By Dan Streech
A lovely new Nordhavn 76 departed the Ta Shing factory last week on a ship bound for Long Beach, CA, and after the culmination of a few weeks’ transit, she’ll be commissioned just down the road from there at our Dana Point office. The shipment of a new Nordhavn 76 (hull #21 of that series, the 511th Nordhavn to be produced) is not a particularly remarkable event as new Nordhavns roll off the production line every month. This boat, however, is somewhat of a rare bird – only one other like it has been built. When most people who follow Nordhavns think of the N76, what typically comes to mind is the classic aft pilot house “expedition” model. Even some of the most avid Nordhavn aficionados are not aware that the N76 is available in a forward pilot house configuration.
Why an FPH N76? It pretty much boils down to this: people are creatures of habit; they know what they like and they want what they like. N76 #21 has been built for a British couple who currently own a Nordhavn 64, which also is a forward pilot house design. They love everything about their N64 but were looking for more room and the satisfaction and pleasure of building a new boat. They simply wanted to replicate the look, style and build quality in a bigger and roomier boat. Essentially, what they wanted was a bigger FPH Nordhavn 64, ie: the FPH Nordhavn 76. It was a request we could rather easily accommodate; we just had to dust off the molds.
You might wonder, why is a British couple taking delivery of their 50Hz Nordhavn on the West coast of America? Actually, it is quite common for Europeans, Australians, Kiwis and Americans who reside on the East coast to take delivery of their Nordhavns on the U.S. West coast. From Mexico to Alaska, we have some wonderful cruising grounds here, especially Alaska. Cruising Alaska at least once should be on every cruiser’s bucket list. The endeavor is magical and must be experienced. From our Taiwan and China factories, Nordhavns can be delivered anywhere in the world. So why not ship it to a location that you might not ever cruise again and then drive it home after that? After all, each and every full displacement Nordhavn model can reach any spot on the globe under its own power.
To borrow an old ad slogan from a burger giant, you can “have it your way” at Nordhavn. Don’t let cruising goals or design factors prohibit you from building the boat of your dreams. We can fulfill a wide range of palates. All you need to do is place your order.
Dan Streech is the president of Pacific Asian Enterprises, Inc., manufacturer of Nordhavn yachts. He oversees the company from its Dana Point, CA headquarters.