The last few decades we have seen a number of ‘whaler’ designs float through our market, but none have caught on as well as the home grown Aussie Whaler.

The name might have started as a cheeky ‘play’ on the Boston Whaler, yet has since established itself as a respected brand in its own right. In fact, Aussie Whalers have won export sales to America; a pretty good effort given the USA is the home of whaler type boats.

No doubt the Aussie Whaler’s success is based on its classy, clean look that is usually the hallmark of American sportsboats.
Having an inner hull mould means the whole interior is finished in a hard, glossy gel coat. Even side pockets and lockers are all neatly moulded so the whole area is easy to wash out after a day’s boating. Add in a few squirts of detergent and you can have the boat looking sparkling clean every time

However easy cleaning is only one benefit of this double moulded hull. Because the outer hull is totally sealed by the inner moulding you get a natural airtight buoyancy chamber. In fact, much of this space is foam-filled to ensure the boat is virtually unsinkable. Knock a hole in the sides and the boat still doesn’t sink!

The smooth interior is also kinder on the crew since you don’t have any sharp edges to knock against. The moulded floor also self-drains out the transom, which is another handy safety feature.
While the original whalers weren’t particularly geared to the fishing market, newer models like the Aussie Whaler Profish 550 certainly go the full hog on bait-danglers.

The earlier Sports Cab 550 version provided more cabin space for family boating, but this model leans more to the fisho with a shorter cab and more fishing space. This cabin still provides a big transverse berth that sleeps two people. In fact, you can also get a chemical toilet into the cabin under one of the seats. Admittedly the shorter cabin keeps sitting headroom fairly tight, yet still suitable for family boating.

This new Whaler is certainly a very people-friendly boat with a walk-through passageway at the stern and transom landing steps.
The smooth interior also makes the Whaler very attractive to those folk who normally don’t go boating. Particularly wives and kids who don’t appreciate having to climb over gunwales. I think many boat builders lose sight of the fact that boats should be easy to board. No wonder the Whalers range has won a lot of interest from handicapped people who need easy access aboard.
Yet another great feature of this particular model is the fiberglass hardtop. Most 5.5m boats don’t offer hardtops, but this one certainly works well and looks terrific. The boat was matched to a Honda ‘silver bullets’ that delivered a very quiet and fuel-thrifty performance.

Design: The Profish 550 is a fiberglass hull measuring 5.5m overall, including the pod transom but not the short moulded bowsprit. Underbody shape is very reminiscent of the classic whaler with a gullwing bottom and wide bow that gives the boat a lot of room and stability.

This hull has a very distinct trihull entry, but the twin hollows formed by the bows taper away to a slight gullwing shape at the stern. In fact it looks more like conventional Vee bottom craft from the stern, except for the gullwing hollows in the bilge panels.

The rounded sponsons also mean the hull can bank more easily in a turn, unlike most multihull boats. Also there’s a small step in the hull towards the stern that must also help the boat to turn more easily.
Viewed from the side Profish 550 looks pretty smart on the trailer with a very rakish bow and a very attractive, short cabin.
Topsides feature an extra spray lip below the gunwale line and some extra build-up in the deck moulding that gives more freeboard than the old style Whalers.
This styling makes the boat look more modern than the traditional whaler and in this respect more attractive to today’s buyer.
Attractive deck styling and off-white gel coat really gives the boat a lot of class particularly with some really nice stainless steel rails.

The Honda also made the ride pleasingly quiet as well as free of smoke and unnecessary engine noise.

We didn’t have much windblown spray to check the dryness, but I suspect the boat will be reasonably good in this regard. Perhaps some boaters will find the windscreen a little low for spray shelter, but I found it was quite effective sitting behind the wheel. However, I suggest you should add vinyl clears to make the helm station nice and dry.

In terms of stability the boat scores very highly, allowing two of us to stand to one side without worrying the hull balance. Good stern buoyancy also meant we could stand in the stern quarter without the back end sinking too low.

