Yes, Jim Leishman is the vice-president and co-founder of the most revered long range cruising trawler brand in the world. And sure, he is the force behind the revival of modern power passagemaking, and the brainchild of some of the greatest marketing feats ever to highlight a boating company. He’s done more and seen more from a boat than most of us could ever dream about. But really, he’s no different than anyone else who has worked hard over the span of a life. Like the everyman, he just wishes he had a little more time – rather, enough time, to be out on the water, able to enjoy an intimate connection with the sea and all else that cruising has to offer. Instead, the majority of his time is spent in his office, behind a desk, laboring away at conceiving the next great Nordhavn or taking on the less glamorous role of managing day-to-day operational stuff. It’s extremely fulfilling work but sometimes one just wishes they could switch off their computer, get out from behind the desk and simply sail off for the sunset.
In the June 2012 issue of Power and Motoryacht magazine, Jim describes his longing to do just that. Perhaps you can relate.
“From my desk here at Nordhavn, I’ve watched people do the same thing for almost 40 years now. Retire, buy the boat, and go. Until recently I didn’t think much about, or even appreciate, the enormity of the process. Going cruising sounds so easy…