2019 Ocean Alexander 70e review

Ocean Alexander says the “e” in the 70e’s name stands for “evolution”, with the boat representing a change of direction for the brand as it explores the market beyond traditional trawler-style motor yachts. The Ocean Alexander 70e is also the first of a new line of “e”-monikered craft that will one day vie for high-end buyers alongside the Divergence and Revolution line of boats that will push the brand's design and engineering boundaries even further.

It's also the first Ocean Alexander model to be built outside of Taiwan. In fact, the 70e is made in the US – Merritt Island, Florida – in a factory once owned by sports and cruiser boat maker Sea Ray.

Another first for the 70e is that it eschews Ocean Alexander's traditional choice of shaft drives for a Volvo Penta IPS pod drive system wearing forward-facing, counter-rotating props. This brings huge benefits to the 70e in terms of fuel efficiency and, more importantly, packaging.

Penned by renowned megayacht specialist Evan Marshall, the Ocean Alexander 70e is a four-stateroom motor yacht featuring clean, contemporary lines with a modern twist.

The Ocean Alexander 70e is built as an owner-piloted motor yacht, with a emphasis on ease of use. The base price starts at $5.5 million, with the price of our test boat climbing to $5.98 million once a few choice options are selected.

In the galley, the Ocean Alexander comes with another large yacht feature – full-size Jenn-Air appliances including fridge and convection microwave, and even a temperature-controlled wine cellar.

Ocean Alexander prides itself on saying the 70e has many of the features found on a much larger yacht, although in a far more compact form.

The Ocean Alexander 70e uses a completely new production process compared with the boats built in Taiwan. For the 70e, the fibreglass is formed under a vacuum that draws the resin through the fibres, and thicker sections including the stringers that form the backbone of the hull are built over a marine-grade foam core. This results in a lighter and stronger structure compared with more traditional methods of building boats.

The motor yacht’s exterior is finished in an Alexseal polyurethane topcoat and uses epoxy-based primers that won’t fade or yellow in sunlight. An added benefit is that for the first three years, all it needs for cleaning is soap and water.

The hull is what Ocean Alexander says is a planing hull, meaning it is optimised for high speeds; the flatter rear section of the hull will generate lift to help the boat rise up out of the water and onto a plane.

In the event of a collision, the Ocean Alexander 70e has a watertight bulkhead built into the bow section that will keep the vessel afloat.

All through-hull fittings are made from bronze, and the hull is finished in three coats of primer and self-polishing bottom paint as standard, not optional. The boat’s handrails are a work of art; they are made from elliptical-section stainless steel, not the conventional round rails – Ocean Alexander says this shape is a more natural fit for the hand, allowing you to grip the rail more tightly.

The boat also uses an aluminium beam that makes the hull more rigid, and allows Ocean Alexander to fit one of the largest window spans on the market. Supports for the flybridge are also marine-grade alloy.

Access to the well laid-out engine room is via the crew’s quarters. The engine room even has stainless steel handrails.

Entry to the saloon is via a stainless-steel-framed sliding bulkhead door that opens electrically with either the press of a button or, if your hands are full, the tap of a foot on a discrete cockpit-mounted switch. The door will sense if it is blocked while closing, and retract.

The most noticeable feature of the timber-floored saloon with its contrasting walnut panelling is its sense of light and space. Deep windows line all sides of the space, creating an indoor space that also feels outdoors. Extensive use of teak and fabric-lined headboards add to the sense of airness.

On entry, couches line either side, separated by a coffee table with storage drawers tucked below. An aft-facing TV drops down from the ceiling. Storage spaces abound.

Moving forward, a L-shaped large dinette with an adjustable-height table is located to starboard of the helm station.

The almost centrally located lower helm station – it is offset quite forward and slightly to starboard to give room to the stairwell leading below to the accommodation – is impressive.

Two large 17-inch touchscreens – we heard whispers that they were about the same cost to replace as a small car – are placed side-by-side and feed customisable information from the Garmin electronics fitted throughout the Ocean Alexander 70e.

