First Nordhavn 63, named Silver Spray -- Photo by Owner, Courtesy of PAE

Pacific Asian Enterprises, Inc., yesterday released the first published performance data for the new Nordhavn 63.  The data are from the first hull, Silver Spray, which was just delivered to its owner at PAE’s Stuart, Florida commissioning facility.  As you can see in the accompanying photo above, taken by the yacht’s owner, the N63 truly looks like the “next-generation” N62, the aft-pilothouse trawler that was a customer and fan favorite all through its production run.  PAE has a lot riding on this yacht and it could become the right model to help bring the next generation of luxury distance-cruising boaters to the brand.  It’s large enough to accommodate truly sumptuous appointments, yet small enough to be easily handled by a couple without crew.

The First Nordhavn 63, Silver Spray -- Photo Courtesy of PAE

In the table below, you can see that the sweet spot for cruising will be a little more than 8 knots.  The fuel consumption basically doubles from 8.1 knots to 9.30 knots.  And of course, as with nearly every other hull like this, if you slow down you get better range.  Here you can see the NMPG at 7.55 knots is 1.42, which is very good performance for a yacht that displaces about 143,000 lbs.

The N63 hull incorporates an interesting design detail called a “maintenance strake.”  We wrote about it here.

You can download the complete performance data sheet here.

Here is a link to the Nordhavn 63 webpage for full specs and information.

 Nordhavn 63 Cruise Performance Data

*Performance based on average of 2 reciprocal-course runs.  Data from Nordhavn 6301, equipped with a single Lugger 1276, and a 5-bladed 42″ x 29.5″ P Hung Shen prop.

Copyright © 2011 by OceanLines LLC.  All rights reserved.

First Photo of the Nordhavn 120 with hull, deck and pilothouse joined. Photo: P.A.E.

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First Photos of the Nordhavn 120 with hull, deck and pilothouse joined. Photo: P.A.E.

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First Photos of the Nordhavn 120 with hull, deck and pilothouse joined. Photo: P.A.E.

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Copyright © 2011 by OceanLines LLC.  All rights reserved.

Latest exterior rendering of the new Nordhavn 120 under construction -- Courtesy of P.A.E.

Pacific Asian Enterprises, Inc., said last night that progress continues with the build process on its first true superyacht, the Nordhavn 120.  According to the company, the hull and deck are joined, while the engine beds have been made and are ready for installation of the main engines (twin MTU 8V 2000 M72′s, rated at 965 HP at 2,250 RPM).  The company also provided these new renderings of the exterior and stateroom and salon.

Updated rendering of stateroom on the new Nordhavn 120 - Courtesy of P.A.E.

Delivery is scheduled for mid-2012, which is about as specific as you can be more than a year out from the milestone.  A new interior designer has been chosen for hull number one.  PAE said,

Destry Darr has been commissioned to develop a high-end custom interior for hull one. The look will be simple and elegant yet contemporary in its styling. African cherry has been selected as the primary hardwood to be used throughout.

Updated rendering of the salon on the new Nordhavn 120 - Courtesy of P.A.E.

The N120, when delivered, will supplant the N86 as the queen of the 16-yacht Nordhavn fleet, with a cool 80 feet between the smallest and largest member.  The N120 is ABS-classed and designed and built to be certified to any international classification chosen by a buyer.  Classification decisions by an owner normally depend on the intended use of the yacht (charter vs. private use) and may be dictated in some cases by an owner’s insurance company.  Formal classification can involve a relatively significant expense to an owner, mainly due to the constant inspections and reviews required during the construction process, but as the size of the yacht increases, the cost as a percentage of the overall build declines and may be worthwhile in any event if the yacht is to be chartered.

You can read our earlier coverage of the Nordhavn 120 here.

