The Original is Still the Best - 31 Ocean Master review

The Ocean Master 31 was one of the original large, offshore center consoles on the market, and if imitation is truly the sincerest form of flattery, the folks at Ocean Master should feel proud. They started a trend that has skyrocketed in recent years, with more and more companies introducing 30-foot-plus outboard boats every year.

The well known bow lines of the Ocean Master 31

Refinements

We felt it was appropriate to re-test an original, therefore, to see where Ocean Master stands in the midst of what is undoubtedly a hot market. Mark Hauptner, founder and president of Ocean Master, says the new 31 has some refinements not found on earlier models. "We made some changes to the hull," he said, "by making the chines 50-percent wider and angling them down a little bit. We also carried the chine all the way to the stern, whereas before, it stopped about two-thirds of the way aft."

Mark says this new reverse chine makes the 31 run exceptionally dry, and by carrying the chine to the stern, the angle of attack was changed. The 31 now rides with a more level attitude, and spray is pushed out to the side instead of up high where it can blow back on you.

Soft, Dry Ride - Incredibly Solid

Dean Stuhlmann of Keys Custom Marine made a 31 available to us from his dealership, and we got a chance to run the boat in choppy seas off Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The 31 does have a soft, dry ride and feels incredibly solid, even when run hard into a head sea. Weighing in at around 9,000 pounds, the 31 is built around a massive stringer system using hand-laid glass for super strong construction. It also performs exceptionally well. Twin 225-hp Yamahas produce cruise speeds of 35 mph at 4200 rpm, and 48 mph at a wide-open 5400 rpm.

Fishing Layout

The 31 is laid out in a logical manner for fishing, with a raised casting deck in the bow that could also serve as an arena for some half-court basketball! This boat has a tremendous amount of fishing room, and padded cockpit coaming all the way around provides added comfort. A huge in-deck storage compartment on the centerline of the casting deck goes all the way down to the inside of the hull. It can be used for gear storage or optionally plumbed with a macerator pump for use as a fishbox. A massive welded aluminum rail encircles the bow.

Four tackle drawers per side were mounted in the step-up to the casting deck on our test boat. It also featured Ocean Master's optional Super Console, which has a huge seat in front that extends all the way to the casting deck. The seat has storage beneath it, and there's a spacious head compartment under the console. A manual marine head was installed aft and to starboard, and there's lots of additional room for storing loose gear in the console, as well. A canvas flap aft concealed the boat's batteries and oil tanks.

The rocket launcher/helm seat has storage below, and there's a live well under an aft-facing seat. The Ocean Master has three live wells altogether, with the main one in-deck, just forward of the motor-well gate, and a third one in the starboard transom corner. The 31 is a traditional notched-transom design, which makes fishing around the outboards easy.

The Original is Often the Best

With lots of uncluttered fishing room, beefy construction and a new and improved hull, the 31 Ocean Master leads an increasingly crowded pack of large offshore center consoles. It just goes to show that the original is often the best.

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