The New 60-Foot Ocean Alexander Trawler - ARI Netmedia.channelblade.com/boat_graphics/electronic_brochure/company... · comfortable navigation of the Ocean Alexander 60 Trawler Extended

24 June 9 - July 7, 2010 • Nor’westing

Absolutely StunningThe New 60-Foot Ocean Alexander Trawler

Sea Trial

What a privilege, indeed. Our friends at Ocean Alexander invited us to

be the first Pacific Northwest journalists to see and photograph the newest member of their fleet. The brand new 60-foot Trawler was so fresh from the commis-sioning yard that the engines were still warm when we went aboard. As we arrived, a small crew was literally making the final tucks and tweaks to the magnificent interior. The vessel was scheduled to leave for Trawl-erfest early the following morn-ing, but there was just time for a sea trial and a photo shoot, and Nor’westing was invited to the party.

The 60-footer is an important introduction for Ocean Alexander. The trademark that began in 1977, with a boat drawn on a nap-kin during lunch on Bainbridge Island, was originally considered a builder of semi-displacement trawlers. During the 1980s and 1990s, Ocean Alexander directed its efforts to becoming a leader in the pilothouse motoryacht category. While extremely popular throughout the entire United States, Ocean Alexander has always enjoyed an especially enthusiastic mar-ket in the Pacific Northwest. Some recent Ocean Alexander models have begun moving the pendulum back toward the

traditional trawler concept, while incorporating the best aspects of the company’s long and successful foray into the motoryacht genre. The 60-foot Trawler is a testa-ment to Ocean Alexander’s efforts — this boat is exceptional.

ExtErior stYlinG and dEsiGn

Ocean Alexander’s 60 foot “Trawler Extended Cruiser” was obviously drawn with bluewater navigation in mind. The stem incorporates Ocean Alexander’s patented “S-bow,” a specifically adapted version of a bulbous bow that improves fuel efficiency, reduces wake, and enhances the ride at sea. Above the waterline, the curved stem morphs grace-fully into a generously flared hull with high freeboard. A Portuguese bridge will help intercept those few waves still bold enough to break on the foredeck. The high bulwark continues well aft of the

pilothouse doors, and drops quickly to a still comfortable and reassuring height along the aft portions of the side decks. In an unusual but sensible styling detail, the bulwarks rise again aft of the main cabin windows to create a much taller than typical transom, which is less likely to be pooped by a following sea.

The flybridge is set back from the leading edge of the pilothouse, allowing

spEcifications and diMEnsions:

LOA: 60 feetBeam: 16 feet 9 inchesDraft: 4 feet 7 inchesDisplacement: 74,000 lbsFuel: 1,550 gallonsWater: 300 gallonsWaste: 130 gallons

Ocean Alexander’s 60-foot Trawler Extended Cruiser represents a return to the company’s trawler roots. Classic lines reflect its seagoing design. (Sheri Prokorym photo)

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Nor’westing • June 9 - July 7, 2010 25

the pilothouse (as well as the cowling and venturi) to deflect occasional head sea spray. The boat deck is enormous (our test boat had a 14-foot inflatable on the chocks, with what seemed like enough room left over to organize a square dance).

Even the initial walk around the decks suggests that the Ocean Alexan-der 60 Trawler Extended Cruiser is a leader, not a follower, in innovative design. Stainless hardware is substan-tially built. Nor’westing writer Jim Wood noted that the handrails are elliptical in nature, rather than round as on most boats. Ocean Alexander’s sales manager, Ray Prokorym, explained: “We started using those ovoid rails

because they are more comfortable on the hand and allow a more secure weld to the stanchions. We discovered a side benefit

as well: Seagulls and other birds don’t like to sit on our rails as much as they do the round rails, so they won’t land and

leave their calling cards on a boat with oval rails as often as on a boat with round rails.”

laYup and propulsion Ocean Alexander’s 60 Trawler dis-

places an impressive 74,000 pounds. The fiberglass hull is hand laid — solid below the water line and cored with Airex C70.90 foam on the sides. The superstructure is cored with AL 600 balsa core. Vinylester resin is used throughout, to retard blistering. Sub-stantial stringers are reinforced with carbon fiber. All thru-hull fittings are

bronze. Our test boat was equipped with a

pair of 455-horsepower, C-7 Caterpillar

“We felt the boat rise on

the bow wave swell, but

the ride remained

almost perfectly level —

no rocking, no rolling,

no drama at all.”

Premium appliances and surfaces are featured in the mid-level galley.

The pilothouse features two Stidd helm chairs and an extensive array of electronics.

The master stateroom, on the lower level below the pilothouse, features exceptional joinery and plenty of stowage.

The salon makes a fabulous first impression, with a pair of deluxe chairs opposite a spacious L-shaped settee and hi-lo teak table.

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26 June 9 - July 7, 2010 • Nor’westing

diesel engines. Electronic engine controls are located in the pilothouse and on the flybridge, as well as on a slide-out panel in the cockpit. The generator runs four CruiseAire reverse cycle heating/air con-ditioning compressors, with a 76,000 BTU capacity. DC systems are 24-volt.

