We believe that quality is ultimately verified by warranty and also the repeat rate of existing Ocean Alexander owners buying another Ocean Alexander boat. Sailing/Cruising Pictures From Our Readers. Heres the kicker: The SL262 doesnt ride on them. Entire Article. In the race boats, though, it can also cause herky-jerky movements. said that foam couldn't be used successfully;
Top 5 Problems Sailors Experience at Sea | Life of Sailing At least it shouldnt be. And (Ocean Alexander) was building bigger and bigger boats so the problems cost a lot more. The displacement, then, refers to how much of the boat is below the surface of the water and how much of the boat is above the surface. But its one thing to try saving money, and its quite another to just say no (to repair claims). Perhaps you live in or are planning to vacation in an area that generally has calm waters. Which
of Marine Surveyors in 1972, he has conducted over
Firstly, the monohull design will help the yacht to cut through breaking waves perpendicularly. In rough seas, it is often more difficult to see ahead long distances. Right from the get-go, we knew there were some inherent problems with these boats. Case Study: Regals FasTrac Hull a lot of new ideas and materials come and go over
Affordable Cruising Sailboats In Yachting World May 2023 we bring you everything you need to know about crossing the Pacific Ocean, a spectacular but often daunting experience and give you a, Best family yacht: our pick of the best yachts for sailing with the family, 2020 Vende Globe preview: Pip Hare and Paul Larsens guide to the fleet, Spirit 111: This sailing art gallery is one of the most sensational yachts ever built, Video: See inside 9 of the most amazing modern sailing superyachts, Lagoon 46 first look: Updating this catamaran is a significant step for the yard, Excess 15 first look: This vibrant catamaran can sail in the lightest of winds. The displacement of the monohull is a contributing factor that has much to do with the physics and the boats capacity to withstand the force from rushing waters.
Finally, the power is a natural safety feature equipped on the boat. Ocean Alexander just tried to make the boats too light, and so they dont hold up. Ray and Balsa Core Bottoms. Youll see a lot of that on these pages. The world of hull design is a hive of buzz phrases.
YachtWorld "Core Complaints". On November 23rd, 2018, David Pascoe has passed away The craft has proved to be a mega-sized headache for Parker, who has filed a million-dollar-plus lawsuit against Alexander Marine and its several Ocean Alexander subsidiaries. Article, Warning:
Articles, Images: Copyright
Stability thats sure. Web site design & developement: Copyright 1997 - 2023 Junko A. Pascoe All rights reserved. Several of these factors are as follows: Yachts are designed as monohulls which means that they have a singular-pointed structure jetting from the bottom of the boat and protruding into the water. And I cant tell you why. It handles more like a sports car with all four wheels firmly on the pavement. back to the 1930's when, so far as I know, the
The running surface is stepped to create two sections of hull on the water at plane, one forward and one aft of the notch. The downside: Core rot near the partners on this boat could lead to a dismasting and costly hull damage. Theyre out of the water when the boats on plane. Then you can start diagnosing the problem. While the style of the boat may change its size, both a motor and sail yacht are known to be able to withstand rough seas. I had never heard a rub rail creaking that bad whenever the boat touched the wooden piling. ATC
ten feet where the outer skin came off the core. 1) Broken Masts A broken mast is a worst-case-scenario for many sailors and represents one of the most catastrophic failures that can occur aboard a sailboat. Then you can start diagnosing the problem. A more fuel-efficient cruise is at 2500 rpm and 18 knots. This has less to do with faster top speeds and more to do with the ability to jump onto plane quicker and stay on plane at slower speeds. This can have a negative impact on maintaining a straight course as the hull shape change in the water causes the boat to want to 'roll steer' or in other words develop a tendency to change course solely because of the heeled shape of the hull in the water independent of all other factors which may otherwise cause a boat to alter course as it heels. There are several factors that determine if a yacht can survive rough seas. The purpose is to keep the boat from banking in turns. Being able to navigate in rough waters will obviously play a critical role in your boats (and thus passengers) survival. Big boats, big problems, small boats, small problems. When With 510 gallons of onboard fuel, theres an approximate 1,000-mile range at six knots and 600 nautical miles at nine knots. Its almost like the boat has lost 500 pounds.. In this case, theres a question as to whether this is a design or a construction defect. This should be a standard inclusion on any boat, but its appearance on a yacht will help the captain to survive the more dangerous paths or waters. A pad is flatter than the rest of the running surface, by the way, but not often actually flat. SeaVees stepped-hull boats provide sure handling in a variety of sea conditions. With the stepped hull, what you have is almost a natural trim tab. Weve tested it, and the hull lives up to the hype. On Sale February 28th Whether you are planning your next vacation or are looking for your next boating purchase, you may be asking yourself if a yacht is the right choice for you.
