Nordhavns in the South Pacific
Three of the renowned Nordhavn passagemakers recently converged on Auckland, NZ, whereupon their owners opened their boats to the populace. The three boats formed the largest public display of Nordhavns in the South Pacific.
Egret is a Nordhavn 46 that arrived from Gibraltar by Cape Horn after a 16-month odyssey, the Southern Star is a 47-footer, one of only two Nordhavns permanently based in NZ, while New Paige is a Nordhavn 55 currently on a circumnavigation.
Nordhavn (North Harbour in Norwegian) builds a range of deepwater cruising and passagemaking boats commissioned by California's Pacific Asian Enterprises. The first Nordhavn - a 46-foot trawler-style heavy displacement motoryacht - was built in 1988.
A somewhat radical design at the time, it was one of the first seriously long-distance cruising powerboats on the market. Until then, the general view was that only recreational sailboats could cross oceans. Nordhavn now has a reputation for reliable, rugged cruising and passage-making motoryachts.
Eschewing the modern penchant for getting everywhere in a hurry, these boats have been deliberately designed as heavy, displacement launches and motorsailors. With high freeboard they can withstand Southern Ocean conditions. The combination of their efficient displacement hulls and continuous-rated Lugger diesel engines deliver a substantial range.
Everything about these boats suggests they're suitable for running at cruising speed day-in and day-out through all kinds of weather. The hulls are built of a solid laminate of fibreglass, with a network of full-length longitudinal and transverse stringers. The wheelhouse, Portuguese bridge, saloon and bulwarks are moulded in one piece using an advanced multi-part mould, ensuring a structure free of joints and potential leaks.
HEAVY HAULERS
Of course, all that extra weight is an advantage with a displacement vessel, adding to stability in a chop or short swell. As Angela Mott, owner of Southern Star puts it: "Any day is a Nordhavn day - they delight in heading out to sea when everyone else stays home."
Nordhavn has standardised on Lugger engines, although some of the larger models come with John Deere or MTU diesels. Apart from the two smallest models (the 40 and 43), every vessel has a range in excess of 3000nm. Even the 'babies' have a range of 2500nm. The boats also have sufficient storage and supplies for long voyages - 1500-litre freshwater tanks, for example, complemented by watermakers.
Initially, all Nordhavn's were built at the South Coast Marine factory in Taipei. But in this age of globalisation even the canny Taiwanese cannot compete with the lower labour costs of mainland China, and a new factory was established at Xiamen. Currently, about half the range, which extends to more than 15 models, is built in each dedicated factory.
Nordhavn has a sales office in Brisbane for Australia and NZ. There are currently around 15 Nordhavns in Australian waters, with more coming this year.
For more information visit www.nordhavn.com. And, while there, waste a couple of hours by going to the "Nordhavn Adventures" link, especially the "Voyage of the Egret".