2024 Robalo R360 CC

Boat Reviews

Boat Review by: Richard Crowder

Robalo, builder of outboard powered center consoles since 1969 and, since 2001, part of Marine Products Corporation which also builds the popular Chaparral brand, offers a total of 19 models for 2024. This includes primarily center consoles starting at 18 feet but also Cayman Bay boats and Dual Consoles. This R360 Center Console is the largest in Robalo’s fleet.

The R360’s Kevlar-reinforced hull is from the highly respected Michael Peters Yacht Design and features a ventilated step and a very deep 23 degrees of deadrise at the transom. It provides a very efficient and comfortable ride when the seas get rough, especially if you want to stay at that offshore hot fishing spot just a bit longer.

The R360 is rated for 1200 horsepower total in twin or triple configurations, but Robalo only mentions triple 300 or 350 horsepower Yamaha outboards in black or white on its spec sheets. You have the choice of Yamaha or Mercury digital engine gauge packages as standard, so perhaps triple 400’s or even twin Mercury 600’s could be dealer-installed. However you power it, the R360 will be an awesome machine designed and intended for serious offshore fishing afficionados while at the same time offering cruising amenities.

The dash of the R360 is in a stunning black and ergonomically laid out both visually and physically. It boasts a soft-touch stainless steel steering wheel with control knob front and centre and joystick steering control immediately to its right. Straight ahead and above the steering wheel sightline is the pair of standard 16” Simrad multi-function colour touch screen chart plotter displays with built-in GPS, Sonar Hub TM, WiFi, Bluetooth, and WM-4 Sirius XM satellite weather.

Centred between these screens is your choice of standard Yamaha or Mercury digital engine readouts. Flanking the dual touch screens is a dual vertical row of DC control switches. Also included as standard equipment and controlled from the helm is Simrad 4-foot HALO radar array, Simrad auto pilot, Simrad VHF radio, trim tabs, and a JL Audio stereo which includes an 800-Watt, 8-channel amplifier, eight cockpit and hardtop speakers with blue LED lighting, and two 10” subwoofers with a 600-Watt mono-amplifier.

Also on the dash is a pair of USB charging ports, a wireless phone charging port, a 12-VDC receptacle, a lockable glovebox with 12-volt outlet, auxiliary and USB port, controls for the remote control ACR spotlight, Lewmar anchor windlass, dual-speed articulated windshield wiper, and the four RGBW LED underwater lights. A skylight in the console top ahead of the dash provides natural lighting into the cabin below while an overhead vent provides fresh air to the helm.

Above the helm console is a fiberglass hard top with custom powder coated aluminum frame in your choice of black or white. This hard top includes an overhead skylight cum sunroof, an electronics box, four tri-colour chart lights, blue courtesy lighting, four dual-colour spreader lights, and a most handy electrically-actuated aft rod-holder frame. Facing the helm are three high-back captain’s chairs with forward flip-up bolsters and a fold-down armrest at each end. The center of the three seats faces the steering wheel and a full width molded footrest with teak surface serves all three seats.

A port side lockable door in the console provides access via teak steps to the small cabin below. A portion of the mattress folds up into a double-wide seat and storage is provided beneath the mattress. Also included in the cabin is an electric freshwater flush porcelain toilet, a vanity cabinet with faucet and stainless-steel sink, overhead and indirect LED lighting, and an opening portlight with screen.

Aft of the triple helm chairs is an aft-facing bench seat with drink holders and removable tackle box storage on each end. Beneath the centre portion of this seat is a portable 65-quart Yeti carry-on cooler. This entire seat arrangement is replaceable with an optional wetbar cum bait prep station with drawer storage.

The transom of the R360 features a flush-mounted triple-wide fold-down transom bench seat with a fiberglass cover hatch as a finishing touch. Flanking this seat are a pair of 30-gallon insulated livewells with clear plexiglass lids, blue gelcoat finish inside, LED lighting, and with adjustable flow valves. A flush-mounted transom door which leads to the walk-across molded swim platform complete with three-step telescoping boarding ladder separates the starboard livewell from the fold-down transom seat.

Within the cockpit sole between the two bench seats is a large mechanical and electrical access hatch while flanking this on each side of the cockpit sole are a pair of 80-gallon fish boxes with overboard discharge pumps. Next to these on each hull side is a cockpit side entry door cum dive door complete with a stowable stainless steel side entry boarding ladder.

Moving forward, the accommodating bow area of the R360 offers a comfy-looking two-person wide forward-facing lounge seat just ahead of the windshield and above the cabin area. This lounge comes complete with fixed armrests with drink holders and a molded storage area below its forward portion. Ahead of this is the almost U-shaped bow seating area with removable cushions with storage beneath.

Backrests allow forward-facing stretch-out lounging on these bow seats but the backrests themselves are unique. They are both fixed backrests mounted on molded cabinets containing three pullout drawers and a trash receptacle. Great idea. In the bow cockpit sole is a storage area. A convertible bow table serves this bow seating and has dedicated storage. Surrounding bow coaming bolsters are sizeable and practical as are the cockpit bolsters. A foredeck anchor locker houses the windlass, chain, rode, polished plow anchor with thru-hull davit and a second windlass remote control.

Within the gunnels on each hull side opposite the bow lounge seat are large horizontal rod storage compartments with lockable fiberglass lids. Additional notable standard equipment includes a transom freshwater shower, a raw water washdown system, 25-gallon freshwater tank, a pair of 60-Amp converter/chargers, a shore power outlet with a 50-foot cord, a cockpit table with dedicated storage, a total of six combination gunnel/transom stainless drink/rod holders and a total of 14 gunnel/transom stainless rod holders.

The optional equipment list is small as so much of what you want and need is already part of the standard equipment. However, notable additional factory options include seven choices of hull side and/or bottom colours which may further be matched to the underside of the hardtop, interior colour choices, Gemlux® outriggers, Makefast® cockpit shade, forward canvas fly, SeaDek® helm mat, individual Sunbrella covers in black or white and/or a complete hard top enclosure. You may also want reverse cycle cabin air conditioning/heating with a pair of outlets at the helm, a Fischer Panda 5 kW diesel generator, SeaKeeper 3 stabilizer, and a trailer.

The R360 Center Console proudly represents being Robalo’s queen of the fleet and features all of the best that Robalo has learned and earned from its over 50 years of building and perfecting center consoles.

2024 Robalo R360 Photo Gallery

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