Dana Point, Calif.-(July 10, 2003)- In July 1993, Jim Leishman, Dan Streech, Trevor Streech and Colin Richman stepped aboard Saumlaki in Taiwan and for the nine-day passage to Singapore, marked the maiden voyage of Pacific Asian Enterprise’s new flagship, the Nordhavn 62. Ten years later, Saumlaki is still in pristine condition with more than 7,000 hours on the Hobbs meter and a logbook packed with stories of fun and adventure including cruises in the remote waters off Indonesia and Australia and a harrowing mid-winter delivery from Australia to California. Today, 24 Nordhavn 62s are cruising the world-a testament to Jeff Leishman’s design and the uncompromising construction standards to which the boat was built.

“The Nordhavn 62 is pure and un-compromised by classic Beebe standards,” said Dan Streech, president of P.A.E. in reference to the writings of power passage making pioneer, Capt. Robert Beebe, author of Voyaging Under Power. “At its introduction, the Nordhavn 62 was considered radical due to its commercial look. As the years went by however, it was imitated and the Expedition style became quite popular.”

Nordhavn 62s have made two Atlantic crossings and five crossings from the West Coast to the Marquesas (a 2,800-mile passage). P.A.E. estimates that Nordhavn 62s now have a cumulative total of about 60,000 engine hours and 500,000 miles of ocean travel. They have been in storms, run aground, abused at shipyards and withstood the tests of intense heat, cold and neglect. Yet the Nordhavn 62 (or any Nordhavn for that matter) has never experienced a single case of structural weakness or failure. Additionally, the Nordhavn 62 has done very well on the resale market and is always a very sought after listing.

“We typically see resale prices that represent about 80-90 percent of the original purchase price,” added Streech. “It’s an excellent investment that pays considerable dividends in the long-run.”

Right, out of the box
The fundamental design and concept of the boat have remained unchanged since Jeff Leishman’s original work. The hull form proved very efficient and the Nordhavn 62 demonstrated that a long-range powerboat could be as luxurious as it was seaworthy.

Working with a steady production rate and a good boat, P.A.E. has fine-tuned the Nordhavn 62 over the years. P.A.E.’s owners, project managers, engineers, sales people and staff as well as the builders at Ta Shing (the Taiwanese factory that builds the 57, 62 and 72) have invested thousands of hours into the continued development of the Nordhavn 62.

“The Nordhavn 62 was ahead of its time when Jeff Leishman designed it and has grown into its role as the definitive passage maker as the yachting public has become educated about full-displacement yachts,” said Streech. “Along with the Nordhavn 46, the 62 and a number of able designs from other builders helped launched today’s passion for power passage makers.”

Owner input key to advances
Input from various Nordhavn 62 owners has aided in the advancement of the Nordhavn 62. Including second-hand boats, there have been close to 40 Nordhavn 62 owners and each one has brought ideas, experience and passion to the table.

Jim Wallace, a two-time 62 owner, proposed the wide body layout and upper aft deck seating. Bob Cronin suggested the functional stern bustle and noise reduction techniques. David Loh introduced us to the Chinese point of view regarding galley layout, storage and the priorities for operating a Nordhavn in Singaporean waters. Dan Evins introduced many new details with Temenos, the most highly custom-interior designed 62 to date. Sammy Cacciatore incorporated a larger davit and two large fishing boats to the deck as well as generous storage for tender fuel. Dave McDowell, another two-time owner and high-ranking businessman, helped us streamline the building process. Mickey Smith, an electronics engineer at Intel, helped advance the boat’s electrical systems and ABYC compliancy. Tim Leuliette, a Fortune 500 businessman, transformed the look of the interior with his boat’s elegant maple wood. World cruisers Marty Wilson, another savvy businessman, and Pete Hutchinson, former Cruising Club of America Commodore, each have helped improve the DNA of the design.

“Working with the owners has been one of the most rewarding aspects of this project,” said Streech. “There is always room for improvement and all of these people bring tremendous assets from their experiences both on the water and in the workplace.”

The Nordhavn 62 also set the standard for many procedures that make Nordhavns successful and P.A.E. a healthy company.

“The N62 established the processes and procedures required for a yacht with a long build time, ” said Streech, who notes that each Nordhavn 62 takes nine months and 32,000 man-hours. “Many of our current procedures of project management and scheduling were born in the early days of the Nordhavn 62 project.”

Great value
A new Nordhavn 62 purchased today represents a great value. The base price of $1.65 million has not changed in four years, despite many improvements. Nearly $40,000 worth of items that were options previously are now standard in the base price.

“The weak economy since mid 2000 has actually helped the Nordhavn line,” said Streech. “P.A.E. was fortunate to begin this recession quite healthy financially and we remain so to this day. This has allowed us to pour resources and effort into improvement and development of our designs rather than retreat to a position of safety and stagnation.” While the last three years have largely been considered a “buyer’s market,” they have also been a buyer’s market for yacht builders. P.A.E.’s bottom line cost to produce a new Nordhavn 62 is made up of hundreds of line items ranging from small components to large packages like doors and windows. Suppliers and P.A.E. employees have learned to offer more for less to stay competitive during this turbulent time.

“As we celebrate the milestone of this boat, it becomes clear for anyone who ever considered owning a Nordhavn 62 that now is the time to buy,” said Streech.

N62 Standard Specs: