Nordhavn Motorsailer hull #9 is currently at the docks of our Northeast Sales office in Portsmouth, RI. Her entire existence has been without an owner, but she’s hosted PAE staff and other Nordhavn owners on a number of daysails and extended charter trips. And each time, those who have had the pleasure of going out on her come back to the slip marveling about the fabulous time had aboard, immediately wondering, why has no one stepped up to purchase this boat? For the right person who isn’t intimidated by the concept of a power-sail hybrid, this boat is beyond ideal. And for buyers who pride themselves on getting not just a good deal, but a great deal, she is unequivocally the steal of the century. Inside, her interior is luxurious, she encourages social opportunities underway with the inclusion of the helmsman, has a gourmet galley for preparing insanely good meals, sleeps 6 very comfortably, is quiet, smooth, super efficient and elicits the kind of fun portrayed in magazine ads. And I can personally vouch for all this after getting to experience the magic of this boat for myself on a recent outing…
Due to the MS 56#9 being ownerless, and hence to keep her from atrophying due to lack of activity, the Nordhavn Northeast staff take it upon themselves to keep her in tip top shape by cleaning her and putting her through her paces so her systems stay purring. Last Friday, a particularly warm and cloudless day in southern New England was the ideal time to check on MS56#9 with a day sail. Salesman Dave Balfour put together a motley crew and off we went for a fabulous happy hour cruise around Narragansett Bay. On board to assist were Mike and Francie Bennett, and their pup, Morgan, who were visiting the area on their Nordhavn 40. I, and my two kids, James (10) and Sadie (7) rounded out the cast of shipmates.
Armed with plenty of snacks, juice boxes and beer, we headed out into the gorgeous late afternoon sun. Once out of the harbor, we hoisted the main and sailed for about 45 minutes to our destination of Potters Cove – just off Prudence Island, RI. We have spent much of the summer on Dave’s little 28-foot oldie-but-goody Irwin 10/4, where he’s been teaching young James to sail. Let’s just say when James saw that he only needed to press a button on the electric winch to raise the sail on the MS56, he wanted nothing more to do with Dave’s old sloop!
We sailed peacefully, and smoothly, which was especially appreciated by Sadie who is known for her weak stomach. No problems on this evening meant no chum for the local bluefish (much to mom’s relief)! The kids and I hung out on the foredeck taking in the scenery and the stares of the other boaters that passed by while Dave, Mike, Francie and Morgan played it cool inside.
Dave wanted to give up the helm to go check on things down below so Mike took over the wheel but was soon pushed aside by Sadie. Under Mike’s watchful eye, Sadie learned how easy it was to steer the mighty motorsailer.
We reached Potter’s Cove and James helped Dave drop anchor – again, reeling at how easy this push-button stuff was. No sooner did the stainless steel plough anchor finish sinking 24 feet to the bottom than the three kids (James, Sadie and Dave) jumped in to swim amok around the Bay. Water temps are in the low 70s – downright balmy for the area! While unruliness took place in the water, the remaining crew imbibed a few beers in the cockpit, lamenting the fact that we had no reason to fire up the outdoor barbecue. How awesome a few steaks (or turkey burgers in my case!) would have been at that moment.
More and more boaters filled in the cove around us, preparing to overnight. With a striking setting sun in the background, the three water rats each took their last jump off the side of the boat and ambled their way back up the swim ladder then made their way into the guest shower to rinse off the salt. They returned dressed, refreshed, and happily exhausted from all the swimming.
We fired up the engine and headed out so an incoming boat could slide into our highly coveted spot in the anchorage. It was getting dark now and some serious navigating needed to be done in the Bay. N56#9 has no electronics so we only had Dave’s iPhone and some paper charts to go by plus several sets of eyes. Thankfully, she is so easily maneuvered, we reached the marina in pure darkness without managing to get tangled up in any lobster pots along the way.
Her permanent slip is along a bulkhead so a combination of Dave and Mike expertly thrusted her into place. Piece of cake!
Five hours after we set out, and well past a certain two people’s bedtimes, we jumped in our car and headed home, simply in awe of the afternoon/evening cruise we just had. “If someone bought that boat, they could do that every day?” James asked. I nodded my head. “Wow,” he said. “I don’t think people know what they’re missing.”
James is right! People don’t know what they’re missing with this fantastic, capable, eco-friendly yacht, priced well below her value. To read more about the adventures taken on her, click here. Even better, set up your own inspection: contact us, and stop missing out!
Jennifer Stern is Director of Marketing at Nordhavn. She can be reached at jenny@nordhavn.com.