Trade-A-Boat — February 2018

Ocean Alexander 72

BORN FOR THE OCEAN PASSAGE

O

ur trip south

coincided with

the annual

humpback

whale

migration, and as we

charged toward Sydney it

quickly became apparent

just how well this particular

animal – the elegant Ocean

Alexander 72 – was well-

suited to its own bluewater

journey.

When your motoryacht

boasts a range of around

1200nm, an onboard

watermaker, the redundancy

of twin generators, and

even crew accommodation,

there’s little question the

OA72 was built to devour

long trips. This particular

journey on the largest Ocean

Alexander in the country –

the 72ft Pilothouse model –

was a delivery from the Gold

Coast in time for the Sydney

International Boat Show.

Realistically, that cruising

range of 1200nm means the

trip could be completed at

a steady pace of around 9

to 10kts, but with fi ve busy

people aboard and a rare

window of favourable winter

weather, it made more sense

to put the hammer down

and head south at pace.

The ability to do fast

trips like this is one of the

factors that appeal to Ocean

Alexander owners. There’s

a sector of the market that

loves boating but is time-

poor and so, need vessels

which can travel quickly

across vast stretches of water

in absolute comfort.

The Ocean Alexander

has a level of fi nish that is

a step above, in effect what

you’ve got here is a small

superyacht ... when a boat

comes with crew quarters

and three sprawling cabins

with marble throughout ...

well, you’re in a whole new

class of vessel, that’s for sure.

That’s not to say the

72-footer couldn’t be

handled by a capable

husband and wife team,

however. Thrusters at each

end, engineroom video

monitoring and an aft

control station all contribute

to ease of use while

shorthanded.

There’s a choice of upper

and lower helm stations,

both well appointed as you’d

imagine and luxurious to

boot, the fl ybridge providing

a commanding view and a

very social layout.

Part of the solid feel to

this 22m motorboat can

be attributed to its not

insignifi cant 46-tonne

displacement. When tackling

swells, it feels solid and

reliable. We adjusted speed

and revs throughout the day

as the breeze fl uctuated, but

the pace was fairly steady

at 18 to 19kts and hydraulic

stabilisers ensured a smooth

motion.

At the lower helm, a quick

snack is made easy with the

galley just steps away, and to

port of the helm is a dining

table and lounge. The 72

tested was optioned with a

‘casual’ layout of single-level

saloon, a private stairway

from here taking you to the

full-beam master, where the

lucky owners can enjoy some

peace and quiet, and with

a bathroom bigger than the

cabins of many boats.

The hefty price tag won’t

suit everyone, but for those

lucky few with the dollars

and the need to travel

quickly between ports, this

yacht has few peers.

As those whales know, if

you’re going to cruise up and

down the coast in a hurry,

you might as well do it in

style.

quick specs

Ocean Alexander 72

PRICE AS TESTED $3.95m

MATERIAL Handlaid

fibreglass

TYPE Semi-displacement

monohull

LENGTH 21.74m

BEAM 5.77m

ENGINE 2 x 1150hp Caterpillar

C18 ACERT turbo-diesel

FUEL 5677lt

WATER 1136lt

FOR MORE INFO

Visit oceanalexander.com

STORY BEN KEYS

PHOTO JACK MURPHY

72 tradeaboat.com.au