There are several factors at play when you try to determine whether it's a good or bad thing in a particular case. No. The Ocean 38 Ocean, because it is a center-cockpit design, presents a different look. Boat manufacturers have the same quality control problems that any manufacturer has, said former Ocean Alexander dealer Jim McLaren, who sold Parker all five of his yachts. Entire Article, Chapter
fires, sinkings, hull failures and machinery failure
If its too flat and you bust a wave, says Mason, youre going to transmit that energy into the boat and into you. The boatbuilder doesnt want the former. Quality control just got out of hand. David Pascoe is the
You can ask your dealer what spares they recommend you carry, but if I had to name two it would be the pawls and the pawl springs. I have heard the same thing from several people, the aftercoolers were leaking into the cylinders.
Problems fact, during one of the hurricanes, I was out there
One of the typical problems is the fact that the resin under the dark color will shrink more due to the much higher temperature which will eventually result in the roving pattern being visible. Its been imitated, which is without a doubt the sincerest form of flattery in boatbuilding. Entire Article, The
The hull, in this case, displaces the main deck of the boat from the water and allows the yacht to float. It feels most like what a downhill skier feels when crossing a small bare patch of mountain: you dont stop completely, but you slow abruptly for less than a second before hurtling on. with a video camera filming what was going on at
debate over the use of balsa cores in boat bottoms
Just make sure you have the right one on board. However, most yachts will be able to manage through heavy storms and crashing waves. An American yacht builder who has worked on the brand for years asked to remain unidentified but offered this opinion: Would I buy an Ocean Alexander? Stingray president Al Fink once said his goal was to make a boat as fast as it can be, but safe and easy enough for your grandmother to drive.. During my trial of the 390-Z I can say that I did not experience this hesitation. Replacing it is not that difficult. I have looked at a lot of different boats and I too am having a hard time justifing the higher prices of the Vikings and so on. Weve found that in this case, and in the others above it, the fancy name gets real results. Most runabouts have chines (those big lips deep in the hull upon which the boat lifts) just not so big. Are
the port side and bottom along a length of about
in his family who began his surveying career at age
The semi-displacement hull pops on plane at 16 knots with the top end is around 26 knots. Parkers issues with the boats design and construction started with below-the-waterline leaks from the hull and keel, and the degrading of its lamination, and have And when that happens, what are your options? I view our customer relationships as being vital to the long-term survival of a company. A forum community dedicated to Sailing enthusiasts. Ellyptical tansoms are generally thought to have come into being strictly for pragmatic reasons. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. To McLaren, good service was a given with independent dealers, who are more likely to provide relief to a customer having problems with a boat. Thats probably why its most popular in cold-water regions like Maine, the Great Lakes and Seattle, where comfort not only trumps fashion but sometimes becomes fashionable. With rough seas comes strong winds, so there will definitely be enough power to use the sails effectively so long as the captain knows how to do so. The idea behind the design is for the owner to spend more time on the water and less time on upkeep. Thirdly, the rudder of the yacht will play a pivotal role in helping to navigate the boat through the rough seas. "Mid Size Power Boats" by David Pascoe, Marine Surveyor. This is a common problems on many boats but perhaps a little more on Oceans due to the flexing of the hull ( lighter construction and fast speed) but is fairly Now (Ocean Alexander) is passing on big-dollar items, finding ways to not take care of them. bottoms, pointing out the potential for some very
The sharper the corner, the harder the chine and the stronger the bite in turns. SeaVee boats have long been heralded for their great-running conventional deep-V hulls. reasonable and prudent inspection. Entire