The 60 Trawler Extended Cruiser is equipped with a Keypower hydraulic sta-bilizer system, as well as hydraulic bow and stern thrusters. The Steelhead davit system is also a hydraulic unit.

ExplorinG on dEcK We boarded the Ocean Alexander 60

Trawler Extended Cruiser though a con-venient door on the starboard side of the cockpit. There is also a large transom

door facilitating easy access to the swim and boarding platform. We noted, favor-ably, the teak decking in the cockpit area (protected by the overhanging boat deck) as well as the no-maintenance practical-ity of nonskid decking everywhere else. Aside from the teak planks in the cockpit, we found no exterior wood on the vessel, eliminating expensive and time-consum-ing varnishing chores. Windows and doors are by Diamond SeaGlaze, and likewise require very little maintenance.

The Portuguese bridge incorporates some lockers and cushioned foredeck seating. Access to the chain locker is available through a foredeck hatch, and a heavy-duty windlass hauls a 60-pound stainless steel plow anchor over an

armored prow and reinforced bow roller.The flybridge is protected by a stan-

dard hardtop and would be easy to fully enclose with canvas if desired. Access to the flybridge is available directly from the pilothouse (up companionway steps on the starboard side), or up a civilized set of steps from the cockpit, through a glass hatch with a stainless frame, and across the boat deck. Guests will find comfortable seating on the flybridge, and there’s a pair of Stidd helm chairs as well.

intErior walKthrouGh Nearly everyone will enter the Ocean

Alexander 60 Trawler Extended Cruiser though the aft bulkhead door between

Jim Wood, Sheri Prokorym and Niel Steenkamp in the pilothouse.

The forward guest stateroom has a queen-size berth and its own en suite head.

A six-footer can stand almost upright in the well-fitted engine room.

Just forward of the engine room is a third stateroom with bunk beds. It also has and its own head, and a washer and dryer are located nearby.

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Nor’westing • June 9 - July 7, 2010 27

the cockpit and the salon. The salon pro-vides a striking first impression, and is sure to instill a justifiable pride of owner-ship when welcoming guests aboard. Ocean Alexander has long been known for spectacular joinery, and the teak sol-ids and veneers used in the 60 will cer-tainly enhance that hard-won reputation. The grain matches, the stain matches, and the effect is undeniable. A compass rose, inlaid into the teak and holly sole immediately inside the aft bulkhead door, sets the theme for a boat that combines open-ocean capabilities with breathtak-ing décor and design.

We noted a Sony 32-inch LCD TV with a hi-lo lift in the aft port quarter of the stateroom. An L-shaped settee, a pair of deluxe chairs, and a hydraulically oper-ated hi-lo teak table comprise the bal-ance of the major furnishings in the salon. A U-line icemaker and home the-ater DVD entertainment system will help facilitate entertaining.

A staircase on the starboard side of the salon leads to aft portion of the lower deck. There is a head, a built-in washer and dryer, and a basic stateroom (possibly crew’s quarters) with upper and lower bunks. Immedi-ately aft of the stateroom is the engine room, with enough vertical clearance that a 6-foot person will crouch only a little to move around. Describing the shipshape configu-ration of the engine room and the excep-tional choices in accessories and compo-nents would almost require a separate article; but nit-picky perfectionists with high standards for machinery and sys-tems will find almost nothing to criticize aboard this vessel.

Back on the main deck, the galley is somewhat uniquely located — it is for-ward of the salon, to port, and at a mid level halfway between the main deck and the pilothouse. It is two steps down from the galley to the salon, and two steps up from the galley to the pilothouse. The location seems to be well considered. The galley (with its associated bustle and eventual dirty dishes) does not intrude on the pilothouse or salon, but is very convenient to both. An opening between

the galley and the salon allows easy food service, or permits the cook to converse with guests.

Galley appliances include a 24-inch Gaggenau gas cook top with matching Gaggenau electric oven. A Fisher-Paykel dishwasher, Subzero 700 refrigerator/freezer, GE garbage disposal, a micro-wave oven with exhaust blower, and a Franke sink complete the ensemble. Countertops are Silestone, and the refrig-erator is clad with an impressive veneer.

The pilothouse will appeal to anyone tasked (or privileged) with the safe and comfortable navigation of the Ocean Alexander 60 Trawler Extended Cruiser. Two Stidd helm seats, upholstered in black leather, are aft of a console opti-mized for modern navigation. Two 17-inch Navnet Marine monitors display Furuno and Nobeltec navigation software. Furu-no MFD Black Box processors permit simultaneous display of radar images for different ranges. Furuno applications also include a Class B AIS system, chart-plotter and digital sounder. The screens will display images from AXIS IP camer-

as in the engine room and on the aft deck. The autopilot is by Simrad, an AP 28 system. Communications systems include ICOM 604 VHF radios, and a KVH M7 Satellite system. The Nobeltec naviga-tion computer is quickly accessible in a dedicated compartment.

