OCEAN CRAFT 3300 DIVER the Ultimate Tender

Bush 'N' Beach Magazine
February 2020 Boat Review by BEN COLLINS

DOES your boat manufacturer offer you the following game-changing warranties?
To give you what you paid for your old Ocean Craft trade-in hull (better resale value).
Guarantee you to overtake any other boat with the same size outboard (superior performance and fuel economy thanks to a low-friction hull).
Never sink lifetime warranty or your money back.
Ocean Craft is the only boatbuilder offering this extraordinary list of guarantees and now the Ocean Craft 3300 Diver is the latest model from the brand and packed full of features.

Celebrating its 21st year in production, Ocean Craft has boats ranging from 2.6-7.6m in length.

They are available in two hull widths, both of which can be trailered: Cartoppa with a 1.9m beam (only 1.4m between top of tube to top of tube on roof racks); and Beamy with a 2.4m beam. Four basic configurations make for fascinating new fishing boats:

Open dinghy base boat.
Centre or side console.
Walkaround cabin.
Cruiser double-decker living room on the water with under-deck hold and airtight buoyancy section.
All boats are available with high sides and an above-waterline self-draining deck.

The Cartoppa range is available in 2.6-4.6m lengths while the Beamy body style is available in 4.6-7.6m configurations. Ocean Craft boats can be packaged with bimini T tops, hard tops, side and transom access gates and dive ladders for use as fishing, snorkelling and dive boats.

The 3300 Diver is popular as a yacht tender and life boat, and customers have the option of a painted or unpainted hull made from marine-grade plate alloy that is virtually maintenance free. A number of features are unique to Ocean Craft vessels both at rest and under way.

The 3300 can be turned at maximum revs without having to decelerate, and the design of the hull enables the boat to tackle wind and waves head on. It features a Posilift bow, which means the wake pushes the Ocean Craft up on the plane faster and keeps it there longer, giving you a comfortable, featherbed ride.

Ocean Crafts run the deepest vee deadrise of any production monohull at 30 degrees. The low-friction variable deadrise Varihull gets you out of the hole and up on the plane faster too, while maintaining a comfortable and dry ride with maximum water throwdown.

You get triple-hull trimaran stability at rest and outrigger stability when turning. Shock-absorbing airtight buoyancy sections give rise to Ocean Craft's pneumatic ride properties. The hull's aerodynamic design means a hovercraft-like attitude at speed, which gives rise to exceptional fuel economy due to the reduced friction on the hull and trapped air between the hull and tubes.

All Ocean Crafts are available in 2C/2D survey as work boats for charter or hire and all boats come with davit/helicopter lifting points. Planing strakes aid safety and stability when turning. The transom on Ocean Craft boats starts at 80mm x 40mm x 6mm channel reinforced alloy, meaning a minimum 30hp rating on all models, reaching all the way to 350hp and up.

The 3300 Diver has a base hull weight of 95kg and approximate boat, motor and trailer weight of 220kg with the standard 30hp outboard, though up to a 70hp outboard is available as an option. Maximum carrying capacity in ordinary conditions is eight people, while in emergency circumstances the little boat can carry up to 16 people.

And short of mechanical destruction by explosion, fire or impact, the boat is impossible to sink guaranteed. Maximum safety and stability on the water means maximum useable deck area even the gunwale is useable for standing. A multi-function patented utility diagnostic/disclosing valve allows you to check the integrity of the hull.

This can be tested during scheduled maintenance by pressurising the hull through an ordinary foot pump with gauge as part of routine preventative maintenance (non-foam-filled versions). Ocean Craft's patented Neutrivalve operates in both directions and allows expansion and contraction of air inside the boat caused by differences in atmospheric pressure, sea and air temperature, which means air pressure equalisation is automatic.

The two-way valve automates pressure equalisation when moored or in storage. A tyre foot pump can be connected to the valve to act as a bilge pump to expel water below the water line if the hull has been breached in an emergency.

These Ocean Craft boats represent the first time pneumatic properties have been available in an all-metal hull. Loading and unloading, fishing, casting and boarding can be performed safely and reliably from any part of the boat. More deck area is available on a 2m or 3m Ocean Craft than a comparable 3m or 4m conventional hull. Several people can stand on the bow, transom or either gunwale of the 3300 Diver with confidence that they won't capsize the 3.3m boat.

You can rest easy in the knowledge that your Ocean Craft is stronger and lighter than comparable boats, features pneumatic tubes, is dry as a bone and offers a stress-free ride during your whisper-quiet voyage while producing a hovercraft-like wake. What are you waiting for?

For further information, call Mike Jessop on 0416 293 686 or 07 5499 6937, and check out oceancraft.com.au