[NOW UNDER CONTRACT}MAJOR PRICE EDUCTION! HIGHLY CUSTOMIZED Ocean Alexander MegaYacht, 78' yacht. In bristol condition, captain-maintained and always kept in a private covered boathouse in Anacortes, Washington. ASKING $3,595,000. (Reduced from $3,950,000 because no brokerage fees and the economy stinks).

She is no ordinary 78' Ocean Alexander. The hull was extended two feet, to 80' 3 1/2', but rather than putting the extra footage in the cockpit as so many do, the entire superstructure was extended so the extra two feet is in the salon. Don't be confused by the Ocean Alexander 80'cockpit model. The difference between the stock 78 and the stock 80 is that the 78 costs $450,000 more than the 80! Why? Because the 78 has a 21' beam while the 80 is only 20' wide. The 78 has an enclosed sky lounge with a Portuguese bridge. It weighs 175,000 pounds, while the 80 weighs only 144,000 pounds. The 78 is a much larger boat, and when you extend it another two feet it has the feel of a ninety-foot yacht.

This is our second yacht, so we were experienced. But before ordering this build from the factory we spent three years attending boat shows in Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, Newport Beach and Seattle, and kicking tires, talking to boat owners, mechanics, captains and dealers. What we learned was that Ocean Alexander has a great reputation, even among dealers of competing brands. As one dealer at the Ft. Lauderdale show said, "stay away from [brand X] you mentioned, but Ocean Alexander makes a fine boat (and then, of course he switched the subject back to his own make). A mechanic from Maple Bay, Canada said, "These are the finest yachts I've worked on." And one delivery captain volunteered, "If I was 300 miles out in the ocean in a motoryacht in a storm, Ocean Alexander would be my boat of choice." And then there was the delivery captain who ran boats from Alaska to Mexico. He came over to admire our boat and said: "I've delivered virtually every brand of boat there is, and in my opinion Ocean Alexander makes the best boat in the world."

We decided on Ocean Alexander because they're built like a Sherman Tank but are quick, and handle like a sports car. This is no accident. It is the result of a renowned design team. It begins with naval architect, Ed Monk Jr, who relies heavily on the talents of hydrodynamist, Ed Hagemann for hull form development and performance, and Tim Nolan for structure and engineering.. Once we decided on the brand, the next step was to see whether Ocean Alexander would let us have our way with the interior. After three years of studying boats we knew what we wanted: high gloss cherry, rounded curves, a huge salon capable of handling the entire family, and the feel of 5-star luxury.

THE RESULT -- perhaps the most beautiful yacht Ocean Alexander has ever built. Displayed at the 2006 Boats Afloat show in Seattle, she was the undisputed hit of the show. Finished with perfect joinery, high gloss cherry and a lot of curves, the interior cost the factory $130,000 more than they normally spend. The entire interior has exquisite finish and fabrics, highlighted with artwork by renowned artists, James Christensen and James Nowak. The crew quarters sleeping three with two television sets, its own refrigerator, microwave, and washer/dryer, is finished as well as many yachts in the main living areas. The engine room is so immaculate that many of our friends have compared it to a hospital operating room. That's the way we keep it, and it must be seen to be appreciated.

LOADED WITH ELECTRONICS: One of us is a gadget-freak (and it isn't the wife): Typically a yacht this size will have $50,000 worth of electronic equipment. We spent $125,000. There is a 24kw Furuno Radar with an 8' array that on a calm day sometimes lets us see birds floating on the water. That's backed up by a smaller Furuno radar. We have Nobeltec for navigation, and Furuno for backup. We have a 360deg; Sonar, a 2-way automatic identification system (AIS), Sky-Mate, two great ICOM radios, a repeater for increased cell-phone coverage, and much much more.

THE COST TO DUPLICATE THIS YACHT NEW: Base price is $4.3 million. Adding two feet is another $200,000. Add another $130,000 for the custom interior and $125,000 for instrumentation, and you have $4.8 million dollars.

