Offshore Marine Master 630 Cuddy – By Ben Keen

You may remember back in the January edition of Fish and Boat that I reviewed an Offshore Marine Master (OMM) 620 Walk Around. The write-up was glowing and deservedly so. That boat really nailed the brief; tough, aesthetically pleasing, precisely finished and well priced – all features that get the blood pumping.

But let’s be honest, the “6-7 metre plate boat” class is a hard one to be competitive in.

With plenty of boats to choose from and prices beginning to get serious, buyers in this market typically spend a lot more time “window shopping” before parting with their hard-earned.

Speak to any boat dealer, and they will tell you that the genuine punter is likely to spend up to a year or two taking romantic afternoon walks at boat shows and “swiping right” on smartphones before cautiously laying down a deposit.

The long and short of the story is that like any industry, boat builders are working hard to deliver top-spec products at the best prices.

As you can imagine, getting this balance correct is a science in its own right, and some builders do it better than others – OMM does it very well! I present to you, the OMM 630 Cuddy (630).

The boat

My first impression of the 630 was that it looked bigger than a 6.3m boat. In fact, it measures in at 6.7m. This is common for OMM. In owner Jason Norup’s words, they prefer to deliver a “true 630”, not using bowsprits and the like to “stretch” a measurement.

The finish was immaculate as always. The paintwork was impeccable, topped off by a very neat looking Sea Deck marine mat layout.

The beam was there, as usual, a solid 2.5m encased by a 6mm plate bottom with 4mm sides. Together with the foam filled Ultra Vee hull, the 630 cuddy looked the offshore goods – capable of stability at rest and flying through the rest!

Speaking of offshore capability, the fuel tank was exactly what you would expect in terms of capacity, a generous 290L’s. Overnighters and two-dayers really require nothing less, but I often see boats in this size range with tanks around 150L.

Before buying any boat, make sure you really consider your ‘range” needs, nothing worse than having to whip the jerry cans out in a rolling swell!!

In terms of the layout, this boat is very similar to the 620WA I reviewed in the January edition with one noticeable key difference – the cuddy cabin.

Now, it should be noted the cuddy cabin varies to the walk around variation in a couple of key ways.

Firstly, the positives. The cuddy cabin’s full hull width does provide a bit more space up front for a kip. Combine this with the fact that you will get a bit more protection from spray when the chop is on, you might find that it is the “family friendly” fishos choice.

And now for the compromises. The cuddy cabin is obviously bigger, so it adds a few more kegs to the overall weight. You will also lose that ease of access to the bow that the walk around brings – mind you, it should be noted that the owner of this boat opted for a drum winch to be installed, so that’s a great way to limit the need to access the bow frequently.

Honestly, cuddy vs. walk around, it comes down to preference. There is not much more to it! Go with what tickles your fancy and ticks your boxes!

The 630 was well equipped in the power department with a Yamaha 200HP four stroke. It certainly got the hull up and running with 26 knots recorded at 4500RPM and 32 knots at 5500 RPM.

The 630 handled masterfully on the water with hydraulic steering, and Volvo trim tabs polishing off a very well finished boat.

The verdict

When I’m preparing to review a boat, I try to avoid being made aware of the price, I much prefer to have a guess at the end of the boat review and see if my perception is on the money. However, as a general rule, I would expect that a well built mid-6 platey with standard weekend warrior inclusions would sit between 80K and 120K, give or take.

I guessed this 630 would start at 90K, I was delighted to be informed by Jason that it was closer to 83K. It should be noted that the boat tested was optioned up, and the likes of Sea Deck marine mat, solar panels, an electric toilet and a drum winch will lift the price. To be honest, the sky is the limit these days with options being endless. Where do you stop?

However, I reckon the starting price of 83K for a customised and locally made mid-6 platey, on a trailer with a 200 Yammy is a bloody good buy.