Highfiled Ocean Master 540

Rib Fisherman · 21 September 2014, 13:29

Hi I am new to this site and fairly new to RIBs. I was wondering if anyone has any experience or comments on the Highfield 540 Ocean Master. I am considering buying one this week with a Honda 100 on the back but before I commit I am trying to get some feedback on these boats. I am particularly interested in how they perform in rougher conditions in terms of slamming and comfort / softness of ride since I had a bad experience with my first RIB which was poor in these areas. Any help would be most appreciated!

Chunk · 21 September 2014, 17:08

Hi there
Take a quick look at some of the older threads on the Highfields. I've owned a 590 for the best part of 6 months and have only good things to say about the boat and the service from Steve at Sea Swift.
The smaller 500 received a good review and write up after the Round Ireland Challenge last summer with 2 boats suffering no more than a blown nav light bulb - again there's a good thread(s) on the subject.
Some of the old guard on here have seen new entrants from the far east before and are a little dubious - a good thing - time will tell if they'll survive as well as some of the more established local builders.
I'm sure someone with more experience than me will be along soon, but the advice I took was to look at and try other boats before making a choice.

Rib Fisherman · 21 September 2014, 18:02

Thanks Chunk, how do you find your 590 in rough weather. Any slamming of the hull or a good soft ride?

Chunk · 22 September 2014, 21:12

I find the ride pretty soft and in my more limited experience slamming depends a lot on the conditions and how the helm / cox is driving.
I moved from owning 18 to 20 and now to 24 degree deadrise, but also changed the boat length - lots of variables. The 590 is certainly the softest I've owned, but go try others - Ribcraft, Ribeye, Humber and Redbay all get good words said on here.
I like the Alu hull for its lightness (launch, recovery & fuel eff) and hopefully it's durability. Lots of folks do their own hull repairs and maintenance and prefer GRP.
Sorry I'm not being definitive here but it is a personal choice and I do think you should try a few others plus the 540 to make sure it is right for you.
I could be talking bollox so will wait for the Ribnet massive to comment