Sources familiar with the schedule say the new boat, a kind of “Back to the Future” design from the builders of the venerated Mason line of bluewater sailboats, will slide down the ways in An Ping Harbor in Taiwan on September 20.  Initial sea trials will follow — powered because the sail rig won’t be installed until the boat arrives by ship in Dana Point, Californaia.  The new boat will then be movied to Kaohsiung for shipping to the States.  The exact shipping date hasn’t been set yet, but is expected to come fairly quickly.  One surmises the boat could be on this side of the Pacific by early to mid-November if all goes well.

Credit: PAE - Portside Rendering of Nordhavn 56 Motorsailer Under Sail

There is extreme interest in the new Nordhavn 56 Motorsailer.  I wrote about it here on OceanLines and the story has been one of the top three on this site since it went up.  Clearly, people are interested in whether the new technology motorsailer will be able to satisfy voyagers looking for a less fuel-dependent vessel.  With its diesel propulsion system optimized for fuel efficiency, and the potential to extend range inifinitely by hoisting the sails, the 56MS might be just the boat for the Green Revolution.  It certainly doesn’t forego the luxury interior of the rest of the Nordhavn line and with a well-ballasted, full-displacement hull, travelers won’t have to live their entire life at a ten degree heel angle.

As soon as we have new photos of the boat, we’ll get them posted here.  In the meantime, tell us what you think about the potential of motorsailers.

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