The long-awaited arrival of the first Nordhavn 46 II happened over the weekend when hull number one was offloaded in Port Everglades and brought up to Nordhavn’s east coast commissioning hub in North Palm Beach, FL. Despite the hull being covered in protective shipping plastic inside and out, there was no hiding the triumph of this model. Her design is the culmination of decades of experience and meticulous testing and analyzation through our in-house computational tools as well as during in-water sea trials. “It’s probably the best hull number one of any model we’ve ever built,” marveled Nordhavn Southwest salesman James Leishman, who has sold three hulls of the new 46II, including the first one.
Even though Leishman last saw the boat a month ago at the factory as it awaited shipping, he said he couldn’t have envisioned how impressive the finished N46II would look sitting in the water. “You can see a nod to the original 46, but otherwise she’s a real modern boat with features like large windows, aft deck seating, and a massive dinghy deck,” he said. “She has the feel of a 50-foot-plus boat.”
On Tuesday afternoon, the first of the commissioning sea trials took place with the calibration of the Humphree electric stabilizer. Leishman, alongside N46II Project Manager Drew Leishman and Commissioning Manager Rob Cole, took her out for a test drive. “Underway, she’s got a nice, smooth ride,” he said. The model comes equipped with ultra-responsive Hypro steering, which is a fixture on bigger Nordhavns. Leishman also noted how quiet she was with minimal vibration felt, given the crew was pushing the boat’s twin engines.
One of the biggest takeaways of the new N46II is her much bigger-yacht feel – in design as well as features and equipment. Leishman said details such as wind blocking slider, oversized guest room berths and remote fuel valves have all been borrowed from the larger Nordhavns and incorporated into the 46II’s standard equipment. Plus she was built to meet strict CE standards (earning Category A for Ocean status) required by the EU.
The big Nordhavn feel continues when you step inside. Spacious full-stand up showers, dual settees in the pilothouse and loads of storage. In fact, one former Nordhavn 59 owner, who is eyeing the 46II as their next boat, said the amount of hanging closet space surpassed what was on the 59. “The interior of the boat is so well considered,” Leishman says. “We did not cut corners.”
The Nordhavn 46II is so jam packed with features that Leishman is hard pressed to name them all. But there are certain elements as part of the standard design and equipment he thinks will really resonate with buyers:
- Expansive flybridge: Seating for at least six, plus 360 degree views from the helm
- Starboard side wind screen: Taken from bigger Nordhavns, this door stops wind from funneling down the starboard side walkway and makes hanging out on the aft deck much more enjoyable
- Big “pass-through” window: The ultimate bridge between indoor cooking spaces and outdoor living
- Built-in seating and table in aft deck: Makes socializing in this area a no-brainer
- Controllable fridge/freezer drawers: Depending on need, you can set the temperature to perfectly chill drinks or crank down the setting when you need more freezer storage.
- Basement: A hatch in the Owner’s stateroom leads to a storage area in the front section of the hull.
- Upper aft dinghy garage: The amount of hidden storage on the dinghy deck eliminates the need for big storage boxes.
- Integral bow seating: Makes the bow useable outdoor space
- Hingeing arch: When folded, the arch brings the airdraft down to around 16’, necessary for buyers with Great Loop or European Canal aspirations.
“We have built about thirty different models and we’ve drawn on all the greatest components to help create an incredible boat,” said Leishman. “You could say that the N46II is the sum of everything Nordhavn has learned.”
For more information on the new Nordhavn 46II, please e-mail info@nordhavn.com or call 949-496-4848.
