A legendary center console just got better. The Ocean Master 31 is faster and more fuel-efficient than earlier models, says Mark Hauptner, the company’s founder and president. Hauptner built the first 31 in 1975 for a customer who wanted a big outboard center console for a 2,200-mile journey through the Caribbean, and he has been making improvements to the boat ever since.
Hauptner’s latest design tweaks include lifting strakes for greater maneuverability, stability and running efficiency, he says. The company also now offers the boat in a tournament edition with a flush foredeck (no bow seats).
The Ocean Master 31 cruises at 34 mph, and the modified-vee hull (16-degree transom deadrise) planes with one of its twin 300-hp Evinrude E-TEC G2 engines trimmed out of the water. “This is a tremendous safety feature,” says Hauptner. “It’s that get-home power and speed you need.”
At 30 mph, the boat gets 2.14 mpg for a range of 600 miles. (Fuel supply is 310 gallons.) She’ll hit 53 mph wide open. Ocean Master builds the boat with as many as 20 layers of hand-laid fiberglass and vinylester resin. Full-height fiberglass stringers and a glassed-in inner liner add strength and stiffness to the hull. “I don’t believe in gimmicky materials or untested construction methods,” says Hauptner. “We design and build boats with a very simple goal — to get customers to the fish and safely home.”
The Ocean Master 31 with twin 300-hp Evinrude 2-stroke outboards is $219,000. Ocean Master Marine, Stuart, Florida, (772) 210-2554. oceanmasterboats.com
This article originally appeared in the February 2017 issue.
