Boston Whaler 280 Outrage, From Through-Stem Anchor to the 290 Handover

Boston Whaler 280 Outrage at a glance

The Boston Whaler 280 Outrage is really two boats. HMY's PowerBoat Guide lists a 280 Outrage built from 2009 to 2014 and a completely new 280 Outrage introduced in 2016, and warns readers not to confuse them. Both are 28-foot, twin-outboard, foam-filled center consoles with 23 degrees of transom deadrise and a 9-foot 4-inch beam, but the layouts, weights and tankage differ.

The second generation became one of Whaler's best-known boats. Salt Water Sportsman's 2019 buyers guide described it as a big, flexible boat for serious fishing, watersports or cruising, and owners surveyed called it the closest a big center console could get to a sportfisher. It anchored the middle of the Outrage family between the 250 and 330.

That chapter is closing. Boston Whaler's 280 Outrage web page now redirects to the new 290 Outrage, a 30-foot 6-inch boat on the patented WhalerStep hull with 195 gallons and a 600 hp rating, billed as coming soon. If you want a 280, the used market is now the main route.

The 2009 original: a recession-era bet with a through-stem anchor

Sport Fishing praised Whaler for investing in a totally new 28-footer during the 2008 downturn. The original 280 measured 27 feet 7 inches with a 9-foot 4-inch beam, 1 foot 8 inches of draft, 23 degrees of deadrise, a 5,160-pound dry weight in that first review (HMY lists 6,100) and a 200-gallon tank, rated for twin 300 hp outboards. It listed at $157,439.

Its signature feature was the only through-stem integral anchoring system among 28-footers, with a recessed windlass in the foredeck. The hardtop legs blended into a wraparound enclosure with a full windshield, electric vent and wiper. Fishing details included lockable storage for three rods per side under the bow platform, a dry box with molded spots for two 5-gallon buckets, foldaway aft-facing seats amidships, four downrigger-ball holders and 18 to 20 rod holders. HMY adds a 40-gallon livewell in the deluxe leaning post, three insulated fish boxes and a console head with electric toilet and shower, and says twin Verado 300s top out over 45 knots.

The 2017 redesign: social bow, garage storage and 186 gallons

The second-generation 280, introduced in 2016 as part of a rapid expansion of the Outrage family, stretched to an even 28 feet and grew to 6,200 pounds dry and 8,961 pounds with engines, fuel and water. Fuel dropped to 186 gallons, with 26 gallons of water and 6.5 gallons of waste. Draft is 22 inches, and bridge clearance is 8 feet 6 inches with the hardtop or 9 feet 11.5 inches with radar. Trailered, the package measures 38 feet 3 inches long and 9 feet 4 inches wide.

The layout moved toward family use. The open bow of the original gave way to aft-facing U-shaped seating, a removable table and a sundeck lounge over a large storage bin that can hold dive tanks. A lounge for two sits on the forward console over a lockable rod garage. The helm takes two 12-inch displays and optional deluxe seats; a T-top was standard on 2020 boats, with a premium hardtop package adding a glass windshield, power vent, floodlights, speakers and outrigger readiness.

Fishing features stayed strong: twin 54-gallon in-floor fish boxes with pump-outs, a 30-gallon pressurized leaning-post livewell with a bait-prep sink, a second transom livewell, a two-drawer aft tackle center, nine stainless rod holders in the transom and gunwales and about 20 in total on a fully optioned boat. Whaler quotes a swamped capacity of 4,450 pounds.

• LOA 28 feet, beam 9 feet 4 inches, draft 22 inches
• Dry weight 6,200 pounds without engines, 8,961 pounds loaded
• 186 gallons fuel, 26 gallons water, 6.5 gallons waste
• Twin 54-gallon fish boxes, 30-gallon leaning-post livewell
• Swamped capacity 4,450 pounds

Twin Verado 300s off Captiva: the test numbers

Sport Fishing's Jim Hendricks tested a 2017 280 Outrage with twin Mercury Verado 300s turning 20-inch Revolution 4 props, carrying 90 gallons of fuel and four crew, in 2 to 4-foot seas off Captiva Island. The boat planed in 7.4 seconds, reached 30 mph in 9.7 seconds and topped out at 57 mph at 6,300 rpm, burning 60 gph for 0.95 mpg. Its most efficient cruise came at 3,500 rpm and 29.3 mph, burning 17.4 gph for 1.68 mpg, which he calculated as more than 300 miles of range on 186 gallons.

Ride quality earned the most praise. With minimal trim and the tabs at about 25 percent, the deep-V sliced through closely spaced whitecaps while the bow flare threw spray aside, and in a following sea it showed no bow steer or tendency to stuff the nose. At rest, the 9-foot 4-inch beam and reverse chines made it remarkably stable beam-to.

Power options changed over the years. Sport Fishing listed 700 hp maximum in 2017, Sport Fishing's 2020 profile showed twin 250 V8 Verados standard with options up to twin 400s and an 800 hp rating, and Whaler's current site lists the 280 at 600 hp. Check the capacity plate on any boat you inspect.

What a 280 costs to run and how it holds value

Budget $12,000 to $24,000 a year excluding fuel and depreciation: a 30-foot-class slip or rack, insurance, service on two Verados, bottom paint or hull care, canvas and electronics. At the tested cruise of 29.3 mph the boat burns about 17.4 gph, so a 100-hour season uses roughly 1,700 gallons.

Resale is a strength. Whalers depreciate slowly, and the arrival of the stepped 290 Outrage is likely to keep late 280s in demand among buyers who prefer a conventional deep-V and lower prices. First-generation boats offer the most hull per dollar, though their electronics and early Verados are now dated.

Which 280 Outrage for sale makes sense

Choose a first-generation 2009 to 2014 boat if you want a serious fishing platform with a bigger tank, a through-stem anchor and a 40-gallon livewell for under about $115,000, and you are prepared to update electronics or repower. Choose a 2017-or-later boat for a better family layout, more modern power and joystick options, and stronger resale.

Whatever the year, survey the engines, run the windlass and anchor chute, and test every pump. If a new boat is the goal, compare a late used 280 with the new 290 Outrage; the price gap will be substantial.