Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2009/09/18
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]*Simon,* * Nordhavn is a brand of a company formed in the 70s, Pacific Asian Enterprises, to design and market ocean going trawlers and motorsailers. The boats are constructed in Taiwan. The smallest boat in the Nordhavn lineup is a 35 ft. coastal cruiser. The ocean going trawlers start at 40 ft. and then increase in size in approximately three foot intervals up to 73 feet. They feature heavily constructed, full displacement hulls, moderately powered with industrial grade diesel engines. A Nordhavn 40 was the first production powerboat boat to circumnavigate the globe, although the trip had been made many times before by sailboats as small as 19 feet. The biggest problem the Nordhavn encountered was assuring an adequate fuel supply, almost running out of fuel on the leg from California to Hawaii. The power source for sailboats, the wind, is free and in infinite supply. Nordhavns have the reputation of the "pocket battleships" of recreational trawlerdom. Most boaters will find the boat an inadequate "summer cottage" since construction to withstand the full fury of the elements makes the boats heavy and limits interior accommodation. Not many of us care to cross oceans at 7 miles an hour.* * I've sailed on several Nordhavns. Once as far as Bermuda from the US east coast. I have great respect for the integrity of the boats, sort of like Leica cameras, but they are overkill for the type of boating I do now. I'm sure that's more than you want to know but if you need more information, check out the web site at:www.nordhavn.com/* * Larry Z*