Nordhavn

[BSJ2]

if Nordhavn's are so good and appear to be the undisputed king of long passages and rough weather. why are there not more in the uk, particularly further north where the weather is continually worse than down south! i like many people have often toyed with the idea of something more suitable for all year round, rather than just use my boat for the glorious british summer we have each year /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[powerskipper]

they are quite pricey, slow and only been imported to UK I think for the last couple of years.

but I would love one, as a long distance or live aboard /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[rickp]

You have the wonderful EU and its protectionist CE mark to thank for that, I think. Now the manufacturer is here and getting their boats CE marked, I think you'll see them grow as a brand quite considerably.

Rick

 

[kcrane]

The style only seems to work beyond 50ft. We looked at the small one (40ft) a SIBS and it was clumsy, however a 50ft one in Beaucette looked great (even had the wave breaker bow)

 

[duncan]

didn't it look solid! Assuming it was the one I saw there last August, moored to the pontoon just along from the visitors area.

Had to pace it out 3 times to be satisfied on its length - seemed bigger somehow.

 

[MapisM]

Are they?

[ QUOTE ]
if Nordhavn's are so good and appear to be the undisputed king of long passages and rough weather

[/ QUOTE ]
Not sure about that.
They did a great marketing job in the last years, and possibly created that image.
But they are still plastic boats.
For ocean crossing, I'd choose an average steel boat, rather than a good plastic, anytime.

 

[robind]

Re: Are they?

Didn`t Nordhaven have a few minor problems on the Atlantic crossing with a small one in trouble and several boats stabilisers failing?

I just love the enginerooms and indeed the engines too! and the principles (mr and mrs president) of the company were so nice when I visited their boat a couple of boatshows ago! They deserve to do well!

 

[No1_Moose]

Re: Are they?

You're right there, the stabilisers do seem to be a weak point. You can ask them for the video of the Atlantic crossing on DVD, it's a very honest account of the trip and shows all the problems is detail as well as the "woohoo, that's euurrope I can see there, that is" stuff too!

 

[rickp]

Re: Are they?

As I recall, the smallest Nordhavn had a failure with its stabilisers and the non-Nordhavn had fouled props. I think the world-girdling boats tend to double up everything, so have hydraulic stabilisers along with paravanes.

Think having a dry exhaust and keel cooling (rather than sea water impellor and corroding elbow) is also pretty important.

Rick

 

[Renegade_Master]

Re: Are they?

yer and the bit showing em going past the rock (Gib) was taken off my boat to.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I think firstly that there is no passage in European waters that you could not complete in a relatively short time and within reasonable distance of a port of refuge so the likelihood of a motor boat being caught in really serious conditions is very small. IMHO thats mainly why there has been little demand for an ocean capable pleasure motor boat. Secondly we have a strong sailing tradition in Europe and so anyone wanting a blue water boat has tended to think first of a yacht rather than a motor boat. Thirdly, I just think that there are less people about in Europe than the USA with both the necessary money and time to consider buying an expensive motor yacht for long distance boating although I think thats changing
Nordhavns are not the only 'undisputed kings of rough weather'. There are other manufacturers who produce bluewater cruising motor yachts such as

Kadey Krogen
Selene

IMHO, we'll see a few more of this type of craft in Europe as more and more people have the money and time for long distance cruising and rising fuel prices force people into slower boats

 

[muckypup]

The Selene boats (some of the larger ones) look nice, but I still still that Nordhavn would be my first choice. Nice piccies on their site on the building process. Does have a Bulbous Bow though.... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

It looks from this picture that the entire topside is hand crafted from wood!

S.

 

[oceanfroggie]

Hi Mick, Yes I'd have to agree. Longer range cruisers at displacment speeds offer some advantages:

1 - Range (not always looking for diesel in every transit port)
2 - Quite relaxed cruising - slow pace offers more 'chill out' time
3 - Fantastic fuel economy
4 - Live aboard space and home from home comforts
5 - Safer even if uncomfortable in heavy weather
6 - Comfort, comfort, and comfort

Some disadvantages that come to mind include:

1 - More time required - semi or fully retired, or folk of leisure
2 - Nicer weather preferred for displacement motoring (roll)
3 - Longer passages - may need helm watch (ie sleep breaks)
4 - Does not suit day or weekend boating (folk at work)
5 - Cost, cost and cost

When I retire fully we may well end up with a slower trawler yacht type of boat. Time won't be an issue then, and for us the journey is what it is all about, not the arriving. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I think thats the wooden mould not the boat itself?
I'm no expert but Nordhavn go on about the A/B ratio of their hulls - above water to below water cross sectional areas - as a measure of stability but I think the likes of Selene and Krogen design their hulls with similar A/B ratios
Somewhere I've seen Nordhavn's described as 'industrial strength'and this is probably a good description

 

[BSJ2]

many good points there, i must admit i agree with the slow/not very weekend suitable? although i would disagree with price, as they appear to be quite keenly priced against similar sized 50 feet sunseeker/princess etc. and obviously running costs would be miniscule compared with running a 50 foot sunseeker etc?

 

[BSJ2]

another thought? where would i find out statistics on weather over the last year? for example how many days wind over F5. sea state per day, because this could have quite a bearing on whether a Nordhavn or similar is a more sensible purchase for uk waters/weather. how many of us plan a weekend trip only to cancel friday afternoon due to weather forecast??? /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif