An extensive and highly technical refit has equipped an already ingenious motor yacht with an array of practical and personalised additions to make it the perfect coastal cruiser.
Hailed as a rebel from the time it first launched at the Miami Boat Show in 2019, the Ocean Alexander Divergence 45 was always intended as an exception from the norm – a versatile, convertible motor yacht with fold-out gunwales and loads of features that make it the ideal platform for long days, or weekends on the water.
Before
After
But the new owner of the prosaically named VULCAN wanted more.
The seasoned, Gold Coast-based owner was looking for something “out of the box” that would spin heads, rather than simply turn them, as well as a range of enhancements that would better equip it for the sunny Queensland climate and their passion for watersports of all kinds.
Greg Ebsworth, Operations Manager at Ocean Degree Yacht Services at The Boat Works, says their in-house team’s initial brief for this extensive refit was just to extend the width of the hardtop to provide more sun protection over the side decks.
“Then the project developed into a proper hardtop extension to replace the retractable canvas bimini, and several new features sprang from there.”
The owner was very involved in the project from the outset, visiting The Boat Works refit sheds twice a week and contributing his ideas at every stage. Detailed CAD renders ensured the client was kept abreast of each modification.
The skilled designers at Ocean Degree scanned the original roof and then designed the extension to be as aerodynamic and sympathetic as possible with the vessel’s sharp profile.
In addition to the new fibreglass hardtop, three new fibreglass bracing struts were added on each side to support it, designed to match existing pillars, with a muscular shape to add to its already arresting presence.
To accommodate the tall owners, the wider hardtop was custom molded with symmetrical cut-out sections for ease of access along the side decks, which feature a step up at that point.
Large speaker pods were embedded in the structure to make sure the soundtrack suits the occasion!
Crucial to the design is the ability to stow watertoys on the top. Accessed via the windscreen, the new hardtop is strong enough for people to climb up and grab their gear, with a non-skid coating for safety.
The new hardtop is 60 percent bigger than the previous T-top and creates a cooler, more private mid-section of the boat, shading the galley and seating area.
Other jobs include custom deck heads, new lighting, a final finish of a gloss perimeter with metallic stripe on the roof sides. VULCAN also has Esthec on the decks which Ocean Degree fitted a few years ago. Esthec decking is a non-PVC-based, environmentally friendly composite floor treatment and is a popular alternative to teak. Ocean Degree has been a distributor for Esthec for over 10 years and recommends it for its low maintenance, UV-resistance and resilience against warping, splintering and cracking.
The project involved three shipwrights, CAD specialists and Greg who managed the coordination – just part of The Ocean Degree team which has grown from a duo in the form of Directors Levi Duncan and Josh Duke-Yonge to 25 staff in total, now with 15 years’ experience project managing complex refits for all kinds of vessels.
As a “one-stop-shop” within The Boat Works facility, Ocean Degree provides owners with an itemised scope of works and peace of mind that each task will be executed with top calibre craftsmanship.
As VULCAN re-emerges from her duration in the refit shed, to return to the possession of her proud owners, she is every bit as awe-inspiring as her name implies.
“It’s better than it came out of the factory!” says Greg. “More user-friendly and with a fantastic profile.”
Back on the water and now utterly unique, VULCAN will no doubt deliver her owners many years of delight, rain, hail or shine, and envious looks wherever they roam.
