No more Ocean Yachts

[saltshaker]

Viking is buying Ocean's facilities and property but not the brand. New Vikings will be built at the Ocean Facility. Viking is at capacity at the New Gretna Facility and plans to build some of the "smaller" Vikings at the Ocean plant.
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/...cle_e52429c2-97ae-11e5-89dd-ef2c97076c4d.html

 

[capttonyf]

I heard about this a few weeks ago. I was wondering how long it would take to get around. Also heard Viking is Building an 80MY to Compliment the 75MY. I was also told Viking is designing and possibly building a 37 Day Boat like the Ocean Yachts 37 in this new old facility. I guess we'll see.

It's sad to see Ocean Yachts out of business. Any of these companies boats that I remember as a kid scouring the docks while on vacation just hoping to catch a glimpse of one. As these manufactures die, it seems to stir many child hood memories. Just last summer I was walking around the docks in Cape May, and Wildwood NJ where there are more then a few old Oceans still hanging around and making me remember them as a kid all brand new, standing tall.

The Oceans always stood out to me with their sweeping sheer to that high bow and narrow beam. I remember in the mid to late 80's going out of Cape May on a Head Boat with my dad and passing a Brand New 63 Ocean Convertible. It was one of the prettiest boats I'd ever seen. Granted I was a kid and didn't know any better about hull design and fiberglass layup compared to any other boat, to me at the time a boat was a boat, and that 63 sure stood out as we passed by it on a beat up Head Boat.

I'm sad to see them go, best of luck to the family and maybe if we're lucky one day we'll them built again because that will hopefully mean the marine industry has recovered back to what it once was and that would be great for all of us.

Tony

 

[34Hatt]

I heard about this a few weeks ago. I was wondering how long it would take to get around.

Tony

Well I read it on Bertram 31 in the middle of Nov so I think it does't take to long to get around

 

[capttonyf]

Well I read it on Bertram 31 in the middle of Nov so I think it does't take to long to get around

That's right, good point. See it doesn't take long at all. I almost forgot I knew. Age sucks, huh?

Tony

 

[rsmith]

I heard about this a few weeks ago. I was wondering how long it would take to get around. Also heard Viking is Building an 80MY to Compliment the 75MY. I was also told Viking is designing and possibly building a 37 Day Boat like the Ocean Yachts 37 in this new old facility. I guess we'll see.

It's sad to see Ocean Yachts out of business. Any of these companies boats that I remember as a kid scouring the docks while on vacation just hoping to catch a glimpse of one. As these manufactures die, it seems to stir many child hood memories. Just last summer I was walking around the docks in Cape May, and Wildwood NJ where there are more then a few old Oceans still hanging around and making me remember them as a kid all brand new, standing tall.

The Oceans always stood out to me with their sweeping sheer to that high bow and narrow beam. I remember in the mid to late 80's going out of Cape May on a Head Boat with my dad and passing a Brand New 63 Ocean Convertible. It was one of the prettiest boats I'd ever seen. Granted I was a kid and didn't know any better about hull design and fiberglass layup compared to any other boat, to me at the time a boat was a boat, and that 63 sure stood out as we passed by it on a beat up Head Boat.

I'm sad to see them go, best of luck to the family and maybe if we're lucky one day we'll them built again because that will hopefully mean the marine industry has recovered back to what it once was and that would be great for all of us.

Tony

If it had a blue hull it was tricky Dick on the south jersey chump

 

[Cricket]

Viking is going to continue to build the Billfish 37 series after some retooling, ie raising the price considerably. John Leek IV will be the plant manager for Viking at his old facility. And yes, it's very sad to see them fold up. John has the Ocean molds for sale if anyone wants to go into the business......

 

[34Hatt]

That's right, good point. See it doesn't take long at all. I almost forgot I knew. Age sucks, huh?

Tony

I did forget that I knew

Yeah it Sucks !

 

[jim rosenthal]

The article mentions competition from overseas builders as a reason why they can't stay in the game, if I understand it right. But Viking is doing well enough to buy the Ocean property. I think the market for convertibles has contracted quite a bit. I don't think it's about overseas competition.