A quick reminder of the N120 specs:

LOA:                                                   120’ 7”
LWL:                                                   108’ 4”
BEAM:                                                27’ 11”
BWL:                                                  27’ 10 ½”
DRAFT (FULL LD):                          9’
DISPLACEMENT (HALF):              740,992 lbs.
DISPLACEMENT (FULL):              848,994 lbs.
DISPLACEMENT (EMPTY):          668,890 lbs.
CP:                                                     .57
D/L (HALF)                                        251
A/B:                                                     2.25/1
WATER:                                             2,800 GALS.
FUEL:                                                 17,500 GALS.
BLACK WATER:                              300 GALS.
GRAY WATER                                 300 GALS.

Copyright © 2011 by OceanLines LLC.  All rights reserved.

P.A.E. today confirmed that hull #1 of the new Nordhavn 63 is in final preparation for shipment from the factory in China to Florida, where it will be commissioned and available for inspection. The N63 is a development of the N55/N60 series, with new deck and engine room molds. With its beam narrower than the N62, it will fit in places the latter cannot.

Bow-on Shot of the New Nordhavn 63

The N63 is described by PAE as an aft-wheelhouse version of the N60, retaining some of the saltiness of the original N62 but with the narrower beam.  In the accompanying photos, you can see it in the “tank” at the factory in China undergoing its first tests and systems checks. P.A.E. President Dan Streech told me yesterday that they hope to ship the boat by mid-September and have it available for viewing by the end of October.

Stern View of the New Nordhavn 63

Port Bow Photo of New Nordhavn 63

View of Foredeck on New Nordhavn 63

Port Quarter View of New Nordhavn 63

Starboard Quarter View of New Nordhavn 63

Portuguese Bridge on New Nordhavn 63

Copyright © 2010 by OceanLines LLC.  All rights reserved.

The Nordhavn 86

I know this one stretches the price range for many of us, but not all. So I thought we should take a look at a specific Nordhavn 86 that PAE is building in China and which is currently lacking an owner. The Nordhavn 86 is still the queen of the fleet — until the N120 is launched — and it is safe to say there are very few yachts like it. Here are a couple of gee whiz items on the N86:

• Her fully loaded displacement of more than 400,000 lbs. is equal to that of many megayachts in the 120-foot to 140-foot class.
• At a long-range economical cruise speed of just under 8 knots, the N86 has a range of more than 5,000 miles.
• Not counting the genny fuel burn, that’s about 1 mpg, which is incredible when you think of that much mass moving smoothly and relentlessly through the ocean.
• At wide-open throttle (2150 rpm), she will easily top 12 knots and has been run as high as 12.8 knots. Even then she’s only burning approximately 45 gph. Check out the ACTUAL performance stats of the N86 here.
• Her massive 4.59:1 reduction gear costs as much as one of the main engines.
• Her 24-foot beam is half the length of the house I grew up in (ok, I couldn’t resist that one).
• The N86 is the first ABS-certified (with +A1 Yachting Service rating for the hull and AMS rating for machinery and installation) yacht built in China; adding MCA certification to allow full charter use is straightforward.
• Special vibration-damping materials are bult into the hull layup directly above the propeller rotation plane.

Nordhavn 86 Pilothouse

As the largest yacht currently in the Nordhavn line, the N86 is normally run with a crew, not that there’s anything inherently more complex about such a yacht, just that there’s so much more OF it. Then again, that size makes possible some amazing possibilities, like the double master on the pilothouse level, which could also be a master and sky lounge. Perhaps you’d like to turn some of that rooftop acreage into a nice sunpad? No problem; just done on N86-07.

Nordhavn 86 engine room

You might notice the wet exhaust system on the N86 and think that was unusual for a Nordhavn, but in this case, with the big MTU twins, wet exhausts simply allow more flexibility with interior design. Running that much hot exhaust plumbing up through the interior doesn’t make sense.