So one epoxy hull (not the 7 year old early model c&c121 with the known gelcoat problem) in say 500-600 hulls develops a structural crack, the company fixes it to the owners satisfaction, and the only banter out there is about overtight rigs, a lifting strap too far forward, layup issue, deck tie down strap too loose, amine blush, supervisor at Less wetted surface means faster top speed. But just as bell bottoms came back around, so also, to an extent, is the square transom. An appearance that is powerful. I mean, its not going to sink, but Let me say, had it been better built, that would never happen., Farley said he thinks when Ocean Alexander started getting into building the bigger boats, (70-100 feet) the problems we had been having with our boat just became bigger and more severe with the new boats. Secondly, the power source of the boat will assist the captain in helping to navigate the boat. and Hull Construction (Mid Size Power Boats), Chapter
ODAY 37 Its rare that you would have such a cross between consumer law, maritime law and international law, said Parker attorney Theodore Adkinson, a specialist in marine law. The Hallberg-Rassy 46 Lykke with a jury rig. Case Study: SeaVee Z Series Bertram, since we can get a good idea of what happened
Depending on the shape of the hull, some boats actually move lower into the water and are said to roll down. serious problems. Then repairs dont hold, because the design is wrong. Parker said the manufacturer did not build Jelly Bean II to the specifications he requested. You dont want the latter. Its like a permanent trim tab. The next big milestones showed up on hull no. "Scientists are people who build the Brooklyn Bridge and then buy it.". The younger Chueh took the companys reins, and, according to Parker and others interviewed for this article, customer satisfaction diminished.
The Fleming 55 If a yacht has a shallow displacement, then the hull does not sit very deep in the water. I was a very bad student, but if I can learn a skill thats going to help me make the boat go faster, then I think its crazy not to learn it, she explains. I out-produced the bigger markets in Florida and Seattle every year. They can be taken care of quickly and easily. In a recent email to this reporter, he wrote, Ocean Alexander does not take shortcuts in its construction.. Entire Article, A little understood term results in boat
Chueh insists that our motto is to build each yacht better than the one before.. Web site: Maintained by Junko A. Pascoe, Focuses exclusively cruiser class generally 30-55 feet. Hello, my name is Julio, i am from Mexico and i would like to buy a fising yacth between 42 or 48 feet, we have rough seas where i live and have to run around 25 milles before we start fishing, i know hatteras and viking are one of the best yachts for fishing, but what do you think about ocean yachts??. Checks & preparation before leaving for the Arctic He was featured with the Jelly Bean II in the summer 2006 issue of International Yachtsman, and was quoted praising the manufacturer: Besides the quality, its that extra mile that brings me back time after time to Ocean Alexander. Safety features are pretty apparent as necessary for a yachts survival in rough seas. This is an area of hull dynamics that is rarely discussed, but dependent on the shape of the topsides, as a boat heels the vertical center of gravity moves both vertically and horizontally relative to the center of buoyancy at any given heel angle. Entire Article, It
many of my previous articles I raised some warning
And complicating the problem is the evident, almost cultural, lack of interest on the part of many Chinese manufacturers to stand behind their products. The result is less unwanted grab and ventilation in turns. Riviera's are ok. I wasn't aware of much damage having occurred. But what they really mean could be a telltale sign of which used boat to buy, or not to buy. pioneers of fiberglass boat building, Bertram,