All three staterooms feature en suite heads, a rarity for 60-foot boats. The mas-ter stateroom and the guest stateroom are both on the lower deck, accessed via companionway steps from the pilothouse. The guest stateroom is forward, with the master stateroom aft and down a couple of steps. Both feature queen-size berths with stowage below, LCD TV and DVD/CD entertainment systems, cedar-lined hanging lockers with automatic lighting, dressing mirrors, and stainless steel port

lights. Anyone expecting the impressive décor of the main deck to extend to the staterooms will be very pleased with the result. This boat exudes class.

Heads include Tecma toilets, teak join-ery, stall showers with one-piece doors (in the master and forward guest suites) and Grohe faucets.

undErwaY We got underway from Ocean Alexan-

der’s docks on south Lake Union on a calm morning in May. The water was almost mirror smooth; “not much of a day to test a trawler,” we feared. As this was scheduled to be a photo-op cruise as well as a sea trial, a 64-foot Ocean Alexander accompanied us to Lake Washington. The presence of the second boat would prove to be instrumental in appreciating the capabilities of the Ocean Alexander 60 Trawler.

Aboard for our test run were Ocean Alexander’s Niel Steenkamp and the Nor’westing crew of Jim Wood and Chuck Gould. Sheri Prokorym, the Ocean Alex-ander photographer who took this issue’s

impressive cover photo, trans-ferred aboard from the 64-footer about midway through the sea trial.

As we motored across Lake Union, our most significant impressions were how amazingly stable and quiet the vessel proved

to be. I wondered why we were going so slowly, as a 7-knot speed is permitted on Lake Union (provided one doesn’t gener-ate a ridiculous wake) and we seemed to be moving only 2 or 3 knots. I glanced at the GPS readout and realized we were doing 6.9 knots!

I asked Jim Wood, “How fast would you guess we’re cruising now?”

Jim replied, “Maybe a couple of knots or so.” I was glad to discover I wasn’t the only person fooled by the rock solid ride and extremely small amount of engine noise.

We took a few photos on Lake Union, and then proceeded to Lake Washington for some speed trials. We observed that at wide-open throttle, the pair of C-7 Cats would deliver a 14-knot top speed. A

“Ocean Alexander has always

enjoyed an especially

enthusiastic market in the

Pacific Northwest.”

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28 June 9 - July 7, 2010 • Nor’westing

boater really has to want that final knot, as it is achieved with a notable decrease in fuel efficiency. At 14-knots, we were burn-ing 28 gallons per hour. Slowing down just slightly, to 13 knots, saved 10 gallons of diesel per hour. We found 10 knots to be an appealing cruise speed, and at 1,800 RPM we were burning 12 gallons per hour. With 1,550 gallons of fuel, the Ocean Alexan-der 60 can easily achieve over a 1,000-mile range with prudent reserve. Slowed down to traditional trawler speeds of 7-8 knots, fuel economy improves to about 2 nautical miles per gallon.

As we continued our sea trial, we were very impressed with the Ocean Alexander 60 Trawler Extended Cruiser. Little did we know we were about to be pleasantly stunned.

The 64-foot chase boat was coming up alongside. We were doing 10-knots, and the photo boat was running wide-open throttle. Even a well-designed 64-foot boat like an Ocean Alex-ander is going to throw a substantial wake at WOT (which is why professional skippers monitor their wake and its effects in crowded waters). The 64-footer was coming alongside no more than 10 yards off our starboard beam. A snarling wall of water that had to measure at least 4 feet was trailing behind. Niel Steenkamp was at the helm of our test boat.

“Niel,” I suggested, “Why not just go ahead and maintain course when the photo boat passes by? That’s one heck of a beam sea headed this way, and if you’re comfortable with it let’s just ride it out and see how she does.”

Niel agreed. The wake reached our hull. I grabbed a hand-hold to prepare for what seemed like an inevitable tossing. There was no doubt we would be rolling in a moment, the only question remained the degree of severity.

We felt the boat rise on the bow wave swell, but the ride remained almost perfectly level — no rocking, no rolling, no drama at all. Before we had settled back in we caught the natu-rally larger stern wave of the wake. Once again, we rose on the swell but there was no discernible rocking. Neil Steenkamp smiled like a cat who had just feasted on canary. “That wouldn’t even spill a cocktail, would it?” No, it would not.

We were impressed with the design, the build, and the layout of the Ocean Alexander 60 Trawler Extended Cruiser, but with regard to the ability of the Ocean Alexander hull and the Key-power hydraulic stabilizers to handle a challenging situation we were absolutely, and pleasantly, stunned.

conclusions Most of us aren’t actually in the market for a new 60-foot

trawler, but the fortunate few shopping for a vessel of this cali-ber and representing this sort of investment (retail is approxi-mately $1.7-million) would be shortchanged if they didn’t con-sider this very fine boat in the process. We’d suggest getting underway and finding some challenging conditions — there’s a good chance you will be as stunned, and as delighted, as we were.

For additional information, please call Ocean Alexander at 206-344-8566 or visit the web site www.oceanalexanderseattle.com. ■

A 14-foot RIB fits on the boat deck with lots of room to spare.

The covered cockpit is the only area with exterior teak. The bulwarks rise at the stern to protect against following seas.

Thruster and engine controls in the cockpit make back-down docking much easier.

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