Power: The Honda 90hp provided a good, if not overly exciting match for this boat. You have to remember the Profish is a reasonably heavy boat for its length and probably needs the hull, recommended power of 115hp to get sparkling performance.
In any event the following performance was quite acceptable if you were just going for fishing trips.
3500 rpm 16 knots
4500 rpm 20 knots
5500 rpm 28 knots

If you wanted a bit more zest you could look at the 115hp, though be careful about going to a much heavier motor. The 90hp is comfortable on the stern, but at 174kg (extra long) it’s no lightweight.

A good way to go would be a 115hp V-4 two-stroke like the Johnson that shaves off 33kg off the above weight figure. That would suggest better top end speed, as well as quicker low end speed performance as well.
Also on the subject it’s worth noting the Profish comes with a pretty generous 160-litre fuel tank under the floor. This gives you more than enough range for a day’s fishing. Also it gives you the peace-of-mind of knowing you’ll have the reserves to punch back into an unexpected blow.

Deck Layout: The wide bow gives added space up for’ard that’s fully utilised by the addition of the wraparound bowrail. There is also a separate anchor locker up here that has a proper latch to keep the contents from flying out.
You also get an ‘anchor’ seat that could also double as a seat for fishing, provided conditions were calm enough for you to sit for’ard.
Moving aft is helped by a proper side deck with good nonskid to let you step around with your Sperry Topsiders. The big hardtop and pillars give you some useful handholds, but please be sensible about going on deck in anything other than easy conditions.
Back aft there is a roomy cockpit with internal freeboard that just makes the grade for offshore fishing. You get about 60cm, which most people will find OK, but some tall guys will find too low. For them I suggest adding a raised side rail.

Deck hardware is very good and includes a Tee bollard for the anchor and recessed mooring cleates at bow and stern. There is also recessed handrails in the cockpit and navigation lights included in the standard package. The cabin has moulded lockers and the fore mentioned double berth with cushions. There are also moulded footrests for the driver/passenger as well as very smart looking Reelax pedestal seats.

The cockpit is very clean with moulded side pocket and recessed floor hatch that could double as a kill tank. You also get a big locker in the rear bulkhead that houses twin battery and VRO oil bottle shelves behind double doors. It is a very smartly finished boat and achieves that classy look that you associate with international craft.

While I like the look of the Reelax seats, I’d suggest the hip-bucket seats would be a better bet for offshore comfort and safety. The wide armrests take up too much room and don’t support the body in rough water.

Fishability: Yes, the Profish 550 scores well on the fishing front. Not only does it give you a good self draining cockpit, but four rod holders and provision for a raised cutting board (over motor well) back aft. The hardtop takes an optional rocket-launcher and the side pockets can also take rod-racks too.
The moulded cockpit doesn’t give you a toe recess, but other than that its a great working space for fishing, and stays dry because of the self-draining floor. And best of all, the boat comes with a really nice live-bait tank at the stern quarter that’s fully plumbed. How many boats offer that as standard!

Fishing enthusiasts might also like to check out the centre console 550 model as well. It gives you even more fishing space and would be a brilliant boat in warm to tropical water fishing. However, the cuddy Profish would do the job well too, so take your pick - and figure out which one will look good in your driveway.

Summary: The Profish 550 is a well-finished boat that goes a long way to raising the standard of fiberglass boats in Australia. Not surprisingly Aussie Whalers have a promising start on the export front, and with new management this year it could again do well on the USA export front.

Boaters in the USA, Europe and Japan are more into fully moulded interiors than we are, but Australian buyers are now starting to realise the practical benefits of this type of boat. Certainly we are seeing more local designs move towards the full-moulded interior and this can only be commended as more of our boats are exported.

There’s no doubt the fully moulded interior gives a more ‘finished’ look as well as a much easier surface to clean. Admittedly this form of construction is more expensive, but in the long run has a lot of benefits.

Certainly the Profish 550 will suit the buyer after a high quality, easy maintenance craft. A hard gel coat finish wears well and looks good even when the boat gets old and the gel coat fades.