Hi, My other half and I are looking at buying a decent sized live aboard boat. We looked at a variety of boats, both sail and power. We recently looked at a 44' Ocean Alexander Cockpit Motor Yacht. There seems to be little, if any, information on the forums about this brand and this type in particular. I'm curious as to what other current and former owners think of them. Cheers!
You went through the trouble of registering just to respond to this thread with "they are great boats"...? Care to expand on your experience?
Before I purchased the Ocean Tiger, my wife and I looked at an Ocean Alexander. Unfortunately the one we looked had been let go and the seller and I could not come to terms on what he needed for the boat and what I was willing to pay. A friend of mine is a marine engineer and I brought him down to look at the boat with the intension that I was purchasing it. He told me Ocean Alexander's are great boats however; this one was not the boat for me. The cost associated to getting it back to pristine condition, given the fact that I would sub all that work out, was simply not worth the asking price. Although that is not a great description of the Alexander itself, my advice would be to make sure you have someone you trust checking and re-checking whatever boat you decide to purchase, especially for live aboard purposes. We live on the Ocean Tiger and because we got the assistance of someone who knows a hell of a lot more than I do, moving aboard has been the best decision we have ever made.
No I did not join just to answer this . My ocean alexander has been a great boat. The quality of the hardware used, the fit and finish of everything, they just build them right.Our surveyor was suprised at how well the gelcoat had held up for a older boat. No hairline cracks around hatches or in corners. Everything seems well designed and easy to get to anything you need for repairs. I have not had a single issue since I bought it. If they are taken care of and maintained properly you can't go wrong with a OA.
Wow Willy, you must have gotten one of the good ones! Some others on YF haven't been so lucky. See this thread... http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=100659 Here's an exert from the thread...
That seems to be the case with a lot of boats built in the late 90s early 2000. Seems like everyone was cutting corners to save a buck and make a bigger profit. Mine is a 1989 I've talked to a few other owners of OA's close to the same age and model as mine and they really like them.
Thanks for all the replies. They seem to bear out what we've been seeing and the feel we got when we looked at the first one. Definitely better fit and finish and a much more solid feel. They also seem to have brighter interiors and make much better use of the space in terms of storage. So far, it's the best live-aboard we've seen. I was hoping nobody was going to say they sucked. But, nothing's perfect. Are there areas on these boats that deserve particular attention from me so I can find "The One" to have surveyed? Also, anybody know of a better boat in the 44/48 foot, 100-150K, 1988-1992 sort of range?
One thing you should do is ask if they have all the paperwork and records for the boat and ask if you can look at them. If they have receipts for oil changes, repairs,haul outs and bottom paint, manuals for electronics and appliances owners manuals ect. This will give you a idea of how well the boat was maintained and if it was well cared for. My boat has all the factory manuals and all receipts from both owners so I was able to see a complete history of what was done and how well it was cared for.
Thanks, Willie. I really do appreciate all the help and encouragement. I was wondering if there were any OA specific things I needed to look for. It is really starting to sound like there might not be any and that, as you say, you just avoid the abused ones. I'm very happy about this as I really like these boats and think that a nice one will fit the bill just fine! Cheers!
No specific issues as far as I know. Also if you are looking at the sundeck aft cabin the only difference between the 42 and 44 is 2 feet of cockpit space. The 42 is usually a bit less in price and you don't loose any living space.
I recently purchased a OA 440 and have a question. How do I turn on power to the outlets in the galley? I have every switch on the electrical panel in the ON position but the outlets on the galley counter and below the dining table still have no power. All the other outlets on the boat are fine. Ideas? Gord Bellingham, WA
Do they work on the inverter? Mine has outlets for 12v and 110. Try switching to battery and see if they work.
Thanks! Turns out those outlets have a switch on the panel in the inverter section. "Forward cabin outlets". Now we can fire up the blender!! Cheers.
440cmy Bought our 1999 440 in Sturgeon Bay WI last fall and brought her around to Stillwater MN via Lake Michigan, the Illinois, and the mighty MISS. The boat performed flawlessly. 1180 miles in 11 days. This is one great Boat! Only issue I have is the specs state a 400 gallon fuel tank but found out she only holds 350 learned the hard way! Anyone have any info on their tank size. Last but not least has anyone drilled holes for rod holders in the cockpit. I want to install between the stern and the black rubber step pad. Any idea of the thickness of that area? THX. JSM
Wondering if you and your other half ended up buying an OA. I am sea trialing a OA 440 tomorrow and would love to hear anything you learned about the OA other than what is on this forum. We are sailors about to make the jump to powerboating and welcome any feedback.
Hi, everybody! We haven't bought yet but are close. Still haven't seen one we don't like. I'm exricating myself from SoCal so I can move up to Alameda in SFO bay. I'll keep watching this thread so keep the info coming!! Cheers!