It’s a Whaler for a full day on the water. Boston Whaler’s 350 Realm is a blend of express cruiser with bow rider, a perfect combination for fun on the water.
When we say express cruiser, we mean: a helm at deck level, overnight accommodation with head, an open cockpit, and a good turn of speed. Bow rider? That gives you an open bow with comfortable seating.
The term realm signifies a small kingdom or domain. In the case of the Realm 350, up to fourteen family members or a group of friends can stretch out and enjoy a day on the water. With its unique layout, that day could offer a long cruise, a shady base for exploring a remote cove on paddleboards, swimming and towing water toys, afternoon naps, and grilling for a dinner party at sunset.
The 350 Realm can even set up for serious fishing. Credit Boston Whaler’s design teams for being able to mold multiple functions efficiently into the complex shape of this model’s interior structure.
Undergirding the core is a robust deep-V hull with a wave-cleaving 230 running surface and wide reverse chines for stability at rest. Three of Mercury’s draft horse-strong, smooth, 5.7-liter, 400-hp V-10 Verado outboards can lift some 20,000 pounds of boat, people, food, and beverages effortlessly onto plane. The Realm 350 cruises (relatively) efficiently at 30 knots with a range over 300 nautical miles. The range of cruising speeds is 20-40 knots, providing options for passenger comfort in varying sea conditions. Top speed is around 50 knots, depending on load.
Taken as a whole, the 350 Realm’s layout shows off the design team’s ergonomic engineering. Under the full-beam hardtop, the helm area is offset to starboard, providing a wide walkway to port to the open forward cockpit. That area offers seating for up to five people around a teak table, but the table lowers to provide a forward-facing lounge/sunpad for up to three people.
Beneath the forward cockpit and the helm console, the cabin delivers an enclosed head with shower wand and a convertible V-berth/seating area (air conditioning available). At the helm, a joystick makes close maneuvering intuitive. An integrated Simrad electronic system with twin 16” displays ties together all of the vessel’s functions, from lighting, engine operation, and communication to navigation and sonar views. The double helm seat offers individual bolsters for sitting and leaning, with adjustable footrests. The whole seat can swivel to face aft for social arrangement. Directly aft is another double mezzanine seat that can face forward for savoring a long ride or reverse to face the cockpit for watching trolling lines. Air conditioning is available for hot days.
To starboard of the helm, Whaler designers built in a small counter with a drawer refrigerator beneath. Beside the mezzanine seat is a countertop on a base that allows it to lift and pivot to the right, revealing an electric grill beneath while still offering a work surface. A tip-out compartment below the grill holds utensils. Cupholders hold beverages or jars of basting sauces, and there is even is a sink with hot and cold running water. Lift a cushion to find a large cooler with shelf. The cockpit provides a folding stern seat in the transom and bases for a double-leg teak table, while just forward in the port topside is a dive/boarding door with removable stainless-steel ladder. The ladder and the cockpit tabletops store neatly in dedicated brackets under the lid of the cockpit sole’s “utility room”, which provides access to much of the Realm’s wiring, plumbing, and tankage systems.
The 350 Realm ties many capabilities together in a complex but carefully designed vessel (yes, the owner’s manual is long, at 284 pages). All of those attributes together can build many adventures and a long resumé of happy days around the Bay and our Atlantic coastal waters. Sound interesting? Chesapeake Whalertowne has a couple of model-year 2024 350 Realms available at attractively discounted prices.
SPECIFICATIONS
LOA: 35’6”
Beam: 10’10”
Draft: 24.5”
Transom Deadrise: 230
Persons Capacity: 14
Fuel Capacity: 385 gal.
Freshwater Capacity: 45 gal.
Waste Capacity: 10 gal.
Weight: 13,600 lbs. (dry, no engine)
Weight with engine, fuel, & batteries: 18,830 lbs.
Max HP: 1,200
Bridge Clearance: 8’10” w/ Hardtop
Bridge Clearance: 9’11” w/ Hardtop & Radar
