Ocean Alexander's new 45 Divergence: A fast, creative high-end day yacht

Ocean Alexander's New 45 Divergence: A fast, creative high-end day yacht © Ocean Alexander

I knew the Ocean Alexander 45 Divergence was a different kind of boat, but I didn't realize how different it was until I stepped on board at the Miami Yacht Show. Many builders are now making large day boats, high-end sport boats and larger and larger center consoles, all with more and more powerful outboards.

The Divergence turns that market on its head. Ocean Alexander is a luxury yacht and megayacht builder with a lineup from 70 to 155 feet. It created the new Divergence line for people wanting a high-end, yacht-quality day boat.

"Yes, you can look at the helm and the walkaround space and say this is a big center console," said Sally Doleski, Ocean Alexander's VP of marketing. "But look again, and you see that it's really a day yacht."

Indeed, it is all of that. As Scott Akerman, my Cruising Odyssey colleague, and I walked through the boat, we kept remarking about the high level of quality everywhere. Ocean Alexander designed the Divergence for large yacht owners who wanted a smaller, second boat, something they could just climb on and go. "The owners of large yachts will all feel at home here," Doleski said. And if you don't have a large yacht, you'll appreciate the feeling of being on one, even if it's 45-feet long and powered by four Mercury 350-hp Mercury Verado outboards.

We stepped aboard via a balcony that drops down from the hull, adding more than four feet to the cockpit on each side. Each balcony, when it's up, also has a regular boarding gate; Ocean Alexander has a patent pending for all this. You also can board via the large teak swim platform around the outboards, with boarding gates on each side leading into the cockpit.

The cockpit has two plush settees, which each seat three people, facing each other, separated by a high-low table. Add two occasional chairs and there's dining for eight. Moving forward, the aft part of the helm console is an outdoor galley, with a two-burner Kenyon cooktop, an undercounter fridge and a sink. The standard lift-up lid here is fiberglass, but carbon-fiber is optional.

The helm itself has a row of three Llebroc bolster seats, facing an Edson ComfortGrip wheel. Visibility is excellent all around, as is the fit and finish throughout. Moving below, there's U-shaped seating forward in the cabin with a high-low table; this area can be converted into a queen berth at night. The head and shower are on the starboard side; a small galley with a microwave, fridge and sink are to port. The sense of space here is unusual, aided by a full 6' 8" of headroom.

Up top, the teak walkways on both sides are wide and lead to more seating on the foredeck; an awning can be erected here for protection from the sun, while a SureShade awning can be extended aft from the T-top over the helm and console.

The Divergence's hull is laid up with infused fiberglass and reinforced with carbon fiber on a structural grid. It comes with a choice of eight Alexseal colors. A Seakeeper 6 gyrostabilizer is optional, so is FLIR night vision. The company says the boat will top out in the mid 40-knot range. Base price is $920,000.

Specifications

LOA: 47'5"
Beam: 13'9"
Draft: 3'1"
Disp.: 28,900 lbs.
Fuel: 607 gals.
Water: 100 gals.
Power: 4×350-Mercury Verado outboards.

oceanalexander.com

This article has been provided by the courtesy of Cruising Odyssey.