WEBVTT

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(air rushing)

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(upbeat music)

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<v Narrator>The following opinions are solely those</v>

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of BoatTEST.com and its test captain.

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<v ->Hi, Captain Steve for BoatTEST.com,</v>

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and today I'm on Robalo's R180.

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This is Robalo's answer for making a fish boat affordable.

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Let's see how they've done as I take

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it on a full test and performance evaluation.

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Let's start by taking a look at the R180 on the trailer.

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She has an 18 degree dead rise

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with single-lifting strakes to each side.

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Taking a look at the bottom,

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I noticed that the keel is flat,

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almost as a running pad,

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which should give us quick times to plane

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and minimal bow rise.

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Our test boat was fitted with

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a 115 horsepower Yamaha four stroke.

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There's an option for bolting on

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a 150 four stroke to the transom.

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The fuel fill is flush-mounted to the cap rail,

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just aport of the console.

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Fuel capacity is 50 gallons.

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The Robalo R180 has a length overall of 18 feet

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four inches, a beam of eight feet,

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and she draws two feet 2.5 inches of water.

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With an empty weight of 2600 pounds, 3/4 fuel,

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and two people onboard,

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we had a test weight of 3,175 pounds.

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I found the distance between the helm

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and the leaning post to be just right.

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I could stand behind the helm comfortably,

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and also run the boat from the seated position.

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There was a comfortable foot rest under the seat,

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but I'd also like to see a recessed foot rest

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on the console.

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There is room for it behind the head.

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For a boat aimed at keeping the price down,

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there was a surprising amount of stainless steel,

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and it continues at the helm with the wheel,

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grab handles, and drink holders.

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There are two rows of toggle switches

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to either side of the panel.

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The clutter is kept to a minimum

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by utilizing the Yamaha digital multifunction gauges.

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I measured 15 inches between the switch panel

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and the gauges, so you can mount a good 12-inch display

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if you're so inclined.

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Our test boat was not equipped with the optional tilt wheel,

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and I didn't find it necessary.

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A center-mounted compass is standard

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and it's flanked by two recessed areas to hold stuff,

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and these spaces are rubber-matted and self-draining.

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I like the stainless steel rail

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running around the windshield,

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it insured that there was always a place to hang on to.

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The windshield itself is mounted into a sealed base

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that keeps water out

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and it eliminates annoying vibration while underway.

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On the water, I found the R180 to be a pleasure to operate.

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Our test boat was equipped with

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the standard hydraulic steering,

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and I wouldn't want to be driving all day without it.

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She was very responsive to the helm,

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and while we had a flat, calm day to test in,

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it was easy to find wakes to carve through,

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and the R180 performed quite well.

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Launching off waves, she held a nice even keel,

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and made a gentle stern-first reentry

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that kept me in control and comfortable.

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Even crossing the wake from the side

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had a nice stable feel.

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Doing hard turns were equally comfortable,

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but were met with a little ventilation,

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but it's rare that you'd operate this way.

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Normal turns were a nonevent.

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With the 115 horsepower Yamaha four stroke,

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we reached a top speed at 6000 RPM and 41.1 miles per hour.

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At that speed, we were burning just 10.4 gallons per hour

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for a range of 178 miles.

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Best cruise came in at 3500 RPM and 20.1 miles per hour.

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At that speed, we were burning only 3.8 gallons per hour

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for a range of 237 miles.

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However, I found that the R180 felt most comfortable

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at 4000 RPM and 25.5 miles per hour.

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That's where my hand settled the throttle at,

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and since the speed was generating only an additional

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1.1 per gallon per hour fuel burn at the cost

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of only 3 miles to the endurance,

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that's probably where you'll be cruising too.

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Thanks to the flat keel providing additional lift,

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we had a quick time to plane of 3.8 seconds.

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Acceleration was average, with the 115 horsepower plant

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and we reached 20 miles per hour in 8.1 seconds,

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and cruised through 30 miles per hour in 12.1 seconds.

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Well, that's our look at R180.

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Very comfortable fish boat.

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As for affordability, the boat, motor

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and trailer package is under $30,000.

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For BoatTEST.com, I'm Captain Steve.

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We'll see you on the water.

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(air rushing)