Marking the debut of a new series, this tri-deck motoryacht is designed to connect the whole family to the water.
Ocean Alexander’s longtime collaboration with London-based yacht designer Evan K. Marshall has borne fruit once again in the form of the 88-foot, 6-inch 27 Explorer motoryacht. The “27 E,” which debuted at the 2020 Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show, is the first model in the builder’s new Explorer Series.
The new 27 E is a full tri-deck motoryacht that feels bigger than its nearly 89-foot LOA. Its hull is an extended version of the one designed for its sister model, the 26 R (Revolution), by Arribito Naval Architects in Italy. From there, however, the mission statements that OA and Marshall developed for two motoryacht series differ considerably.
To begin with, the design brief for the 27 E prioritizes facilitating the owners’ connection with the water. This yacht has a very different transom than the 26 R. The swim platform is huge and is capable of holding both a tender and a personal watercraft. The center of the platform is hydraulic, allowing you to lower guests into the water for a refreshing “dip” without their having to jump into the sea. The port aft bulwark holds a davit, but the starboard bulwark incorporates an electric door that folds down to expand the platform to 225 square feet when the boat is at rest. Launch the tender and toys, bring out lounge chairs and tables, and you’re all set for a day in the sun.
Marshall calls the new lifestyle-inspired transom layout a “beach veranda.” “People want to spend more and more time interacting with the sea when they’re on holiday,” he explains. “Being able to travel with more water toys or have a platform that really allows you to relax as if you were on a beach veranda is becoming more and more popular.”
OA and Marshall also took a different approach to designing the main deck interior for the Explorer Series. Where the 26 R and 28 R models have open-plan main decks designed for unimpeded traffic flow, the 27 E has a solid bulkhead separating the salon/dining area and the forward eat-in galley.
“It checks the box for American buyers who like the idea of the casual country kitchen feature, but it also checks the box for the European and South American buyers who want the main salon separated from the galley,” Marshall says. Further ensuring the guests’ privacy, crew members can exit the galley from a pantograph door leading to the walk-around side decks, rather than having to walk through the salon to get to their quarters.
The furnishings on the 27 E’s main deck are residential in style rather than built-in, so they won’t impede the views through the floor-to-ceiling salon windows. “Now, with the taller windows, what we’re trying to do is have furniture that is much more free, lighter, less bulky,” Marshall says.
Other highlights include the skylounge, which opens onto the aft flybridge deck, and the large foredeck lounge/dining area. The yacht also offers four staterooms, including a full-beam master with his-and-her heads and forward VIP with a queen berth positioned off centerline, allowing more space to move around the berth. There are also quarters for up to four crew.
Marshall and OA proved they had their finger on the pulse of current market trend when MarineMax sold hull number one of the 27 E on the first day of the show.
“The boat showed amazingly well and was well received by interested clients,” said Chuck Cashman, MarineMax chief revenue officer. “Modern design but not too edgy and great social spaces were the underlying strengths. Typical to OA, the boat also has great seakeeping ability.”
