Tested | Whittley CR2800 with V8 Volvo Penta 350HP

For all of the Whittley tests we’ve done over the years, I’ve never set foot in the biggest cruiser in the range - the 28 footer. This legally trailerable craft is pretty close to the ultimate family cruiser and packs a lot into the available hull length.
Maybe one of the reasons I haven’t tested one is because it’s definitely NOT the ultimate fishing boat in their range. That status would sit somewhere in their SL series - models that are designed for serious fishing with an elevated comfort aspect. The cruiser (CR) range are skewed towards some serious comfort for multi-day trips on the water.
You’ll see what I mean throughout this test.
Gary Honeychurch from Whittley calls it the “Waterbago”, which alludes to the fact that you can live on it just as comfortably on the land as you can on the water. Indeed, many Whittley customers live on their boats in transit - you just pull up to the caravan park and plug in!
The fact that the cabin has a fully solid, lockable door helps with peace-of-mind when you take the car out to do some shopping or eat out on the road.
The 2800 is powered by a Volvo Penta 350HP V8 inboard motor. Nowadays, inboards aren’t the flavour of the month, but they are an ideal choice for this rig, opening up a massive duckboard area over the DuoProp that has wet-gear storage incorporated and effectively acts as a swimming deck and BBQ area simultaneously. Couple this with the inbuilt freshwater shower at the transom door and you can keep the salt out where it needs to be.
When the boat is on the trailer, you board here with the fold-away ladder, just as you would when the boat is in the water.
Moving forward to the main cockpit area and there’s a lot of comfortable seating, dedicated to providing a space for multiple people to sit and entertain. And as if magically, a table top drops from the hard top here, solving the problem of where to actually store a table top when it’s not in use.
This is a great place to enjoy a meal.
Moving for’ard again and theres the helm with most of the controls for the motor and accessories on boat. As is the standard nowadays, this is flush mounted and has all of the switching in easy reach.
The real comfort and appointment, however, is inside of the lockable door. As you enter, there’s a full kitchen on the port side, complete with sink, fridge and induction cooktops which are powered by some of the three lithium batteries. The lithiums definitely help save on towing weight.
There’s a fully private shower and toilet as well as a second, indoor dining area which converts to a queen sized berth. The outdoor dining area also converts to a queen sized berth, allowing the 2800 to sleep four people comfortably.
There’s even a telly in the main cabin, so you don’t miss any of the footy (or comforts of home).
On the water, I’d expected the Volvo 350 to be thirsty and unresponsive. How wrong I was! The V8 offered plenty of power to propel this rig to just under 80km/h with a significantly wide range of economical cruising speeds. Anywhere between 3000 and 5000rpm gives you around that 1km/L economy at speeds between 27 and 65km/h.
As Gary says in the interview, “it’s 28 foot of caravan that will two a water skiier.”
The Heritage Edition 2800 that we tested is limited to 10 boats at drive away pricing of $339,000. For more information, contact your local Whittley dealer or visit www.whittley.com.au. 6 of the 10 boars are already sold as at the close of the Sanctuary Cover Boat Show 2024.
SPECIFICATIONS
Length 9.0m
Beam 2.49m
Length on trailer 10.1m
Height in trailer 3.3m
Transom deadrise 19°
Fuel 210L
Water 100L
Dry tow weight 3,200kg
Max HP 350HP Volvo V8
PERFORMANCE
RPM Speed (km/h) Economy (km/L)
600 6 2.0
1000 9 1.5
2000 15 1.1
3000 27 0.9
3500 37 1.0
4000 46 1.15
4500 55 1.05
5000 65 0.95
5800 78 0.8

[@wally07]

These are by far some of the ugliest boats on the water

[@AshleyJOsborne]

Only when your mum is onboard.

[@scottcox8559]

A boat that size should have more than 200l of fuel.

[@Jamieaus]

all about being "legally towable," it's got to save weight everywhere it can