The new outboard-powered Ocean Sport 30, from the makers of Nordic Tugs, is a no-frills, ocean-going boat with a turn of speed and long legs with some hard-to-categorize appeal.
The Ocean Sport 30 was originally launched with sterndrives until Nordic beefed up the transom and introduced it with twin 350-hp Mercury Verado outboards. It also was meant as an offshore fishing machine.
To my mind, at least, it now could serve just as well as an adventure boat or even a couple’s cruising boat. It has a standard V-berth forward to sleep two adults, a convertible dinette opposite the helm for one more, and a spartan quarter-berth, or storage space, aft of the dinette. There’s also a head and shower below.
The Ocean Sport has a flared bow and a 20-degree deadrise at the transom, and its performance with the Verados is impressive: A top speed of about 42 knots and a range of about 375 nm at 28 knots.
The cockpit is large and the deck is all one level from the transom to the helm station; it has an extended hardtop for protection against the weather.
Inside, there are windows all around, offering unobstructed 360-degree views. The windows next to the helm station to starboard and the companion seat to port slide open for ventilation. The galley, just aft of the single helm seat, has a fridge/freezer, propane cooktop, microwave and sink.
Nordic Tugs, in Burlington, Washington, between Seattle and Vancouver, doesn’t really promote the Ocean Sport as a cruising boat. After all, they make a whole line of cruising Nordic Tugs from 26 to 54 feet. But if you want a no-nonsense cruising boat with speed and range and all the advantages of outboard power, it’s worth a look.
The Ocean Sport 30 has a bridge clearance of 10’ 1”, which would appeal to anyone undertaking the Great Loop, say, or the waterways of the Low Country or Florida on the ICW. For anywhere else, it offers the basic comforts of a 30-footer without any of the frills; use it, wash it, and put it away.
Specs.: LOA: 30’3”; Beam: 10’9”; Draft: 2’9”; Disp.: 13,500 lbs.; Fuel: 400 gals.; Water: 80 gals.; Power: 2×350-hp Mercury Verado outboards. Read more:
