Boat test for the 2003 Ocean 57 Super Sport with boat pictures, boat specifications, and boat test results. Includes pricing, videos, engine test reviews, and ratings for the 2003 Ocean 57 Super Sport.

Leek now gives me the cook's tour of the 57. While the interior and exterior profile remain basically unchanged from the 56, Leek shows me some of the subtle updates he incorporated into this boat. The flying bridge has an additional cooler, the helm console is a little wider for easier electronics installation, and there's lots of seating forward with stowage areas beneath. The hardtop is standard, with optional flush-mounted teaser reels above the helm. The interior cabinets feature standard inlaid wood trim. Ocean also offers several custom decor packages made up of a number of color schemes and fabric options, and light maple can be ordered in place of the standard teak interior.

Our next stop is the forepeak stateroom, where I stow my gear, as it was to be my quarters for my overnight stay. He then shows me the double berth just aft and to port of the forepeak, as well as the amidships master. Both my quarters and the master have en suite heads, while the double-berth quarters had access to the day head just opposite it.

I find all the accommodations comfortable, well appointed, and roomy, with more than adequate stowage supplied by closets and drawer space enough for an extended weekend fishing trip or an island-hopping cruise. As I explore this area, I note that Ocean has used every available opening, no matter how small, for stowage—many that ordinarily would have been dead space. In addition, there's a washer and dryer in a closet just aft of the day head.

As with other Ocean Yachts, the 57 also possesses a comfortable and well-planned main deck. The saloon has an L-shape couch to port—there is stowage beneath it as well as in the corner table with its lift-up top—and a 27-inch flat-screen TV and DVD player in the entertainment center to starboard. The galley is forward and to port, and a six-person dining area lies opposite it. I note large Corian countertops, a microwave/convection oven, a three-burner Force 10 stovetop, a four-drawer under-counter refrigerator/freezer, trash compactor, dishwasher, an instant hot-water faucet, and plenty of cabinet and drawer space. It's easy to envision anything from a light snack to a sit-down dinner for six after a long day's cruise or boating several trophy fish.

And on the subject of fishing, the 57's business end is her 144-square-foot cockpit, which, as you'd expect, has all the requisite standard equipment. There are port and starboard rod stowage cabinets beneath the gunwales, a transom door, a livewell, four in-sole compartments consisting of two fishboxes (one with an optional Eskimo shaved-ice maker) and two dunnage spaces, and a bait-prep station. I prefer the optional teak coaming boards on this boat, as they add a nice touch. However, if you don't like the upkeep, you may want to stay with the standard fiberglass finish. The Pompanette fighting chair is also an option.

By the time Leek and I finish our conversation over dinner, it's time to turn in. Dawn breaks cloudy the next morning as we take on live bait and wait for the Bimini start. "Let's go fishing," crackles a voice on the radio. Hawn quickly locates a weed line and some flying fish followed by several small tuna. Hopefully something bigger is chasing them. Leek draws the first two fish, both mahi-mahi, which are quickly boated. I get the third, another mahi-mahi. Then we see no more knockdowns for the next few hours until Leek hooks up again with a sail. With some nice maneuvering by Hawn and some good leader work by Scheimreif, we release our catch. Our four fish will have to do for the day. The call for lines-up comes, and we head for the barn.

The Ocean 57 is an impressive addition to the company's fleet. And with Martin's new running bottom, this boat should please both fishermen and cruisers alike. "I'm always trying to do things better," he says. Looks like he has—again.

Ocean Yachts
(609) 965-4616

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