To one side is a screen for the Octoplex system that looks after the entire boat’s electrical needs, which owners can also access via an iPad.

The Stidd helm seat behind the two-panel windscreen is big and cosseting. On one armrest are the controls for the autopilot, and on the other the joystick that controls the pair of Volvo Pentas humming quietly away below us.

The joystick is as easy to use at speed as it is for low-speed manouvering, while the Ocean Alexander 70e’s wheel is set low and vertical like a traditional trawler – a nice touch in an era where car-like interfaces are starting to dominate.

The pilot house has a wonderfully engineered pantograph door to port providing external access from the helm to help drop fenders, heave lines, or prepare the anchor for setting.

It swings back almost effortlessly on its machine-finished mechanism, and helps justify the claim that you can run the 70e with minimal crew.

To starboard of the helm, the L-shaped galley with its stone-look benchtops features a full-size Jenn-Air french door fridge, induction cooktop, convection microwave and a dishwasher. An island bench with a separate shelf houses the sink and a mixer tap.

The whole area is lit with diffused light. A pair of feature light panels made from textured glass fill in the back of the island bench and the roof over the top of the saloon.

The dual helm station is set up so the Ocean Alexander 70e can run with minimal crew.

Joystick controls for the twin Volvo Penta IPS 600 engines make low-speed manouvering a breeze.

Another highlight that speaks of a much bigger boat than the Ocean Alexander 70e looks is an internal staircase leading up to the forward section of the flybridge – there’s no need to go aft to use the cockpit ladder.

If you think the saloon is big and light-filled, wait until you get upstairs. The Ocean Alexander 70e’s flybridge adds about another 20 per cent of living space to the motor yacht.

Access is via the much grander-looking saloon staircase, which enters the flybridge beside the helm station, or a fibreglass and teak staircase from the cockpit to the aft section of the space.

At the rear of the space is a plush C-shaped lounge that can seat up to 10 people comfortably. A large table is set to starboard that can drop down to create a daybed. Owners can option this space as tender storage with davits.

Forward of that and to starboard is a marble-look wet bar with barbecue, stainless steel sink with mixer tap, and a fridge. The bench space wraps around itself, providing a seating area with a pair of stools.

Moving forward, another long lounge with a chaise longe at one end and a low, long table lines the starboard side. Opposite is a storage cupboard with a dark marble-look benchtop.

The flybridge helm is a simpler version of the one below, although it has two Stidd helm seats – the captain’s chair without the armrest controls – to make it a more social affair. There’s the same 17-inch Garmin touchscreens in front of the helm, and the same low-set, vertical wheel. The space is protected by a low windscreen that wraps around the sides.

Entry to the lower level is via the saloon’s port-side staircase that wraps around under the pilothouse. Wonderful panelling and leather-look wraps on the handrails add to the occasion.

The highlight of the Ocean Alexander 70e’s accommodation – and one of the benefits of the compact Volvo Penta pod system – is its aft-located master stateroom.

Running the full beam of the boat, it features large windows with portholes on both sides and an island double bed, slightly offset to starboard to give room for a lounge seat with makeup station to port.

There’s ample wardrobe space, and the drawers built into the bureau are back-lit – an Ocean Alexander signature.

French doors on the forward side of the cabin open to an optional full-size combination washer-dryer. A flat-screen TV hangs off the bulkhead.

The master stateroom has its own ensuite complete with full standing headroom shower, white marble-look benchtops and a glass bowl sink.

Heading forward, a pair of bunks are to port, and a spacious twin room is to starboard opposite the stairwell. Forward of this is the day head and shared bathroom, with a door providing ensuite access to the starboard room.

The forward stateroom offers a double bed, ample cupboard space and an ensuite with shower. It’s compact, but comfortable.

Throughout, the Ocean Alexander 70e’s accommodation space uses diffused light to illuminate the cabins, and airconditioning ducts are hidden out of sight.

A crew cabin with a wet head is accessed via the swim platform. Owner-operators will likely use this space for storage, while the shower will benefit swimmers stepping back aboard after a dip.

