There were two Nordhavn rendezvous held recently on two opposite sides of the globe from each other: one an impromptu gathering of owners in The Bahamas, the other, a more organized assemblage of owners down in Australia. The latter took place the weekend of April 27-29 in Sydney at the Royal Motor Yacht Club of Pittwater where two N43s, an N46 and N47 gathered for an owner rendezvous and Open House. Approximately 50 people, which included Nordhavn owners as well as prospects, attended the fun-filled three-day celebration of Nordhavns Down Under. The Rendezvous/Open House was hosted by the team at Nordhavn’s Australasian office and featured Pacific Asian Enterprises’ own president, Dan Streech, who flew out from the company’s California headquarters to meet and greet attendees plus answer a myriad of questions. “I love the Australians’ passion for Nordhavn,” Dan said at the conclusion of the event. “There are now 20 to 25 Nordhavns in Australia depending on the season and a wonderful band of Nordhavn/PAE supporters.”
Nordhavn owners always seem to have a good time when they get together, and the festivities down in Australia only served as further proof of that statement. But it was the future Nordhavn owners or “dreamers” as they refer to themselves, who really appeared to enjoy themselves. They not only climbed aboard the Nordhavns that were docked at the Royal Motor Yacht Club, but perhaps an even more invaluable experience, got to mingle and get a sense of what life amongst the Nordhavn owner circle is like at an “integrated” cocktail party. A lucky few got to go on a cruise aroundPittwater on board one of four Nordhavns. “Michelle (my wife) and I just spent one of the best weekends you could imagine as a Nordhavn Dreamer,” posted Duane Rodgers, a guest at the Open House. “This was as close to a mini Trawlerfest as I could imagine, but dedicated to Nordhavn!!! We don’t get these events in Australia, so to have boats side by side to compare was fantastic.” He later added, “There were plenty of discussions with Dan (Streech) on the product and the company. It was a privilege to access Dan’s time, knowledge and insight.”
A week and about 10,000 miles later, another Nordhavn gathering was going on giving way to yet another reason for celebration. Six Nordhavns – an N46, N47, two N55s, an N63 and an N68 were all anchored out off Pirate’s Well Beach in Northwest Mayaguana in The Bahamas. It was a traditional gathering, as these sorts of impromptu parties tend to be when a group of Nordhavns happen to randomly converge in the same place, complete with dishes from each boat for a yummy potluck dinner, tales of cruises past, discussions of future travels, and always lots of laughs. Plus tours of each other’s boats. As Scott Flanders from Nordhavn 46, Egret, who was in attendance, noted: “This is what cruising is all about. It’s the people that make it what it is. Pretty good, eh?”