cabin, a V-berth serves as sofa seating or, with a filler, a double berth. An enclosed head has a VacuFlush MSD, vanity and hot/cold shower. An optional flat-screen TV and microwave should keep life comfortable even if weather forces you below.
| 420 Outrage | 380 Outrage | 350 Outrage |
|---|---|---|
| The 420 flagship of the Outrage line can be equipped with quad 350 hp Mercury Verado outboards. | The 380 Outrage, with optional Seakeeper stabilizer, can be a fishing machine or a luxury tender. | Triple Mercury outboards rated at 350 hp reportedly propel the center console to about 44 knots. |
Power for the Realm comes from Mercury, with triple 300 or 350 hp Verados. She tops out around 46 knots and can be set up with optional joystick piloting and Skyhook station holding. The 350 Realm’s hull form has the Whaler Variable Running Surface with a 23-degree transom deadrise.
The Realm also has space and pre-wiring for a Seakeeper gyrostabilizer to reduce roll. A standard Kohler 7.5 kW genset provides power for air conditioning.
Boston Whaler’s 350 Realm is an evolution in design, a versatile craft that can be utilitarian or amenities-filled, depending on how you like to do your boating. And it’s built into a hull that should keep you ahead of the pack on rough days, with a look that stands apart from the crowd.
