Boat & Sail

Builder · Luxury · Dana Point, California

Nordhavn

California heritage long-range trawler builder, 1979-founded. Family-held by the Leishman family. Full-displacement passagemakers 41 to 120 feet.

Nordhavn passagemaker at coastal cruise
Founded
1979
Headquarters
Dana Point, California
Ownership
Pacific Asian Enterprises (private, family-held)
Tier
Luxury
Website
nordhavn.com

Nordhavn is the heritage full-displacement long-range trawler builder, founded in 1979 by Pacific Asian Enterprises in Dana Point, California. The Leishman family has owned PAE throughout. Hulls are built at PAE's owned facilities in Asia and finished at the Dana Point campus.

The brand argument is the full-displacement hull form for unlimited offshore range. Nordhavn passagemakers are designed for trans-ocean cruising and have documented circumnavigations and Atlantic / Pacific crossings under owner power.

Lineup

Current platforms.

Model breakdown

Each platform, what it does and where it falls short.

Nordhavn N41 / N51 / N56 / N63 / N68 / N71 / N86 / N96 / N120

The N-series is the volume passagemaker line. Single Lugger or twin Cummins diesel inboard, full-displacement hull, walk-around side decks, master stateroom plus crew quarters on the larger hulls.

Things we like

  • · Full-displacement hull gives unlimited offshore range and segment-leading sea-keeping
  • · Documented trans-ocean crossings under owner power

Things we don't

  • · Top-end speed limited to 8 to 10 knots
  • · Pricing pushes into superyacht territory at the larger hulls

Buyer's guide

The Nordhavn story and what to know on the used market.

Origin and ownership

Nordhavn was founded in 1979 by Pacific Asian Enterprises in Dana Point, California. The Leishman family has owned PAE throughout. The N46 platform was the original hull and established the brand argument.

Production has stayed under family control. PAE has not been acquired or licensed.

Design philosophy

Nordhavn uses full-displacement hull form (typically 4 to 8 degrees at the transom). The hull is designed for sustained passage-making at 7 to 9 knots with full bunker capacity.

Single-engine Lugger or twin-engine Cummins is the standard rigging on the smaller hulls; twin diesel and full machinery space on the larger hulls.

Used-market notes and known issues

Lugger diesel service intervals on N-series hulls are 250 hours.

Teak deck wear is a documented cost item on the larger hulls.

Get-home wing engine on twin-engine N-series is a 5-year inspection item.

Dealer network concentrated in Pacific Northwest, East Coast, and Mediterranean.

Resale

Nordhavn holds resale among the strongest in the heritage long-range trawler segment. Three-year depreciation runs 5 to 12 percent. Five-year depreciation runs 12 to 22 percent.

Where Nordhavn fits

Buyers cross-shop Nordhavn against Selene, Kadey-Krogen, and the larger Grand Banks. The argument is full-displacement passagemaking and family-held production discipline.

FAQ

Frequently asked.

Can a Nordhavn cross oceans?
Yes, that is the design intent. Documented Atlantic and Pacific crossings under owner power are common across the N-series. Full bunker capacity on the smaller N46 and N51 supports 3,000-mile passages without refueling.
Nordhavn vs Selene?
Both full-displacement passagemakers. Nordhavn has the longer brand heritage and family-held production discipline. Selene gives slightly larger volume per LOA. Cross-shop on dealer proximity and specific layout preference.
What's the maintenance cost on an N51?
Annual service on Lugger 6068 diesel runs $3,500 to $5,500. Bottom paint $1,500 to $3,000. Storage $3,500 to $8,000. Insurance for a $1.8M hull runs $9,000 to $14,000.
Where are Nordhavns built?
Hulls built at PAE's owned facilities in Asia, finished at the Dana Point, California campus.

Compare

Categories Nordhavn fits.

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