ocean express
09-13-2007, 11:13 AM
#424
Registered User
Anyone know about this Ocean Express. I am just hearing about this brand recently. Love this layout and the fact that you can fill it full of people and run over 100.
What about them for longevity. I have been burned on old boats before, but really like them. They don't make them like this anymore.
http://www.offshoreonlyclassifieds.c...o17532-en.html
What about them for longevity. I have been burned on old boats before, but really like them. They don't make them like this anymore.
http://www.offshoreonlyclassifieds.c...o17532-en.html
The pleasure versions are well-built boats- a bit on the heavy side and basically the same hull as the early boats- lots of freeboard. Very nice ride but there's a substantial speed penalty when compared with something like a Skater or Nor-Tech of equivalent size & power. Alot less expensive though. I've never see or heard of a hull breaking on an Express pleasure boat. In the early 80's, they had some issues with the new AME resin and I seem to recall several hulls that had to be re-decked. By now, any boat with one of those issues has either been remedied or is gone.
Some might think that the hull and interior may be dated- especially in comparison with some of the MTI/Nor-Tech designs. I guess for the additional 500 grand, you should get something fancy. I like them just fine- they have sort of a classic, timeless look. If you like a 35 flatdeck better than a Cafe, you know what I mean. Most have Arneson ASD-8's with the drop boxes but I've seen a few with 6's. The Arneson's work very well and are definitely trouble-free. The Express has a distinctive transom- It has a little doghouse extending back from the actual transom, the same approximate width as the tunnel. This is for mounting the steering componentry for the Arneson's While it's called a 39, the boat is actually a 37- 39 feet includes the transom box. (hey, if it works for Reggie, it should work for Ross.)
I've never spoken to anyone who owned one who regretted it or had anything bad to say about the boat.
The boat in the classifieds certainly looks clean and appears to be all original. As far as 100MPH, well, that might be a bit optimistic. Maybe low 90's with light fuel and a little chop.
An early Active-
Last edited by Chris Sunkin; 09-13-2007 at 11:45 AM.
09-13-2007, 02:35 PM
#426
Registered User
The one in question, at 90+MPH, is probably insurable for an experienced performance boater/first-time cat owner. At 120, fast cat experience would be a pre-requisite for any of the few remaining insurers to even talk to you. I'd actually be afraid to buy a cat without experience. It seems more and more these boats are getting written by insurers just to be cancelled shortly afterwards. It would suck to have an uninsurable boat.
09-13-2007, 03:11 PM
#427
VIP Member
yep . . . i started this thread a LONG time ago . . . .ahhh yes . . . . the first of the superthreads(back than 20+ pages was somethin) soon to be over shadowed by Apache, whats in a name
glad to see it pop back up
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Throttles- Cleveland Construction 377 Talon
08 OPA Class 1 National Champion
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10 OPA Class 1 National Champion ( happy now Ed! )
Throttles- Cleveland Construction 377 Talon
08 OPA Class 1 National Champion
08 Class 1 Geico Triple Crown Champion
08 OPA High Points Champion
10 OPA Class 1 National Champion ( happy now Ed! )
Last edited by glassdave; 09-13-2007 at 03:24 PM.
11-06-2007, 06:59 PM
#428
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Great
Vonwolske, I will answer your question with the information that I know. If I have left anything out or omitted anyone’s name then I apologize in advance.
Back in the late 1970’s, my dad (Ross E. Focht, Sr.) ran a division of Active Homes. His boss at the time showed an interest in a vee-bottom that my dad and his brother (Larry Focht) had bought (The Super Banana – a 27’ magnum as I am told it was) so, under instructions from his boss, my dad went to Florida and purchased an old vee-bottom that they first raced – the original green Activator. As my dad raced he met different people, and since his background was in construction (albeit homes, not boats) he was able to lend his talents and learn a lot about designing vee-bottoms from different people (I am told that the main people he listened and learned from were the late Don Aronow, and the late James Beard) My dad was convinced that he could design a vee-bottom that ran better than the one they had so they went ahead and lofted a plug, then built the mold and finally built their own first vee-bottom race boat – again the Activator. My dad saw people’s interest in racing and decided to sell his new vee-bottoms to the public as pleasure boats. It was at this time that James Beard of Cougar of England brought over one of his first wooden cougar cats and my dad went for a ride in it and was convinced that the catamarans were better. Now one thing you have to understand is that at the time vee’s were built of ‘glass and cats’ were built of wood. There was no comparison, the vee’s were stronger and held together in rough water whereas the cats did not. This is where the stereotype that vee’s are better rough water boats than cats started. This was only due to the fact that no one had ever built a cat out of fiberglass. My dad realized that even though cats were faster, more stable and required less throttle to achieve the same speeds as the vee bottoms, they needed to be built of the same material to really outshine them. So, he along with guidance from the engineers at Dupont came up with a laminate schedule and built the first all composite, cored catamaran in the world. The first time they raced the boat a lot of people had their eyes on that cat to see what it would do. When they dropped the flag, all