New Boat: Ocean Alexander 37L

Ocean Alexander 37L Motor Yacht

The builder’s new flagship continues the design trend toward yachts with fresh, contemporary styling paired with oceangoing capabilities.

Family-run shipyard Ocean Alexander has been busy. In addition to delivering eight yachts in the second quarter of 2021, the Taiwanese builder launched three new models at the Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show in October, including its latest flagship, the five-stateroom 37L (for Legend) Motor Yacht. The 37L measures in at just under 118 feet in length, until its transom door is folded open, revealing a beach club and extending the LOA to 120 feet, 5 inches.

Like the builder’s other two FLIBS debuts, the Ocean Alexander 30R and 35R (for Revolution), the 37L was created in collaboration with British yacht designer Evan K. Marshall. The shipyard took Marshall on as a design partner nearly a decade ago, and he has helped give Ocean Alexander’s formerly traditional-looking yacht series a fresh, contemporary flair ever since.

I ran into Marshall at the boat show as I toured the new 37L, which replaces and updates the 36L, enhancing the older model’s layout, ergonomics and interior design.

“We wanted to explore how to elevate our interiors,” Marshall said. For example, the built-in seating has been replaced by residential-style pieces that were custom-made by famous furniture maker Poltrona Frau in Italy. The goal was to “make it that much more like a house on the water,” Marshall said.

Ocean Alexander 37L Motor Yacht

Have a closer look in the gallery below:

One of the biggest changes on this iteration of the yacht is the reconfigured main-deck master suite, which is now all on one level, with the head located aft of the sleeping area instead of forward and on the lower deck so you no longer need to descend a flight of stairs to get to the head, which can be daunting for some owners, particularly in dim light.

Rearranging the master required sacrificing a bit of space in the head, although Marshall used pocket doors to maximize the space as much as possible. As a trade-off, however, the new layout opened up space on the lower deck for laundry and refrigerated storage forward of the guest accommodations, connected by a “disappearing door.” This is not only more convenient for the crew, but also makes the 37L more charter-friendly. In addition, the master now has a larger, horseshoe-shaped expanse of windows forward, providing the stateroom with 270-degree views.

Owners who prefer the older, split plan for the master suite can still order it, but I’m betting that after seeing the new layout, no one will.

In fact, the glazing has been expanded significantly throughout the entire yacht, letting in more light and giving owners and guests a better vantage point from which to enjoy the sea around them. The lower deck now has much bigger hull windows in the guest accommodations. On the main deck, the windows in the salon and dining area have been enlarged and are now frameless. The skylounge, located behind the pilothouse on the bridge deck, offers sweeping views to either side.

The connection with the water is further enhanced by the 37L’s many on-deck gathering places, including the open flybridge with Jacuzzi, huge aft-bridge deck with bar and dining area, foredeck lounge with facing settees, and aft-deck with large split dining table. Special exterior features include a fold-down bulwark balcony off the main-deck dining salon, and the transom beach club, which is equipped with a wet bar, fridge and icemaker, along with dedicated air conditioning.

A unique new feature of the 37L is the door that opens from the galley onto the port side deck. Seamlessly integrated into the galley’s interior design, it allows crew members to serve guests on the foredeck and aft deck without having to transit the salon.

The crew quarters, located on the lower deck aft, are generous for a yacht of this size, incorporating two bunk rooms that share a head and a private en-suite captain’s cabin. This allows the yacht to run with five (or possibly six) crew, further facilitating charter operations.

While the 37L’s interior design may emulate a house on the water, take one step into its engine room and there is no doubt this is an oceangoing yacht. There is excellent access to the main engines, 2,600-hp MTUs on hull number one (1,600-hp MANs are standard). With a fuel capacity of 5,500 gallons, the yacht’s range at 10 knots is 746 nautical miles. An Atlas Marine shore power converter system further enhances its “go-anywhere” capability.

Currently, America is the primary market for Ocean Alexander yachts. But with Marshall and his European-influenced design on board, I wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes a global brand.