Nanook- Ocean Alexander Mark I
Nanook is a 1979 Ocean Alexander MK1, and over the past few years she has proven herself to be exactly what we were looking for in a cruising boat, and what we were looking for may not have been what people expected.
When Adam and I first started looking for a boat, most people assumed we’d end up with a sailboat. We both come from sailing and racing backgrounds. Ocean racing, yacht deliveries, years of teaching sailing…it’s where we’re most comfortable. We both campaigned Olympic classes, Adam in the 470 and me briefly in the RS:X. I also spent time working for Gunboat Catamarans, so high-performance sailing was very much part of our world.
So landing on a powerboat felt unexpected, even to us. But the decision was actually pretty straightforward. We had limited time in the summers, mostly long weekends, and we wanted to be able to get somewhere. Not necessarily fast, but efficiently. A boat that could make consistent progress regardless of wind direction and give us solid VMG in just about any conditions.
Comfort was the other big piece. We had just sold our house in Newport, and this boat was going to become our version of a summer home. We wanted something that felt open, livable, and spacious enough for our family. Not something we had to constantly adapt ourselves to.
And, of course, it had to fit within a reasonable budget.
We purchased her in 2021, and from the start our approach has always been the same. Whether it’s a boat, a house, or an old car, we go deep on the fundamentals. We don’t chase cosmetic fixes first. We focus on making things solid, reliable, and as fuss-free as possible.
Every year we’ve taken on a handful of meaningful projects and upgrades, slowly building a boat we can trust.
Some of the bigger ones have included:
Replacing the aft fuel tanks
Upgrading the electrical system to 50 amp
Converting to a lithium house battery bank
Installing 1000W of solar
New Tecma heads and holding tank
New water heater tied into the engine via heat exchanger
Upgraded alternator
New freshwater system with pressure tank
Wind generator installation
12V Spectra Watermaker
Upgraded navigation package using iPads and NMEA interface
New AIS enabled VHF
New fenders
Larger anchor and new chain
Stainless bow plate for anchor handling
New 12V windlass motor with dedicated battery bank
New Isotherm refrigerator/freezer
Aft lazarette converted for tool and toy storage
Upsized dinghy with 25hp outboard
New Ditch Bag
New EPIRB
New Life Raft
AED
Extensive Medical Kit
Super comfortable helm chair
None of it was about making her flashy. It was about making her capable and safe.
Nanook is steady, comfortable, and incredibly forgiving. At 8.5 knots she settles in and goes. She’s taken us through everything from quiet, glassy anchorages to some pretty uncomfortable conditions, and she’s handled it all in a way that builds confidence over time.
These boats have been written about over the years for their seaworthiness and thoughtful desig, and after living aboard and cruising Nanook, we understand why. We didn’t find this article until after we bought Nanook.
It was tucked away in a file onboard. One of those random folders every boat seems to come with, full of manuals, receipts, and bits of history from previous owners. Somewhere in there was a copy of a Passagemaker Magazine article about the Ocean Alexander Mark I.
At first it just felt like a cool piece of history. But after living aboard and putting real miles under her keel, it reads differently now.
The article talks about the design by Ed Monk Jr., the solid hand-laid construction, and the boat’s reputation as a true passagemaker. These boats were built to go. Not to impress at the dock, not to chase trends, but to move comfortably, efficiently, and reliably over long distances.
And that’s exactly what we’ve found.
One of the unexpected parts of owning her has been how much attention she gets.
People stop by constantly. Whether we’re at a dock or anchored out, people love to ask questions, look her over, or just say how beautiful she is. There’s something about the lines of these older Ocean Alexanders that stands out in a way newer boats often don’t.
One moment that stuck with us was leaving Cambridge Cay. As we were pulling out of the anchorage, a woman on a brand new, 3.8 million dollar Fleming 58 came out on deck, phone in hand, taking photos of Nanook. She called over to say how beautiful she thought the boat was.
That pretty much says it all.
She’s not the newest boat in the anchorage. She’s not the biggest. But she’s incredibly well suited to the kind of cruising we do, and she does it with an air about her that feels both capable and classic.
For us, Nanook has been exactly what we hoped for: a solid, reliable platform that lets us focus on where we’re going and what we’re doing, rather than worrying about the boat itself.
