Boat Reviews - Ocean Master 31 Center Console Boat

Captain Patrick Sciacca
I’m a boat nut! Certifiable. When cockpit space, fiberglass, and gelcoat color make great dinnertime debates, you know there’s a problem. However, I keep my mental malady in check through my gig at PMY. I’m fortunate that I get to test some of the coolest rides around. But after running these million-dollar-plus beauties, it’s Expeditor, my 1990 31-foot Ocean Master Walkaround Sportfisherman, that gives me the greatest thrill. Why? Because I’m also a fishing fanatic, and this boat is good to go.

My Heart Skipped a Beat

Now I’ve seen perfectly intelligent and logical people turn into drop-jawed droolin’ fools at the sight of their dreamboat. And such was the case with me when I first saw Expeditor. Well, I don’t know if I drooled, but my heart skipped a beat.

Maybe it was her 360 degrees of walkaround fishability, her marlin tower, or the fighting chair on her forward casting platform, but I got weak in the knees. Even though I owned another boat, I snatched up Expeditor before I could come to my senses. Take this advice: Don’t ever do that. I ended up owning two boats for ten months, and it was not fun. (Oh, and did I mention that there was a new baby on the way, too?) But love makes you do crazy things.

However, once I unloaded my other boat, it was just the two of us—my trusty fish-chasing chariot and me. And for the last two seasons, she has yet to disappoint.

Tournament Fish Raiser
This season Expeditor helped my tournament team place fourth in our first tournament of the year and has repeatedly raised fish for my crew. Her forward fish hold is so big I could drop in a berth for extra accommodations (her small cabin sleeps two). If the law allowed, a couple dozen 60-pound tuna would easily fit in there, and I wouldn’t have to trim the bow down in a head sea, either (now that’s dual purpose).

Angler Friendly Layout

While I fell in love with her looks and angler-friendly layout, it’s her ride that has kept this affair going. I’ve throttled her twin 250-hp two-stroke Yamahas through some nasty chop and slop, four-footers and some six-footers (give or take), and her one-inch-thick, solid-fiberglass, modified-V hull has always gotten me home, albeit occasionally wet. Her extended and wide chines forward really throw out spray, which looks really cool in helicopter pictures but isn’t so cool in reality as the wind really likes throwing it back onto the boat, onto me, onto my crew. It’s kind of like being in the front row of the orca show at Sea World. (At least it saves me washdown time at the dock.) I have researched newer versions of my boat and it appears a redesigned hull bottom has reduced this problem.

A Paragon of Organization

While fishing is what I do with my boat, my greatest joy is just going down to see her. After work I often drive to the marina where she’s berthed to just sit onboard, lie back, and listen to the radio for a couple of hours. And while I’m an admitted scatterbrain who has frequently found his sunglasses in the ‘fridge and car keys in a shoe under the bed (don’t ask), Expeditor is a paragon of organization and cleanliness. I don’t know why, but I do know it’s a lot of fun to just take off my shoes, fill a five-gallon bucket with soap (environmentally friendly, of course), and give her a bath. I even do waxing and drawer organizing with a smile. It’s happiness at its simplistic best.

Another 31 Walkaround, this one was named Nemesis. Same model as Captain Pat's Expeditor, other than changed cabin window

I’m a Boat Nut, in the End I’m Mostly Nuts About Mine.
I know eventually the two if us will butt heads over bad fuel or an unfavorable ride coming in from offshore or maybe even have an expletive-laden bowrail-meets-toe incident, but then again, every relationship has its ups and downs. For now it’s bliss. And while I’m a boat nut, in the end I’m mostly nuts about mine.

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