Last year was certainly a bustling one for Nordhavn. A firm re-entry into boat shows, continued robust sales of both new and used yachts, and a huge marketing push – that included the biggest gathering of Nordhavns and Nordhavn owners ever (the Nordhavn Owners Rendezvous in Victoria, BC), the re-launch of the brand’s in-house magazine plus the 2^nd Nordhavn Film Festival – kept the company busy all year long. One might wonder what Nordhavn could do to top it. Rest assured, 2023 is shaping up to be an even more exciting year. The Under Way newsletter team sat down for a Q&A with Nordhavn vice president and co-owner, Jim Leishman, to reflect on whether the sales successes of last year can continue and what else is in store.

Under Way: Let’s talk about 2022 for starters. How would you sum up last year as a whole for Nordhavn?

Jim Leishman: 2022 can be summed up as chaotic. We were still seeing effects of the boating craze brought on by Covid so there continued to be unprecedented demand. Trying to get a handle on that was challenging but then you throw in the supply chain problems and everything just ballooned. Companies you never thought would have issues couldn’t supply product. Shipping doubled in price. It was a crazy time of cost overruns– amounts that people would not have anticipated two years ago. Lead times kept getting longer and longer. We lost a few sales due to lead times, but it was like that everywhere. We had folks walk away from their production spots only to come back a few weeks later after learning that prolonged waits for new production was pretty much industry-wide.

We went big with marketing and promotions, too. Having paused everything for nearly three years, you want to jump back in with both feet, so we did. You kind of want to make up for lost time.

UW: So how will things with production and project completion change in 2023?

JL: We’re expecting to see some relief this year and into next. We should see improvement with the supply chain and a settling down of the increased costs. Already we’re starting to catch up and stabilize production. With materials supply improving we can focus on refinement. We’re also seeing a leveling off of sales – it’s starting to settle down to manageable levels. We’re fortunate in that some manufacturers really ramped up production to deal with increased sales and now they are stuck with inventory. We knew this wasn’t going to last forever so we didn’t try to scale up production. Honestly, we couldn’t. We were at full capacity and were already running into labor shortages pre-Covid. It’s correcting itself into an ideal situation. Now someone who wants to buy a boat doesn’t have to wait 2 ½ to 3 years. Now we can get you a boat, for the most part, in around 10 months. It’s just about right.

UW: What can we expect for new models in 2023?

JL: This year will be a big year for us with the launch of three new models. We are super excited about getting the Nordhavn 51 this year around the end of August. I think it’s going to be very popular.

UW: More popular than the 41?

JL: Yes, I think so. It’s kind of that ultimate couple’s yacht. The 41 is spectacular but it’s a small boat if you are looking for a long term cruising lifestyle. It’s not as well-suited for that type of cruising (although certainly some people are using it this way). The 51 is a boat you can completely immerse yourself in. Plenty of space. As far as extended cruising goes, it has all the conveniences that make it a comfortable yacht to be on for long periods of time. 

We’re also getting very close to the launch of the N625. We should see it arriving in Dana Point, CA, in March.

UW: What can you say about the N625?

JL: It’s based on the very proven hull of the N55 and N60. It is the next step in that evolution. The 60 has been our most successful project ever – over 100 boats off that mold. It started with the N55, which is an awesome boat, but when Jeff (Leishman, Nordhavn Chief of Design) extended the decks and turned it into the 60, it became a really pretty boat. Now he’s done the same thing with the 625. You take the same profile, add some shape. The 625 takes a big step forward in terms of styling.

UW: And you think we’ll be able to see the Nordhavn 71 in 2023?

JL: I do. Hopefully the end of the year. It’s on track to arrive in December.

UW: What will people be most impressed about with the N71?

JL: The boat sits in between the 68 and 76, and blends the best of what these two boats have to offer. But size wise she is much more comparable to a 76. If you think about it, the 76 was originally based on the 72 hull; the 68 is based on the 64. Feels bigger, beefier, has a longer waterline. She also is a much more modern offering. She has the styling updates we’ve been incorporating into the newest models. The updates are what bring it to a more contemporary boat. 

UW: What promotional undertakings does Nordhavn have lined up this year? Can you possibly top the marketing efforts of 2022?

JL: We’ve got some very exciting things planned for this year. We are looking forward to some more boat show activity. We were pleased to get back to exhibiting in the Annapolis and Newport, Rhode Island shows last year. This year we are aiming to do the Newport Beach Boat Show happening in a couple months here on the west coast. Also, our new Australia rep will be exhibiting a new Nordhavn 41 for us in the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show this May in Australia. 

We’re also very excited about the company taking over a Nordhavn 41.

UW: Like you did with the boat in the Bahamas last year?

JL: Yes, in fact, we are going to do this year what we had intended to do with the #10 boat last year. The original owner of hull #19 fell ill and opted out of his contract. Instead of re-selling, we decided to use it as a company demonstrator boat. It will ship to Seattle and will be taken to Alaska to explore this summer. We will alternate crews just as we did with that #10 boat in the Bahamas and US east coast. It gives the entire company time on the boat to experience it and gives us a chance to show it off in a different type of cruising setting. We’ll then put it in the Seattle Boat Show in September.

UW: It all sounds like folks have another very interesting year of Nordhavn activity to look forward to.

JM: We learned a lot from the past two years. I think 2023 will have the benefit of all that hindsight. I certainly am looking forward to it!