Ocean Yachts Unveils Makaira 64 — Semicustom Sportfishing Convertible

Ocean Yachts has introduced the Makaira 64, a semicustom sportfishing convertible the builder calls a “high-end semicustom sportfishing machine.” The model is aimed at anglers who want a large-boat experience in a more compact, highly capable package. The Makaira 64 blends refined offshore performance, strong composite construction and mature fishability features into a comfortable liveaboard layout.

Design Intent: Ride, Construction and Fishability

According to John Leek IV, general manager at Ocean Yachts, the program was developed to bring a higher level of custom detailing to customers who wanted the amenities and fishability of larger sportfishing yachts in a 64-foot platform. “We already build sportfishing boats, of course, but we wanted to really dive in and carry out the custom work that many of our big-boat customers wanted,” Leek says.

Naval architect Steve French of Applied Concepts Unleashed designed the hull with a narrow forefoot that evolves into a variable deadrise V-hull. French calls the hull form the Waveform design — a profile that combines convex and concave shaping to mimic a wave and optimize how the hull meets and departs the sea. The Waveform hull is intended to improve handling in a range of offshore conditions, smoothing runs through chop and large swells while reducing spray and improving control through quartering and following seas.

“This hull form is specifically tailored for handling large seas — meant to leave the inlet and run in chop, large swells, following seas, quartering seas — and do it in comfort,” French explains. “She’s designed to stick to the water, rolling off the seas at the chines to avoid spray.”

Construction and Engineering

Ocean Yachts builds the Makaira 64 using resin infusion construction, which sandwiches composite core material between fiberglass skins for strength and controlled weight. Leek highlights that the team prioritized both stiffness and weight savings, achieving significant mass reduction by coring the bottom and using an engineered sandwich layup to deliver a strong but lightweight hull and deck structure.

Accommodations and Layout

The Makaira 64 is arranged as a four-stateroom, three-head convertible. The master stateroom is located amidships, and two guest staterooms are forward. A crew suite is provided with dedicated stair access, its own head and shower, onboard laundry and forward access to the engine room—important for long-range and serious fishing operations.

On the main deck the galley is to port facing a starboard settee, while a large dinette/ settee occupies the area just abaft the windshield, creating a social salon for owners and guests. The vessel’s helm options include the flybridge center helm and the tuna tower helm; a lower helm and additional custom modifications remain available to buyers who prefer alternate arrangements.

Performance and Range

Propulsion comes from twin Caterpillar C32A diesels rated at 1,920 horsepower each. With this powerplant the Makaira 64 reaches a top speed of about 42 knots and cruises in the low- to mid-30-knot range. Fuel capacity listed in specifications is 1,800 gallons; Ocean Yachts describes the boat as having nearly 2,000 gallons, underlining its suitability for long-range trips and offshore tournament runs. Water and waste tankage are sized to support extended cruises.

Key Specifications

LOA: 64 feet, 3 inches

Beam: 18 feet, 9 inches

Displacement: 85,000 pounds (dry)

Hull Type: Waveform variable deadrise

Draft: 5 feet, 2 inches

Speed: 42 knots top; cruise around 30–36 knots

Tankage: 1,800 gallons fuel; 250 gallons water; 75 gallons waste

Propulsion: Twin 1,920-hp Caterpillar C32A diesels

Price: Approximately $4.5 million fully equipped (includes tuna tower, electronics, teak cockpit and mezzanine, Release helm chairs and rocket launcher, interior upgrades and Sea Torque BOSS shaft)

Program Background and Availability

The Makaira program—named after Makaira, the genus that includes marlin—was initiated roughly eight years ago and resumed in earnest as market conditions improved. Leek describes the development as a long effort that required determination to bring the design to production, reflecting careful planning between the yard, designers and owners who guided the semicustom brief.

Contact

Ocean Yachts, Egg Harbor, New Jersey

Phone: (609) 965-4616

Website: www.oceanyachtsinc.com

March 2015 issue