Summer Travels on the Head-Turning OKEAN 50 Flybridge Motor Yacht
On the second day of the 2017 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, a curiously-stunning looking motor yacht at HMY’s impressive display at the Bahia Mar docks stopped an attendee in his tracks. He backed up, walked by again, went on board and said, “Wow! Tell me about this boat.” HMY broker Arthur Grin toured him around and he was sold—he agreed to buy the boat right there on the spot.
Such have been the overwhelmingly positive reactions of customers and media alike since HMY debuted the OKEAN Yachts 50 Flybridge Motor Yacht at FLIBS. Some may see this as a fancy trawler, but make no mistake, it’s a motor yacht through and through and recent performance tests from Yachting magazine, PMY magazine, and PassageMaker magazine prove its sea-going prowess and long-distance capabilities.
Yachting states, “With twin 435 hp Volvo Penta IPS600s, the 50 can top out at 25 knots with the hammer down and cruise at around 20 knots as her engines burn 33 gph. This results in a range of 230 nautical miles with a 10 percent reserve. However, when you throttle her down to 1,000 rpm, she can cruise at 6 knots while sipping just 1.6 gph and achieve a range of 1,425 nautical miles, making her an excellent candidate for the Great Loop or some island hopping.”
The performance is complimented with several creative, awe-inspiring features that are built to entertain and create a peaceful connection with the sea. Two of the most striking are the expandable hull balconies—push a button, double your exterior deck space with a 360-degree salon view. There are few barriers to enjoy the tranquil surroundings, creating an immersive, relational experience with the ocean.
INTERNATIONAL FLAIR
This incredibly unique and powerful motor yacht is the result of an equally unique international collaboration. Brazilian builder Nercio Fernandes and Italian yacht designer Paolo Ferragni partnered on this new series, and they approached HMY about taking it on as distributor.
HMY is constantly approached about taking on new OEMs. But this was different. They know Fernandes and his love for motor yachts (he bought a 60’ Princess from them) and he came to them with a fresh, versatile concept (and a famed designer).
Arthur Grin, who’s been involved on new builds with Ocean Alexander and other builders, flew to Brazil to meet the OKEAN team and get first-hand experience with the vessel. He slept and showered on the boat and did an overnight trip to a private island. One of his initial impressions was his surprise at “how quiet the boat was with sound decibels.” He told HMY National Sales Director Tim Derrico he was all in. Soon after, Tim and Arthur flew to Brazil together. Tim immediately loved it and HMY became OKEAN’s Exclusive dealer.
One area to iron out was ensuring customers would have access to HMY’s high-level of customer service. Because the boat is built in Brazil, some people were skeptical. HMY pushed to have American parts on the boat, resulting in 99% of all systems on the boat being American.
After officially joining the collaboration, HMY played an integral part in the launch of the brand as the exclusive distributor in North America, the Caribbean, and Latin America.
Arthur, now the OKEAN Product Manager for HMY, says the “craftsmanship is at a very high level. It’s not all modular, not glued together, not IKEA furniture. Everything under the skin is also top notch—sound insulation, electronics, etc.”
He also notes she’s perfect for families or large groups and is bigger than people think. “With three staterooms, a full beam master, and stand up showers, even a tall guy like me can stand up. The 50 sleeps seven standard and has the interior volume of a 60-footer.”
MORE COMING
The immediate demand for the OKEAN 50 resulted in the first four hulls already being sold. The fifth OKEAN 50 will be ready for FLIBS 2018.
The OKEAN 55 Express will launch at FLIBS later this year, and more sizes are also in the works, including the 66 motor yacht and 80 motor yacht. The first 80 is already spoken for.
International partnership has resulted in global interest. Arthur is getting inquiries from around the world—Ecuador, San Francisco, Miami, Mexico, Panama, Hawaii—and it’s sure to be a battle to land these beauties. While they are kicking up production, (next year we’ll see eight 50s and eight 55s), they are keeping production numbers low to ensure consistent high quality.
Bottom line—if you’re interested in owning one of these trendsetters, call Arthur Grin (Palm Beach) at 561-758-2799, Joel De Los Reyes (Miami) at 954-303-9764, or George Ivey (Jacksonville) at 904-476-7831 at sooner rather than later. Or risk missing out on a head-turner.
