Boat Reviews - Ocean Master 31 center console sportfishing boat

Ocean Master has been the premier builder of the large ocean fisherman since 1975. The first Ocean Master, the 31 Center Console, was launched in 1975. It is recognized as being the pioneer of all large outboard powered open fisherman.

A Radical Idea

At the time if its inception, 31-foot outboard sportfishing boats were unheard of and considered a foolish design by many in the marine industry. Today, those same critics consider Ocean Master to be the best-riding fishing boat on the market. Ocean Master’s hulls are so overbuilt that they can withstand a large caliber bullet.

Ocean Master 31' Center Console

"Today, those same critics consider Ocean

Master to be the best-riding fishing boat on

the market.."

Still owned and managed by owner Mark Hauptner, Ocean Master prides itself in its continued tradition of excellence. In fact, Hauptner has designed, built and raced boats for almost 25 years. Among his many accomplishments are 14 world records and six national championships.

A Customer Request Starts a Boat Company

In 1974 Hauptner was busy running his Mercury engine dealership when a longtime customer voiced his frustration at being unable to find a large center console that would meet his expectations. In particular, this customer wanted a large, outboard powered center console that would be capable of making the 2,200 mile roundtrip through the Caribbean Islands. After much thought and design, Hauptner built the boat himself. Aptly naming this vessel “The Only One,” it became the now legendary Ocean Master 31.

“Marketing fads be damned,” says Hauptner. “At Ocean Master, we build boats the way they used to be built.”

An Instant Classic

The 31 Center Console would go on to define a whole new category of boating for the next quarter of a century. Its design was perfect, allowing it to remain in production to this day. Considered by many to be the benchmark for all other sport-fishing vessels, the average Ocean Master owner is much more advanced than the beginning yachtsman. In fact, Ocean Master’s in-house studies have shown that the average owner has been boating for more than 25 years and has owned six boats. Ocean Master vessels are not mass produced. Instead, each boat is custom designed to the buyer’s preference.

Believing its potential customers will not be led astray by current advertising trends, Ocean Master caters to the fisherman who like to fish more than 100 from shore.

Layouts and Performance

The 31 is available in four layouts: Center Console, Super Console, Walkaround and Express.

All models accommodate a full size marine head. The Walkaround and Express layouts feature full-size, double berths. In keeping with recent advancements in marine propulsion, the Ocean Master 31 is available with single or twin inboard diesel engines that can reach 840 horsepower. Long offshore runs, ranging from 300 to 400 miles, are all in a normal day’s work for this sport fishing boat. With a standard 310-gallon fuel capacity, range is amazing 500 miles at 37 miles per hour by its twin EFI outboards.

"It is recognized as being the pioneer of all

large outboard powered open fisherman."

The cockpit of the Ocean Master 31 is huge and capable of handling a full-size fighting chair. Her wide beam and stable hull design allow the 31 to carry a marlin or tuna tower safely. And since every Ocean Master is semi-custom, boaters can have it rigged to their exact specs, no matter how sophisticated or simple.

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