Nordhavn trawlers are famous for taking their owners long distances. It’s also true that the lure of seeing a new Nordhavn can prompt Nordhavn owners to travel long distances even if only to spend a short time aboard.
Last month Nordhavn 40 #47 landed in Dana Point – the first flybridge edition to arrive on the west coast – and she is loaded; air conditioning, generator, wing engine, active fin stabilizers. Even the nav/com electronics package was installed at the yard. The opportunity to see a fresh, complete stock boat with nearly every factory option was too great of a temptation to resist for two east coast clients who are awaiting delivery of their own Nordhavn 40s.
I had a rare “double whammy” day with two pairs of owners in town to explore a sister ship and finalize details on their orders. Max Wallace and Diana Parrish have been signed up for 4053 for over a year and their patience in waiting to get on a 40II was rewarded with an enthusiastic reaction to how marvelously 4047 is constructed. Max and Diana live in North Carolina and decided to fly west for a “boat fix” and used this visit to confirm selections, take some measurements and get acquainted with what to expect when their new 40II arrives in Florida this fall.
John and Mary Torelli live in southern California and happened to be in town the same day for the same reasons as Max and Diana. This impromptu “mixer” was a great opportunity for both couples to share ideas and compare cruising plans. The Torellis plan to cruise their 40, hull 50, locally for the next few years. It will double as a waterfront home in San Diego during the week and a getaway ride on the weekends.
While we were all on board I got a call from Mark Doppe, the owner of 4047 who had a couple of questions about his new boat. It was fun to hand the phone over to both Max and John and let them exchange greetings and the excitement of buying a new Nordhavn.
After a fun-filled day aboard, literally exploring every nook and cranny, we all concluded that there were really not too many things we could come up with that might be improved upon. When you order the standard boat along with some of the essential factory options, you have a perfect long range adventurer that is not only capable of crossing oceans, but also exquisitely detailed with beautiful teak joinery and glistening glass work. I touched on a few of the improvements that differentiates the 40II from the original 40 when I first got on board one last December and it seems each time I get on the mark II version, I discover more and more subtle improvements. This really is a spectacular little ship!
Like 4047, hulls 50 and 53 will both be flybridge versions, so it was incredibly helpful to see how this layout works. The flybridge provides an outstanding additional “room” and has proven quite popular on the 40IIs. The flybridge option became available on the original 40s late in the production cycle so only a handful of them were ordered with flybridges. I have a feeling that we will see a greater percentage of 40IIs equipped with this upper station. The day ended with all of us celebrating together over dinner in a local seaside restaurant and I could sense that everyone at the table was ready for their boat …NOW!
The next day I was hustling around 4047 with Max who had returned for another look and we met up (coincidentally) with another North Carolinian couple, Billy and Linda Page. They too flew out specifically to see 4047 and were thrilled with how great 4047 was done. It was quite a justifiable week for a lot of travelers.
I have no doubt that the friendships formed during these on board encounters will provide an interesting reflection in the future when these yet unfinished 40IIs end up together someday in a faraway cove…
If you would like to schedule your own visit to see a Nordhavn 40II please get in touch with your sales contact, or feel free to contact me directly to set up an appointment. No matter how far you’ll need to travel I guarantee it will be worth the trip!