[PUP] Suitable boats

[Milt Baker]

Good for you, Sonaia!  You tell it like it is!  

Guys:  In case you are now aware, after taking their boat on its own bottom to Fort Lauderdale from California, Sonaia and her captain, Chris Samuelson, crossed the Atlantic eastbound in 2004 on the Nordhavn Atlantic Rally and have been cruising the Med in their N57 Goleen ever since.  They are the real deal, and Sonaia knows of whence she speaks.  I hope to follow in their wake this summer on Med Bound 2007 and rendezvous with them in the Med.  My first mate (er, admiral) would agree with all the Sonaia has said here--and is looking forward to crossing the Atlantic this summer in her safe, comfy Nordhavn.

As the organizer of Med Bound 2007, I sought diligently to find other makes of motor yachts to cross with us.  Alas, it was not to be.  Though it wasn't planned that way, we will be an all-Nordhavn rally: 10 Nordhavns, half going Lauderdale to Bermuda to Newport and the rest continuing on to the Azores and Gibraltar.  

Where, I wonder, are the other ocean-crossing passagemaking motoryachts?  From what I can see, damned few of them are out there crossing oceans, but there are a lot of folks on the sidelines talking about the ABILITY of their boats to cross oceans.  To be sure, there are non-Nordhavns crossing oceans, but when one looks at the numbers of yachts under 100 feet there are more Nordhavns doing it than all other brands combined.

Bash Nordhavns all you like.  When the time comes to cross an ocean in a "small" motoryacht, not many of us out there doing is would like to do so in anything else.   

--Milt Baker, Nordhavn 47 Bluewater




Hi Guys,

I opened my gmail today and I found over 30 emails back and forth about you
guys discussing an array of different subjects and I thought like putting my
nose in it too for a bit.
This 'discussion' of yours about the Nordhavn's are fascinating to read. In
one way or another, almost all of you have a good point about this subject:

BOB: "So come on guys, lets encourage all folks who are interested in
passagemaking, and not make this the "Nordhavn club".

Absolutely! Lets give incentive to more people to get rid of their fears and
anxieties and to be able to experience what we power/sail 'boaters' are
experiencing.  BUT, and that is a BIG BUT, hopping that THEY KNOW WHAT THEY
ARE DOING when they do finally purchase a boat that may haven't been tried
exhaustively by the company owners and some private owners and that can give
you a testimony by EXPERIENCE that the boat is safe and seaworthy.

Just to exemplify what I am talking about. We went to the Dusseldorf last
boat show in Germany a couple of months ago and we visited the the most
talked about boat of the show which was this 'thing' called 'Bandido', a
motorboat 90 feet long with a lot of steel, built by Drettman.
www.bandido-yachts.com
The boat is big, expensive as hell ( I stick to my Nordhavn 57 at any day of
the year!) full of non sense stuff including the shock of my life: THE
GALLEY HAD A CERAMIC STOVE TOP! I almost fell with horror to think that a
boat that was supposed to be build to go to sea ( as they claim) has a
ceramic, shinning and impossibly slippery top with no protection whats or
ever around, could be aloud to be fitted!
Are they kidding? Have this people EVER been at sea before and tried to cook
at least once? And this is only one aspect of a very big boat with many
complex systems to go wrong in the wrong places of the 'seven seas' as they
put it.
YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN? I guess Peter does.

ALAN: "It does, although the "get the next best and bigger model"is hardly
unique -- Nordhavn has certainly done a wonderful job in its
implementation.  The reference to "hype" was to ability of companies to
market their next or "better" or "bigger" model to produce sales.

YES, they are good on that but Alan, PAE does't ONLY do good publicity and
feed the 'hype', to get sales sailing, they get their hands dirty and they
experience themselves what they preach with success and that is something to
REALLY consider here. Also, everytime we needed them in the middle of
nowhere or in a busy city, they where there for us. They ALWAYS picked up
their phones and gave us support an that is important too and only who have
been out there and needed this kind of customer service will understand what
I am saying. So, when one buys a Nordhavn, one is not only buing a good and
seawothy boat, one is bying a very important package that cames with it too.
(again, my humble opinion, though)

PETER: "On the issue of hype that you mention you have got this completely
wrong in my view. This implies that people purchase Nordhavn's on hype
rather than experience, hard cold research, and perspicacity. The profile I
have of a typical Nordhavn owner is someone who has an engineering/quality
type background. Commercial airline pilots certainly stands out as one major
background."

In opinion you are SPOT ON Peter!

My captain and partner in life Chris Samuelson who is not only is a VERY
SMART GUY but was one of the biggest boat builder in England in the 80's
and has been sailing since the was 4 years old and is a very successful
business man, has spent a long time on researching many different
boats before he chose our Nordhavan 57 almost 4 years ago. After a lot of
consideration, he decided to put his faith in PAE and the Nordhavn's sea
worthiness and told me that he wouldn't go out to sea with anything else
(his personal opinion, of course).  To be honest, I haven't been at sea with
'anything else' but I am really happy to stick with our Goleen, though.

When I started cruising I didn't know anything about boating AT ALL. The two
of us did a lot of trips on our own on manacing waters and I must say that
it was a very steep learn curve INDEED for me but one thing that I NEVER
felt was that I was unsafe, that the boat wouldn't take it. She looked after
us every time we needed her to look after us. Cracking boat!

When you guys talk about this and that regarding the cruising world and
experiences, you talk from a 'male' perspective which is a whole different
ball game from us 'girls'.  It is a lot about technicalities, bits and
bolts, spare parts and engines... a bit tougher and braver world, even if it
is sometimes only to look and feel good.
Us 'girls' see the cruising world and life in a different light and being
anxious about a passage is a recipe for seasickness and many other abhorrent
feelings.
The bottom line is that feeling/being safe is PARAMOUNT and I do HOPE that
all of you guys and girls out there that are about to buy a new boat,
Nordhavn or not, do your research well and make sure that the beauty and the
sea worthiness of your new purchase is not left behind in 'terra firma'  on
those glossy brochures/magazines when you go for a long passage or Ocean
crossing.

All the best to you all.

Sonaia Hermida
Goleen's  Nordhan 5729 first mate, admiral and everything in between