At this level of yacht-building, many of the things that might be considered options at lower levels are standard. Some examples from the N86 overview:

An extensive list of standard machinery details includes a central hydraulics with 20-square-foot stabilizers, 50 hp bow and stern thrusters, hydraulic bilge pumping and anchor wash downs, high output hydraulic alternators and 8kw inverter system, dual Northern light 33kw generators, a universal AC electrical system for world wide use, 3,500 lb. Marquipt davit, chilled water air-conditioning system, two (2) 1,000 gallons-per-day water makers, automatic engine room and lazarette fire system with ventilation dampeners, an on-deck Jacuzzi and much more.

In fact, with the options already incorporated into N86-09, about the only extra equipment required for commissioning will be electronics and tenders. With its master and captain’s cabins, three additional staterooms and crew quarters for four, an extended family could easily enjoy several years of world cruising on the N86.

Take a good look at the general arrangement drawings here, as well as the standard specifications sheet, and especially the price sheet for N86-09 as currently being built. With a base price — fully commissioned on the West Coast of the U.S. — of $6.75 million, she’s not as expensive as some of the fast, planing bleach bottles of her size class.  This yacht has several additional options already specified that bring her price to $7.3 million. You don’t often see this kind of detailed information about a build in-progress.  PAE says this yacht is looking for an owner and one thing is clear, whoever buys this yacht will indeed be getting the very top of the line. Who says the queen can’t be bought?

Copyright © 2010 by OceanLines LLC.  All rights reserved.

Nordhavn 75 EYF Without Flybridge

Pacific Asian Enterprises said on its website that it has developed a version of its 75 Expedition Yacht Fisher (EYF) without the expansive flybridge common to most sportfishing battlewagons. The change acknowledges the cruising half of this split-personality ocean-going yacht and gives it a more conventional “Norhdavn look.”

I took the liberty of scanning a print of a high-res pdf file of the new profile and layout, which you see here in this article. You can click on the image above for a larger view of it and if you’d like to download the original pdf file, just click here.

According to Chief of Design Jeff Leishman, the design caters to the client who “likes the wide-open layout of the EYF, but doesn’t necessarily need a tower to seek out big game fish.” The boat’s upper deck and huge cockpit provide owners plent of great spaces to sunbathe or entertain al fresco, according to the company.  “And it’s already set up so that if you want to fish, dive, or cruise extensively, all you need to do is pick a destination and go. It’s just a variation of the current Yachtfisher,” says PAE’s vice president Jim Leishman. “I think it will emphasize the versatility of this model.”

Copyright © 2010 by OceanLines LLC.  All rights reserved.

Preliminary Layout for New Nordhavn 78 -- Drawings Courtesy of P.A.E.

P.A.E. has released preliminary layout details for its new Nordhavn 78 long-range motoryacht.  The plans reveal a focus on outside entertaining and roomy berthing spaces. Clicking on the drawing above will open a larger view that can be magnified somewhat to show more detail.

The plans show a spacious owner’s cabin just forward of amidships and oriented fore-and-aft. A sitting area to port and a desk to starboard are complemented by a large head aft and to port, with a walk-in dressing area aft and to starboard. A guest stateroom is farther aft and features twin berths, a spacious head and storage closet. A dedicated laundry room is also on the same aft level.

The main guest stateroom is forward, accessed down a stairway from the pilothouse and features lots of storage and a head between it and the owner’s suite aft (let’s specify extra sound insulation in that bulkhead). The guest suit also has room to port for a small desk or dressing table.

For the crew, there is a captain’s cabin, with a small head in the aft end of the pilothouse; the main quarters being all the way aft, entered normally through a transom door, but also accessible through a hatch in the aft end of the engine room. Another door at the forward end of the engine room leads to the smaller guest suite and laundry room.

The nominal layout for the saloon shows a dining table for eight to port, with sofa and two chairs to starboard. The galley is forward and to port and puts the stove on the large, aft-facing counter, with a raised counter above it and three bar stools on the other side for informal dining or conversation with the chef. The aft cockpit looks roomy and uncluttered, with a long bench along the curved transom with a table in front of it for dining. Curved steps lead down to the swim platform from both corners of the transom.