BETTER THAN NEW: The down-side of a new boat is, you have to pay cash until it is completed and delivered, you have to deal with a punch-list, and you have to wait more than a year to have it built. With only 900 hours, she is better than new. Never chartered, always covered, she has been maintained by a Captain with a 100 ton license who also happens to be a marine architect and marine engineer. The boat has been kept in a private covered boathouse since it was commissioned and is located in Anacortes, Washington, right at the mouth of the San Juan Islands. The boathouse is for sale as well, but we don't mind keeping it since it is like scarce waterfront property, increasing in value each year.

PERFORMANCE: She goes more than 24 knots full out, but at 1050 RPM's the twin 1500hp MTU's cruise at 10-11 knots burning only 6.3 gallons an hour per engine. One of the reasons for this exceptional performance is the prop tunnels pioneered by Ocean Alexander more than twenty years ago and for which Ed Hagemann is famous. This gives a shallow 5'2" draft, a flatter angle on the shafts for a better push. Also, the sharp point of entry pushes not one drop of water in front of the boat, even when full out. Ocean Alexander tests their boats by computer and in the water in sea-state V conditions (8 foot waves). We've been in seven-foot waves, which it handled like a champ, and a friend with a 78' OA reported that on the way to Alaska he went 50 miles in 10-foot waves and the boat sliced through them with no problem at all. And just one other thing: Because of exceptional Sounddown insulation treatment, the boat is extremely quiet.

YOU CAN TELL, WE LIKE THIS BOAT? It's a very rugged strong boat with impeccable engineering. It's fast, but economical to operate. It's gorgeous. No matter how many boats you've seen, when you go inside you'll say WOW! The most common comment: "This is the most beautiful boat I've ever seen." As one interior designer said, "The finish and decor on this boat is more like what you'd expect to see in a 150 foot SuperYacht!" It's extraordinarily quiet. It's fun to drive, easy to dock, and you feel totally safe no matter what the conditions. Everything about it exceeds your expectations.

NOTHING BUT THE BEST! Even though we spent a lot of time on the interior design, we didn't think to specify appliances and some of the basic equipment. It turned out that we didn't need to. As we became familiar with the boat we were constantly surprised to find that this company didn't compromise on anything. The side-by-side refrigerator/freezer is Sub-Zero. The dishwater is a Fisher-Paykel, the range and oven are Gaggenau, the faucets by Grohe, the barbecue by DCS. Many other yachts of this size come with a 1500 or 2000lb davit , but ours is 3,000 lbs. The salon sound system is by Cello, a Seattle-based theater company. There are two pumps for the water system, an engine driven bilge pump, oversized Maxwell winch, Magnus-Opus Sealand vacu-flush toilets, central vacuum system, Village Marine watermaker, fuel polishing system, and the list of quality components goes on and on. The best thing is, we didn't have to ask for the best - this company wouldn't do anything less.

LUXURIOUS LIVING: The Salon is huge, with a large curved couch, comfortable lounge chairs, a 42" retractable Sony Vega TV, Cello Theatre Sound System, a dining area with seating for six, large windows, and art by James Christensen. The Galley is, as one magazine writer said, "a work of art," with a panoramic view, wonderful appliances and plenty of granite counter space for gourmet cooking. Ahead of the Galley is a country kitchen with table and lounge seating eight for casual dining with a view. The Cockpit is equipped with a large motorized hi-low table for outdoor dining and lounging, seating 8. Down the stairs there is a huge master suite, beautifully decorated and complete with his and hers bathrooms and a shared shower, a 42" Sony TV, two cedar-lined closets and tons of storage. The VIP stateroom up front

SO WHY ARE WE SELLING? This yacht is a delight to operate. The Portuguese bridge allows the skipper to step outside, look over the edge, and with 38hp hydraulic stern and bow thrusters docking is a piece of cake. That same remote, used in the cockpit allows for easy backing into spaces. My wife and I handle the boat alone, although we do take along a cook so it's a vacation for her as well. But we've been doing this boating thing for almost ten years now. I'm 71 years old, and we have 4 children and 16 grandchildren, all of whom live within 3 miles of our home. We've just decided its time to spend summers at home in the pool with the kids and grandkids.