The roomy aft cockpit offering an almost 180-degree view looks out onto a large hydraulic swim deck accessed by steps built into either side of the transom, and closed off via a pair of low stainless steel-framed glass doors.

The only interruption to the line of sight is the portside stairway to the flybridge.

Like the swim deck, the Ocean Alexander 70e’s cockpit is floored in teak. The large flybridge overhead protects this space from sun and rain.

The cockpit is ideal for alfresco dining. A large lounge faces forward from the transom, with a large teak-inlaid table in front of it. Add some chairs and there’s enough space to entertain up to eight people in comfort.

Our test boat includes a sun lounge with reclining backrests up front. Tilt it up on its hydraulic struts, and there’s a huge storage space beneath it.

Behind the sun lounge is a table and comfortable seating for about four people, ideal for taking in a sunset. You can option to shade this area with a shade cloth supported by carbon-fibre poles.

Access to the front is via a stepped walkway with low bulwarks lined with the signature oval handrail that runs right from the rear of the Ocean Alexander 70e to meet at the front. The starboard bulwark has an access door built in just forward of the cockpit.

Being a semi-displacement hull means at low speeds the Ocean Alexander 70e is moving a lot of water to make way. However, bump up the speed to around 12-15 knots and the boat comes alive.

Rising up onto the plane uses the flattened rear section of the boat’s hull to maximum effect. The Volvo Penta system includes the engine maker’s Interceptor electronic control system that automatically trims the Ocean Alexander 70e to run at its best, so as speeds rise the nose trims down, helping forward visibility.

The saloon’s deep windows and glass cockpit bulkhead provide excellent all-around visibility.

The twin throttles of the fly-by-wire engine controls are easy to use, although with such a limited rev range they only need minute movements to adjust the Ocean Alexander 70e’s pace.

That said, and despite the lack of revs – you only have about 1800rpm between idle and wide open throttle – the big cruiser is very responsive. Tip it into a corner and the Ocean Alexander 70e will lean on its chines and carve out a gentle curve with little fuss.

Ease of use was the same at low speed. Nudging up close to the beach on the Gold Coast Seaway for some photos in about 2.0 metres of water, switching over to the joystick controller made manouvering the Ocean Alexander 70e into position very easy.

Performance*

* Both engines

There are motor yachts built for show, and motor yachts built for practicality. Somehow the Ocean Alexander 70e seems to get the mix of both of these elements just right, and wrapped in an all-inclusive package priced to bloody the nose of some rivals – the flybridge alone would be a $100,000 option on some rivals.

The “e” in the Ocean Alexander 70e’s name shows the brand is prepared to take the next step in its journey. You could quite happily do the same.

Model: Ocean Alexander 70e
Length overall: 21.8m
Hull length: 18.19m
Beam: 5.49m
Draft: 1.47-1.55m
Weight: 35,380kg (est, dry)
Engines: Dual Volvo Penta D3 IPS1200 588kW/900hp
Fuel capacity: 3936L, diesel
Generator: 2x Kohler 23KW
Water capacity: 1136L
Holding tank: 440L
Accommodation: 8

Priced from: $5,500,000 including stainless steel handrails and stanchions; rub rail with stainless steel insert; removable swimming ladder; teak-decked fibreglass swim platform; composite hardtop over flybridge; Kohler 23kW genset; electric windlass with 40kg anchor and 30m of chain, chain counter; navigation package including Garmin 8600 Series with four screens (2x lower helm, 2x upper helm); Garmin 12KW open array radar; Garmin autopilot; Garmin VHF radios at both helms; Garmin AIS, Garmin sonar module with transducer; Garmin marine cameras in engine room (2) and aft deck (1); AGM batteries; Octoplex electrical control system; Fisher Paykal fridge/freezer; Jenn-Air microwave, convection oven and induction cooktop; Bosch dishwasher; flybridge wet bar with fridge and ice maker.

Price as tested: $5,980,000

Supplied by: Alexander Marine Australia