Up a few steps forward into the pilothouse and you come into a large, comfortable-looking space. Twin helm chairs, with the main instrument panel and controls on the left side and complemented by a large desk/chart space to port and a huge, u-shaped settee and table aft. Sliding doors on either side of the pilothouse lead to wide walkways, which can be followed forward to a large sunpad on the forward deckhouse.

The flybridge is accessed from a starboard stairwell in the pilothouse. There are twin helm chairs forward and to port, and a circular table and chairs behind that. To starboard is an outdoor galley and curved bar. Aft are the Jacuzzi to port and an L-shape settee to starboard. The boat deck is all the way aft and this drawing shows a davit to port and a moderately large Nautica center-console RIB tied down athwartships.

As with most Nordhavns in this size, there is likely to be plenty of flexibility for owners to customize the layouts, particularly on the main deck.

Copyright © 2010 by OceanLines LLC

P.A.E. Artist's Rendering of New Nordhavn 78 With Blue Hull

Pacific Asian Enterprises, Inc., today announced that it was building a new 78-foot yacht that fuses traditional Nordhavn passagemaking design with “European” styling.  The project is already underway and the first hull will be complete in 2011, according to P.A.E.  First public reveal of the new project is planned for next week, with a press event at the Dusseldorf Boat Show.

Here are the details announced today, taken from the P.A.E. press release:

The N78 will serve to fulfill the needs of the class of boater who wants the proven ocean-crossing capabilities of a Nordhavn combined with the sleek lines comprised by typical European-style yachts. “This design will appeal to a whole faction of clientele who tend not to prefer the traditional expedition-type look of a Nordhavn,” says PAE’s vice president, Jim Leishman. “The N78 will evoke a contemporary European feel without losing the dynamic of being a Nordhavn.”

Key to the design is the emphasis Chief Designer Jeff Leishman has placed on outdoor living, starting with the flybridge. The N78’s flybridge will feature a Jacuzzi, wetbar, barbecue and a large open deck area perfect for entertaining. Meanwhile, the foredeck – a typical lounging hotspot on most European boats – has been designated the ideal outdoor “chilling space.” The cockpit of the N78 has been opened up, too, further enhancing entertaining possibilities.

Another draw of the new 78 is that it better segregates the crew from the owners and their guests. Like the entire Nordhavn product range (with the exception of the N120), the N78 was intended to be operated without a captain. However, Leishman has designed engine room access in the transom so that employed crew can enter the area without impacting company on board.

The new N78 will come equipped with twin engines, have ocean-crossing capabilities with a range of 3,000+ miles and superior fuel efficiency. The interior will feature an updated, modern design aesthetic that includes sumptuous owners’ accommodations and two superb guest rooms all with ensuite heads; crew quarters and off-watch quarters.

Although the lines of the N78 will have a European flair, Nordhavn feels the yacht will appeal to international and American markets alike. “The beauty of this design is that it’s a Nordhavn, so you’ve got comfort and confidence while underway, but the benefits will be realized when you’re not passagemaking,” notes Nordhavn Europe’s Philip Roach. “The added elements will really allow you to enjoy your time on board once you’ve arrived.”

LOA:                                       78′-1 1/4″ (23.8m)
LWL:                                       69′ 0″   (21.03 m)
BEAM:                                    21′ 0″   (6.4 m)
DRAFT:                                  7′ 8″   (2.34 m)
DISPLACEMENT:                252,000 LBS   (114.3 METRIC TONS)
WATER:                                 600 GALLONS  (2,271 LITERS)
FUEL:                                     5700 GALLONS  (21,575 LITERS)
HOLDING TANK:                 300 GALLONS  (1,135 LITERS)
GRAY WATER:                    300 GALLONS   (1,135 LITERS)
PROPULSION:                     Twin  Cummins QSM11DM-425 Engines
HORSEPOWER:                 425 HP@1800 RPM

