By Barbara Lippert
There were plenty of folks celebrating in Seattle last weekend – and no, it wasn’t just due to the success of the city’s football team! The year’s official inaugural boat show, The Seattle Boat Show, ran from January 25-February 1,* and Nordhavn’s Northwest sales office kicked things off with their terrific display which featured the hot selling N52.
The good vibes surrounding the show continued into the Northwest office’s annual Nordhavn owners party – which they affectionately call the “It’s Almost Spring” 
gathering – where about 65 owners and vendors gathered for food, festivities and friendship. It’s an event the Northwest office has been hosting for nearly 10 years and has come to be an especially nice way to welcome newer owners into the Nordhavn family as well as acquaint everyone with some PNW hospitality.
Right from the invitation, the Pacific Northwest stage is set, as Northwest Sales manager Don Kohlmann and yours truly pick over dozens of photos to find one that conveys the perfect message. Rick MacClure’s N60 Last Samurai (last year’s show boat) was this year’s winner.
Speaking of winners, the 2014 Owners gathering marked the first time a door prizewas given away. With the publication of Nordhavn owner/filmmaker/author Sprague Theobald’s award winning book The Other Side of the Ice came the brainstorm to institute a giveaway. Sprague’s book is riveting, and closely tracks the documentary of the same name. (Plus, he has a connection to the Seattle Boat Show. Just after completing his record-setting exploration of the Northwest Passage, Sprague, hiscrew and his fabulous Nordhavn 57 
Bagan were the feature exhibit at the 2010 Seattle Show.) Lucky owner Linda Boyd, won the drawing and is now the proud owner of The Other Side of the Ice, donated and autographed by the writer himself.
Of course, no owners party is complete without fabulous food of the region. The bill o’ fare has evolved into our traditional buffet featuring Szmania’s unique cold smoked Salmon. Chef Ludger always complements his signature Salmon with German influenced delectable specialties and ‘sweets’ for dessert.
*It’s interesting to note that the Seattle Boat Show was initially to run through until Sunday, February 2. But for the first time ever, the show concluded on a Saturday, so that folks of the Seattle area could have the next day off to watch the Seahawks in the Super Bowl!
Barbara Lippert is a sales representative in the Nordhavn Northwest Sales office. She can be reached at Barbara.lippert@nordhavn.com or 206-223-3624.