Ocean Alexander‘s 58 Pilothouse was born for owner-operators. Her ease of use starts in her namesake, the pilothouse.
“Its has all the attributes of a centerline helm,” says Ray Prokorym, vice president of Alexander Marine USA. “Couples and families were very comfortable running it.”
Unobstructed views run from the Stidd helm chair forward, to port and to starboard via large windows and a logical, clean layout. Teak joinery and cherry burl panels add a sense of style. A camera provides aft views (and for docking, there’s a full set of controls in the cockpit). Hydraulic bow and stern thrusters are standard.
The pilothouse is also the social gathering spot, and Ocean Alexander smartly incorporated the gallery here, just abaft the helm and three steps up form the salon. The entire area is further separated via the galley’s bulkhead. Most owner-operators spend the majority of their time here while underway. Portside seating for six at an L-shaped settee shares the area’s 180-degree views, with direct access to the skipper and galley.
For line handling, pantographic doors both port and starboard lead to wide side decks with waist-high bow rails. When weather allows, the flybridge is ready for the skipper and guests.
Access to the flybridge is from the pilothouse via a slick set of floating teak steps mounted on a steel beam. The usual suspects are up top – barbecue, wet bar, ice maker and refrigerator – with a set of Stidd helm chairs and a handsome C-shaped seating area for six abaft the helm. The fiberglass hardtop is standard, and there’s room aft for a tender.
Back on the main deck the shipyard’s high level of woodworking craftsmanship is evident in the salon. Joinery is book-matched, high-gloss Burmese teak. The salon serves as both a space for entertaining and, if needed, a private area for movie night, cocktail hour or extra sleeping quarters.
The full-beam amidships master stateroom has an en suite head. The forepeak VIP forward and a third stateroom abaft the VIP with two berths are great for the kids and guests.
Ocean Alexander builds yachts to be quiet underway. Prokorym says that superior engine-room soundproofing is paramount. Hush boxes on the generators help, and encapsulated engine mounts reduce noise and vibration from the standard 705 hp Caterpillar C12 engines. Routing cooling water and exhaust from the gensets and engines underwater helps too.
Ed Monk Jr.’s design also earns the 58 a seakindly reputation. Sharp entry is key to her performance characteristics. Twin prop tunnels protect the running gear, and a shallow keel provides stability and more protection against running aground. She can cruise all day at 10 knots and hit a 20-knot top hop.
About 50 of them were built from 2002 to 2010 at an average cost of $1.6 million. I found just three currently available for brokerage, from $999,000 to $1.29 million. The limited turnover speaks to the fact that the 58 Pilothouse is a yacht that owners love to run.