Its about stability, handling and feel in rough water, how your boat corners and holds in tight turns. And those were not forthcoming, he alleges. In addition a narrower hull is more easily depressed and prone to tripping in heavy seas. The majority of our warranty is approved either on the spot, or within 24 hours. Less wetted surface means faster top speed. As long as we kept moving it handled very well. It all comes down to how the specific boat is modeled. My boat was just poorly constructed. Hull Construction of a 1995 48SS - Solid or Cored? But more importantly, the flat keel section provides more lift, easing the transition onto plane. Nor he said, could a number of naval architects and structural engineers who inspected it., McLaren is convinced that the problem lies both in design and manufacturing methods: They take shortcuts as they design. One of the reasons I was the biggest dealer in the world was that I dictated exactly what I wanted, and they built it exactly the way I wanted. The first and only book of its kind on the subject of investigating pleasure craft casualties and other issues. All three of those had problems. Sikaflex is great for so many things on a boat, for plugging a leak, for sticking things back together and even for patching up sails, although your sailmaker might not thank you for it when you get ashore! There were two minor hurricanes and one tropical
October, 2002, Powerboat Reports ran a piece entitled
Since boating measures bowrise as part of our certified boat tests, I can say that the SeaVee 390-Z does not exhibit excessive inclination (bowrise); the most I measured was 3-degrees. People are generally on a flybridge or inside the boat, not walking around obstacle course side decks or bouncing along at 20+ knots with low handrails. Case Study: Ebbtide Z-Trak Hull During the transition, the boat suddenly and unexpectedly failed to respond to Jim DeMesas reasonable and prudent use of the controls, according to the lawsuit.
Can Yachts Survive Hurricanes & Rough Weather? (Explained) I would not even consider a Luhrs. But those exaggerated sponsons on the outside of the running surface are called split chines. W.W.II, production fiberglass boat building probably
Finally, if the yacht has sails, these can be used to catch the rough elements of the wind to help the captain navigate the boat out of the storm. McLaren, Ocean Alexanders most productive salesman for 25 years, sat in his office overlooking Newport Harbor recently recalling those earlier days. Core-Cell: A Foaming Solution? misunderstood, for it is not the same thing as with
And he was the best customer Ocean Alexander has ever had, according to the man who sold all five. Pleasure crafts investigations to court testimony. will not be going away anytime soon. There are many different styles and models of Sea Ray Yachts on the market today. With weight and strength acting in my favour I have had no problems from ice damage. failure involved an area of laminate failure on
I am currently running a 54' and in the process of helping someone buy a 50' which I was very impressed with . to be an editorial, when in fact the piece ran
Surely, youve wondered: Why the hull do boat makers do that? In 2002, he bought the first Jelly Bean, an 86-foot craft named in memory of his wife, Arlene. Ocean Alexanders owner, Johnny Chueh, just flat refused to honor the warranty, said Parker. DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION AVAILABLE NOW! ). I never did understand how Ocean Alexander got such great praise for their boats, he said. Liz Wardley, by her own admission, hated school. Stepped Hull A hull with a trough that runs from the outer chine all the way to the keel, creating separate forward and aft surfaces. You actually put the stern-drive into a pocket. If the yacht is a sailing yacht, then the captain will efficiently use the sails to catch the wind appropriately and guide the ship. We have letters from maritime engineers and others, including Ed Monk (a prominent yacht designer with professional historical links to OA), stating just what was wrong with Jellybean II, and exactly what were the departures from the design plan.. The other effect is to bow the hull sides inward or outward, the effect of bending along the horizontal plane. Yet another is twisting or torsional stress along the entire length of the hull. In actual operation under heavy conditions, the hull sides of most boats will deflect to greater or lesser degrees depending on how well it is designed. ATC
five pages and is a full-blown article, including
Older Ocean yachts had a lot of problems including many of the handling problems you have heard here. By abiding through the laws of physics, more dense boats with greater mass will be less affected by intrusive winds and waves. Yachts are designed as monohulls which means that they have a singular-pointed structure jetting from the bottom of the boat and