Material taken from P.A.E. press release

Copyright © 2010 by OceanLines LLC

GSSR Route Map Showing Progress to Date -- Image Courtesy of Ken Williams

Ken Williams aboard Sans Soucireports that the Great Siberian Sushi Run has reached Japan, although the arrival there apparently had a number of unexpected events.  In a somewhat ironic twist of fate, the crewmembers of Sans Souci, the first Nordhavn 68, and Seabird and Grey Pearl (both Nordhavn 62s) couldn’t find an open sushi restaurant on arrival day and some of them, at least, ended up dining on Chinese cuisine.  More alarming was the fact that Sans Soucicrewmember Shelby (the dog) was not allowed to immigrate into Japan due to what Ken describes as a stunningly bureaucratic paperwork issue.  A “Free Shelby!” movement has begun within a Yahoo discussion group known as the Nordhavn Dreamers, with a groundswell (seaswell?) of support for the sole canine aboard.

The GSSR fleet is moored at a marina in Tomakomai on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.  The three ships made a five day passage south from the Russian port city of Petropavlovsk on the Kamchatka peninsula.  Ken Williams reports in his latest blog entry that the passage was without bad weather and that the worst complication was navigating through fields of fishing buoys.  His post has some interesting screen shots taken from the radar displays that nicely illustrate the navigational challenge.

Next stop for the group, and last official stop on the GSSR route, will be the huge port city of Yokohama, on the “main” island of Honshu.  Yokohama is the big industrial port inside Tokyo Bay.  Readers who are considering a stop in Japan should read the latest blog entry from Ken as he describes in typical high-resolution detail the challenges of international immigration; not just for crew but also for the boat. 

Copyright © 2009 OceanLines LLC

N6301 Hull With Maintenance Strake Highlighted -- Original Photo Courtesy of PAE

We ran a story yesterday with some new photos of the Nordhavn 63 debut hull in construction at the factory in China.  As many of our readers know, part of the Nordhavn “mystique” is a result of the reputation of its full-displacement, bluewater hull designs.  These are the products of PAE’s chief designer Jeff Leishman, younger brother of one of the company’s co-founders and design contributors, Jim Leishman.  Over the years, the basic hull designs have been continually refined and have benefited from tank testing and analysis.  If you look closely at one of the photos from yesterday’s article, which I have marked up here with a black oval and arrow, you will see a somewhat unusual appendage on the bottom of the hull where the keel fairs into the flatter line of the hull bottom.  It looks in this angle to be a kind of bulbous addition to the hull.  Being a reporter and not afraid of my own naiveté, I decided to ask PAE’s Dan Streech about it.

“We call those ‘maintenance strakes’,” says Streech.  “They provide the room inside of the boat to walk around the engine.”  It sounds like an interesting way to add depth to the engine room.  Obviously, it would slightly increase the displacement of the hull, but I wondered how they came up with this idea and what the effect is, hydrodynamically speaking that is.  The answer Streech provided sheds a little light on the nearly unlimited sources of imagination and inspiration of the Leishmans.  According to Streech, “Jeff and Jim conceived and invented those while sitting on a turbo-prop plane and noticing all of the bumps, bulges and nacelles which didn’t seem to prevent the plane from flying.”  Streech adds, “We tank-tested them and actually found a reduction in drag (for reasons which were never fully explained).”

Cessna Caravan with Baggage Fairing -- Photo: Wikipedia Common License

In the photo above, you see a Cessna Caravan, a turbo-prop-powered passenger and utility plane which uses a large faired extension on its fuselage (the “hull” of an airplane) to achieve a similar capacity increase.  Given that the aircraft is not designed for speeds higher than a couple of hundred miles per hour (relatively slow in commercial aviation terms) the drag penalty is negligible.  It would probably be somewhat different if the Caravan were intended to fly supersonically, but that’s a different kettle of fish.

Copyright © 2009 OceanLines LLC