I noted the Ocean Alexander 32L’s gentle, sweeping curve from bow to stern. The look reminded me of what I’d seen in the pages of Yachting during my youth, when designers such as Phil Rhodes, Sparkman & Stephens, Bill Garden, Alden, and others drew gently curving classic sheers. Ocean Alexander’s new 105-footer continues the tradition.
The L in 32L stands for “legend,” which is apropos because this yacht is a tribute to the builder’s more than 40 years of yachtbuilding experience. That experience comes through in the details. For example, opening the nearly 6-foot-wide sliding doors on each side of the salon creates a pleasant cross breeze at the dining table, which also offers sole-to-ceiling vistas. Cut-down bulwarks open the view from the salon as well. The feeling is open and airy in the salon, from the sliding doors to the aft deck to the forward bulkhead, with help from nearly 7-foot headroom.
The galley is just forward of the salon, with double-door Sub-Zeros, a full-height wine chiller and wraparound marble counters. There’s also a side-deck door for crew access, to eliminate passing through guest areas during service.
Far forward, past a day head, is the main-deck master stateroom, with sweeping panoramas on three sides. The mullions are small, leaving room for the big views.
Four guest staterooms are off the central foyer belowdecks, each with windows and opening ports for air and vistas. Each stateroom is en suite with stall showers and marble appointments.
The 32L I got aboard had an optional sky lounge, with the bridge deck divided between a fully enclosed forward entertaining area and an alfresco lounge aft. Besides having a twin-pedestal helm, the sky lounge creates a “second salon” with windows on all four sides. A wet bar, TV and day head share space with twin sofas and an easy chair that begs for a favorite read to be savored. Outside are a dining table and a bar with three fixed stools. Adding to the amenities are a grill and whirlpool spa.
The foredeck is also a getaway space for guests, with sun lounges and a table for enjoying sundowners. The aft deck has a raised dinette space that’s protected from the sun. With the twin tables, this is where I would enjoy most meals.
There is no “upstairs-downstairs” layout for the crew on the 32L. They have three cabins and a full mess with a galley. In addition to the usual door to the transom, the crew also has a safe entry from the cockpit while the yacht is underway.
Power on the 32L is a pair of 1,900 hp MAN V-12 diesels, and the engine room should be on every tour. With a pair of 40 kW Kohler gensets tucked in the corners, it is, quite simply, clean and organized. The engine room is gloss-finished for easy cleaning, all the systems are readily accessible, pipes and wiring are labeled, and service techs will have the necessary space.
The builder says that MANs typically push the 32L to a top speed of 23 knots, but running on an unruly and lumpy Gulf Stream, our speeds were closer to the cruise speed of 20 knots at 80 percent of rated revolutions per minute, which should mean these diesels have a long life span. Drop the speed back to 10 knots, and the 32L has transoceanic range of 3,496 nautical miles.
The weather was challenging when I was aboard, but the 32L was seakindly, shouldering away seas with a comfortable motion in all directions. By all directions, I mean not just into swells or down-sea (which most yachts can handle) but also beam-to. The yacht’s standard Side-Power Vector Fin stabilizers helped, but a large part of the comfort, I suspect, was due to the builder keeping the weight low with high-density closed-cell structural foam, which also reduces sound levels. Fiberglass-infusion lamination with carbon fiber is used in high-stress areas. The Side-Power setup also provides zero-speed stabilization at anchor. Ocean Alexander finishes all the exterior surfaces with Alexseal paint for longer gloss retention and easier maintenance.
While it was the 32L’s lovely sheerline that captured me at first, the solid build and outfitting helped me fully understand why the boat is part of the Legend line.
Take the next step: oceanalexander.com
