Boating - Offshore Marine Master

P48 - FISH & BOAT, May 2015
Boating
Offshore Marine Master 610 cuddy cab hardtop
Tested by Peter Ford
O
ffshore Marine Master boats are
proudly Queensland born and
bred and manufactured onsite
from their factory at Caloundra on the
Sunshine Coast.
Jason Norup heads up the team and
builds most of their boats as variations
to the base models depending on the client’s requirements.
The 610 cuddy hardtop we tested was
varied for a local offshore fisho who
wanted fuel capacity, so the standard
250L fuel tank and kill tank gave way
to a massive 350L tank which will give
this boat about 20 hours of running time,
perfect for overnighters out at the shelf –
that’s about twice the capacity of a regular production boat.
Also, if you are the adventurous type,
there is comfort in knowing that under
the floor is filled with survey-approved
buoyancy foam.
We set out from Mooloolaba at about
3pm into 15 knots of breeze and an easterly slop, ideal for seeing how this boat
would perform in not-so-perfect conditions.
Well, it didn’t disappoint, the extra
weight in the 6mm bottom and 4mm
sides made a big difference when trying
to travel at speed in sloppy conditions.
The hull is an 18 degree Ultra Vee
weighing in at about 1900kg as a dry
towing weight. It was fitted with a Suzuki 175 four stroke which moved it
through the water well and is the recommend horsepower for this hull.
At 2000 rpm we managed 8 knots,
3000rpm 12 knots, 4000 rpm 20 knots,
5000 rpm 31 knots and flat-out at 5800
rpm it manages a handy 37 knots. As for
fuel burn, a cruising speed of 25 knots
burns about 19L/hr.
With figures like this with four blokes
on board, the maximum horsepower rating of 200hp would be exciting, to say the
least, and the 140hp minimum wouldn’t
be unreasonable for smaller crews. In
my opinion, the 175hp was a really nice
fit for the average size crew doing long
range fishing missions. It shot up onto
the plane and got out of the hole with
ease – we were planing at 13 knots – and
there was no detectable lag or labouring.
It has impressive fuel economy and at
W.O.T. on a smooth day, you would eat
up the miles in no time at all!
The owner of this boat wanted maximum fishing room and opted for slideunder storage instead of seat boxes. The
dash allows for whatever you desire in
electronics, and this particular boat had
a 7 inch Garmin alongside a Furuno 585
sounder. That’s the great thing about
custom builds – you can have whatever
your wallet can afford.
There are plenty of grab rails, no matter where you are on the boat. We had
four people on board during the test and
we were all comfortable, sitting or standing, as we put her through her paces
(maximum P.O.B. is six).
The boat was incredibly dry with hardly a drop of spray making its way onto
the windscreen. It was a pretty warm day,
so the zip-out windows in the clears kept
a nice breeze flowing through the boat.
The cabin was huge and could easy
sleep two big guys and was fitted with
With the 175 Suzuki the OMM 610 did a brisk 37 knots at W.O.T and cruised sweetly at 25 knots.
toilet under the floor where there
was also plenty of room for more
gear. Extra storage was also fitted
half way up the cabin walls for
maps, tackle trays, torches and the
like.
The fishing platform was uncluttered and everything was
hidden away; the dual batteries
and deck wash and live bait tank
pumps were all built-in behind
lockers for access if necessary.
All the little things were there
like a lockable glove box for keys
and phone as well as drink holders
at various points around the boat.
This is a big boat – 6.5m overall – and the cuddy doesn’t really
stop you from walking up the side
of the boat if you prefer to do that
rather than access the anchor via
the large front window/hatch.
There is plenty to hold onto and
the bow rail adds to the feeling of
The cabin was huge
and could easy sleep
two big guys and was
fitted with toilet under
the floor...
safety when travelling to the front
of the boat.
Overall, the boat performed very
well and I liked the fact that it had
the ability to head straight into
the wind and slop and maintain a
touch over 20 knots comfortably.
That’s the best test for any boat.
The hydraulic steering made tight
turns a breeze and it held tight
with no cavitation or slipping, the
following sea on our way back in
is something this boat loves as it
effortlessly rode the metre-plus of
swell with no broaching as we hit
the odd pot hole here and there. The price of the boat we tested
came in at $89,990 which I believe is excellent value, especially
as it sits on a dual axle trailer with
breakaway brakes. If you are looking to buy a plate boat that is built
strong and will last, check out the
range of Offshore plate boats at
www.offshoremarinemaster.com.
au The transom with ladder and rails makes boarding easy if you decide to have a dip.
The esky-under-seat is a great idea for maximizing
deck space.
There’s plenty of room for electronics and the front cab
is more than adequate for extended trips.
This is where the OMM really shines! Look at all that comfortable fishing room! Everything is out of the way and
there is no shortage of easily accessed storage room.