the waiting, planning and work came to its fruition as the Express cat (which later went on to set a kilo record, national title and world championship all in the same year – a feat which I do not believe anyone has since done!) as it was called left the fleet behind and performed remarkably. Over the years many things have changed in cat designs, Skater came along and after experimenting with smaller boats, they looked at my dad’s first designs (PLEASE NOTE THAT SKATER DID NOT COPY OUR DESIGNS, HE ONLY STUDIED THEM AS REFERENCE AS ALL DESIGNERS DO WHEN COMING UP WITH SOMETHING NEW) We like to call Skaters first designs the second generation of cat designs, with our all new 38’, 43’ and 49’ the third generation designs. My dad over the years has had many partners under varying names: Active Marine, Active Catamarans, Image Boat Mfg (which built over 30 cats for Baja Boats), Express Marine, Express Catamarans, Ocean Express, Ocean Express Catamarans and finally today Ocean Express Powerboats. We have almost thirty years of experience in designs and just as importantly laminate schedules. (The main reason many of you are skipping around out there on boats of ours that are over 20 years old) I thank everyone who takes the time to read this; I hope that I have provided an accurate description of the beginning of composite catamarans. And again, if I have left anyone out I should have mentioned, please email me with your story and I will be more than happy to edit this post. Thanks all,
Adam
[ 01-27-2002: Message edited by: Adam Focht ]
Back in the late 1970’s, my dad (Ross E. Focht, Sr.) ran a division of Active Homes. His boss at the time showed an interest in a vee-bottom that my dad and his brother (Larry Focht) had bought (The Super Banana – a 27’ magnum as I am told it was) so, under instructions from his boss, my dad went to Florida and purchased an old vee-bottom that they first raced – the original green Activator. As my dad raced he met different people, and since his background was in construction (albeit homes, not boats) he was able to lend his talents and learn a lot about designing vee-bottoms from different people (I am told that the main people he listened and learned from were the late Don Aronow, and the late James Beard) My dad was convinced that he could design a vee-bottom that ran better than the one they had so they went ahead and lofted a plug, then built the mold and finally built their own first vee-bottom race boat – again the Activator. My dad saw people’s interest in racing and decided to sell his new vee-bottoms to the public as pleasure boats. It was at this time that James Beard of Cougar of England brought over one of his first wooden cougar cats and my dad went for a ride in it and was convinced that the catamarans were better. Now one thing you have to understand is that at the time vee’s were built of ‘glass and cats’ were built of wood. There was no comparison, the vee’s were stronger and held together in rough water whereas the cats did not. This is where the stereotype that vee’s are better rough water boats than cats started. This was only due to the fact that no one had ever built a cat out of fiberglass. My dad realized that even though cats were faster, more stable and required less throttle to achieve the same speeds as the vee bottoms, they needed to be built of the same material to really outshine them. So, he along with guidance from the engineers at Dupont came up with a laminate schedule and built the first all composite, cored catamaran in the world. The first time they raced the boat a lot of people had their eyes on that cat to see what it would do. When they dropped the flag, all the waiting, planning and work came to its fruition as the Express cat (which later went on to set a kilo record, national title and world championship all in the same year – a feat which I do not believe anyone has since done!) as it was called left the fleet behind and performed remarkably. Over the years many things have changed in cat designs, Skater came along and after experimenting with smaller boats, they looked at my dad’s first designs (PLEASE NOTE THAT SKATER DID NOT COPY OUR DESIGNS, HE ONLY STUDIED THEM AS REFERENCE AS ALL DESIGNERS DO WHEN COMING UP WITH SOMETHING NEW) We like to call Skaters first designs the second generation of cat designs, with our all new 38’, 43’ and 49’ the third generation designs. My dad over the years has had many partners under varying names: Active Marine, Active Catamarans, Image Boat Mfg (which built over 30 cats for Baja Boats), Express Marine, Express Catamarans, Ocean Express, Ocean Express Catamarans and finally today Ocean Express Powerboats. We have almost thirty years of experience in designs and just as importantly laminate schedules. (The main reason many of you are skipping around out there on boats of ours that are over 20 years old) I thank everyone who takes the time to read this; I hope that I have provided an accurate description of the beginning of composite catamarans. And again, if I have left anyone out I should have mentioned, please email me with your story and I will be more than happy to edit this post. Thanks all,
Adam
[ 01-27-2002: Message edited by: Adam Focht ]
11-06-2007, 07:42 PM
#429
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Anyone know about this Ocean Express. I am just hearing about this brand recently. Love this layout and the fact that you can fill it full of people and run over 100.
What about them for longevity. I have been burned on old boats before, but really like them. They don't make them like this anymore.
http://www.offshoreonlyclassifieds.c...o17532-en.html
What about them for longevity. I have been burned on old boats before, but really like them. They don't make them like this anymore.
http://www.offshoreonlyclassifieds.c...o17532-en.html
11-06-2007, 09:41 PM
#430
Registered
Platinum Member
