Before you step aboard a Boston Whaler 250 Outrage, make a bet with your buddy: Are there more rodholders or cupholders? Not including the inwale rodracks, the 250 Outrage offers quick access to your arsenal with six rodholders on the gunwale topsides, three along the transom, and two on the standard leaning post. That’s 11. But the stainless-steel cupholders tally out to 12. So if you’re an angler looking for a fishboat packed with amenities, you win.
The 250 Outrage is full of creature comforts, from the cushioned cooler seat that slides out to turn the bow platform into a sunpad to the bi-level molded-in foot rests at the helm. Almost everything seems well thought out to maximize comfort offshore. That includes the pricey but cool fold-down trolling seats ($1,449) and the hardtop with integrated supports and a power-vented fully enclosed glass windshield ($10,006). The hardtop also includes cockpit flood lights, five more rodholders, and an electronics box. (Add another $1,875 for outriggers.)
The 250 Outrage is roomy for a 25′ center console, thanks to its three-piece ring deck design, in which the hull and liner are bonded and fastened, then capped with a deck ring. This improves strength and adds cockpit space compared to two-piece construction. Expanding the beam to 9′ from the traditional 8’6″ adds more room.
With 22 degrees of transom deadrise and a sharp forefoot, the 250 Outrage can be considered a true deep-V ready for offshore duty. Some comparable extreme models with 24-degree deadrises and 3:1 length-to-beam ratios will get you out of the inlet more comfortably at high speeds but they’ll be more prone to rocking on the troll. We had calm seas on test day, but the 250 Outrage handled our self-generated turbulence with minimal jostling and no spray. With four aboard and a near-full fuel load, we climbed on plane in a respectable 51⁄2 seconds without losing site of the horizon due to bowrise. And let’s just end with the fact that we lost not a drop of drink from open sodas in the cupholders and when we saw a hotspot, we were easily armed and ready.
MSRP: Standard power – $98,019 Test power – $117,628