 

[Pascal]

I don't buy the foreign competition story. Ocean only built sportfish in the recent past and there is almost no overseas competition in that market, is there?

Riviera was one maybe but they re either out of business or out of the SF market

viking on the other hand is active is the motoryacht segment although I don't recall whether they actually build any or still have a deal with UK's princess and that's where th competion is

 

[Cricket]

Being pretty local to Ocean and Viking it's something that has been discussed for a while. The economy is what is, what the Leeks were unable to do is adapt to what the buyer's were looking for, decent quality (not great) at 20%-30% less than a Viking. Were they really went wrong was trying to stay up with Viking when they didn't have the ability instead of sticking with who they were building a better boat than they had at the same price point, problem was they had to use too much labor to build their boats because they didn't modernize their process.

 

[krush]

Could it have anything to do with their boats being junk?

 

[Boatsb]

Could it have anything to do with their boats being junk?

I just worked on a 50 SF. 2005. It was a pretty well built boat for the most part. A few things were hard to get to but overall build quality was not bad. I'm not a fan BUT they do OK on that one. As a mid priced boat they didn't have the quality of Hatteras or Viking. They also didnt have the price. That being said how far was Hatteras from closing?

 

[34Hatt]

Could it have anything to do with their boats being junk?

What do you have to back that up?
They were not Bayholes and had some good models?

 

[Pascal]

3 or 4 years ago, a late model ocean 60ish enclosed flybridge was In the next slip for the winter. Typical so florida narrow slip where no matter how you adjust the lines the boat rub rail will.. Well... Rub on a piling

Everytime the the ocean would touch the piling it would make th most awful creaking noise... The rub rail held up but the sound was just terrible and not confidence inspiring.

 

[rsmith]

You get what you pay for. I don't know how the later ones were but at one point in the 80's so many 55's had hulls crack that they were uninsurable. Almost everything was screwed not thru bolted and you needed to keep a screwdriver in your pocket for all the loose screws. Pretty much they were just dolled up Pacemakers. Flexible flyer was a good description for them. I used to run a friends 55 offshore and you could actually feel and see the hull twist when you were running at speed. His theory was he had the best life raft money could buy.

 

[jim rosenthal]

According to a knowledgeable friend, the last few years of Oceans were much better made. If that is indeed the case, it is particularly sad that soon after building a sturdier and better quality boat, they are going under. I hope that the Viking purchase, if it goes through, will keep the jobs that are still there and perhaps add some new ones. And the yard could still offer reconditioning services on the older boats if people wanted them to do it.

I don't know how close Hatteras was to going under. I am just glad they did not.

 

[Boatsb]

If Hatteras was not owned by a big company it would be gone too. A private boat builder has less options when things go bad. Viking and the Healey family has done a great job over the years. They are one of the few independent builders left in that market.

 

[saltshaker]

The newer Oceans are much better boats but not on par with Hatteras or the newer Vikings. Jim I doubt Viking will be doing any refit work there. They have the old Bass River facility right next to the factory where they do repair and refit work.

 

[jim rosenthal]

What I heard, too. It appears that the convertible market is going to consist of Viking, Hatteras, and a few independents building custom SF yachts. How times have changed. Perhaps Bertram will survive, too. A bit early to tell.

 

[saltshaker]

I don't buy the foreign competition story. Ocean only built sportfish in the recent past and there is almost no overseas competition in that market, is there?

Riviera was one maybe but they re either out of business or out of the SF market

viking on the other hand is active is the motoryacht segment although I don't recall whether they actually build any or still have a deal with UK's princess and that's where th competion is

Riviera is still building and Maritimo is building SF style cruisers. The newer Oceans were SF but more of a crossover with a much bigger deckhouse and smaller cockpits than a similar sized SF. Viking ended thier relationship with Princess and is building its own motor yacht line. They're building a 75 and are adding a 90? To the line. I've heard they are testing the waters with plans to expand the line.