Elessar
Well-Known Member
People often ask, what would be your dream boat if resources were not an issue? Well I'm not often a fan on big boats, too much bling. JFM's wonderful Match was a big surprise to me that it was so good, but that was down to his personal attention to detail.
My own list was a nordhavn for cruising, a hunton for weekends in the channel islands and a saily boat somewhere warm but in weekend flying distance.
Well I got to try one of my 3 last week - a Nordhaven 60.
I arrived in Gibraltar on Wednesday morning, after a non stop trip from st Peter Port. Chomping at the bit to leave the previous wednesday as a storm was heading over the atlantic. We fueled in st sampsons, went to st peter port to finish some paperwork and set off into a f5, the wind and waves were due to increase and I wanted to be heading south before it got worse.
Head into the sea and wind the big tall bows were taking some punishment. By the time we went off the edge of the continental shelf, in the dark, it was very lumpy indeed. The Norhavn has a 31 ft airdraft, it is a tall boat. The bows are tall and wide, the Portuguese bridge solid, but were were still taking green water solidly over the pilothouse at times.
We had to do an oil change en route, but you have full standing height access to the engine room from the utility room. Given the conditions, easy! This Norhavn was upgraded to twin luggers rather than a single plus a wing engine so turning one off wasn't an issue. Even if there are 31 steps from the utility room to the flybridge! Then you can even climb on the sun canopy if you need a better view, but in these conditions we didn't go on deck at all.
On the 4th day the wind abated and it was all flat seas, sun and with dolphins, whales and sharks to see.
All in all, quite a trip. I've come back for a few days, back to Gib on sunday to take her to Malta, then on to Genova.
Thanks to JFM for the invaluable advice pre trip, knowledgeable as ever.
Is the Nordhavn still on my list? I really don't think I will want to give it back. Amazingly composed in the conditions we had. Still I took my trusty Sealine out for a spin today and she's still a lovely boat
My own list was a nordhavn for cruising, a hunton for weekends in the channel islands and a saily boat somewhere warm but in weekend flying distance.
Well I got to try one of my 3 last week - a Nordhaven 60.
I arrived in Gibraltar on Wednesday morning, after a non stop trip from st Peter Port. Chomping at the bit to leave the previous wednesday as a storm was heading over the atlantic. We fueled in st sampsons, went to st peter port to finish some paperwork and set off into a f5, the wind and waves were due to increase and I wanted to be heading south before it got worse.
Head into the sea and wind the big tall bows were taking some punishment. By the time we went off the edge of the continental shelf, in the dark, it was very lumpy indeed. The Norhavn has a 31 ft airdraft, it is a tall boat. The bows are tall and wide, the Portuguese bridge solid, but were were still taking green water solidly over the pilothouse at times.
We had to do an oil change en route, but you have full standing height access to the engine room from the utility room. Given the conditions, easy! This Norhavn was upgraded to twin luggers rather than a single plus a wing engine so turning one off wasn't an issue. Even if there are 31 steps from the utility room to the flybridge! Then you can even climb on the sun canopy if you need a better view, but in these conditions we didn't go on deck at all.
On the 4th day the wind abated and it was all flat seas, sun and with dolphins, whales and sharks to see.
All in all, quite a trip. I've come back for a few days, back to Gib on sunday to take her to Malta, then on to Genova.
Thanks to JFM for the invaluable advice pre trip, knowledgeable as ever.
Is the Nordhavn still on my list? I really don't think I will want to give it back. Amazingly composed in the conditions we had. Still I took my trusty Sealine out for a spin today and she's still a lovely boat
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