Nordhavn (yacht)

Nordhavn is a trade name of a line of ocean-going trawler-styled motor vessel designed and produced by Pacific Asian Enterprises, Inc. of Dana Point, California. The vessels, ranging from 40 to 120 feet (37 m) in length, are renowned for their structural strength and ability to cross oceans. They all have a raised forward pilothouse which is separate from the main salon and galley, or an aft deckhouse with the pilothouse raised on a second level above the salon. They also generally have full headroom in the engine room, and a single main engine with a "wing" 'get home' engine with separate prop shaft and a folding propeller. Nordhavn vessels are often purchased by liveaboards and a proportion of owners live aboard their vessel; often selling their homes to purchase a Nordhavn. Some models optionally have twin engines.

One 40-foot (12 m) 'stock' Nordhavn made history as the smallest production powered vessel to circumnavigate the world, from November 3, 2001 - June 30, 2002. It covered more than 24,000 miles (39,000 km) over some 170 days at sea, starting and ending its circumnavigation at Dana Point, California.

Nordhavn is a brand of motor vessel from Pacific Asian Enterprises, Inc. (PAE), based in Dana Point, California, USA. The company designs, builds and markets offshore passagemaking vessels ranging from 40 to 120 feet (12 to 37 m) in length. These motor vessels] travel at slow speeds - typically 7 to 10 knots (13 to 19 km/h) - but can cover thousands of miles on a single load of diesel fuel, and many have made long ocean passages. Most Nordhavn boats use a "dry stack" for exhaust (approximately vertical pipe from the engine) and a "keel cooler" (pipes under the hull) to take away excess engine heat. Most other vessels use a "wet exhaust," which draws in seawater to cool engine coolant in a heat exchanger. The "dry stack," which is used by most commercial boats, was chosen as it can be less troublesome.

The vessels are constructed under the supervision of PAE project managers by boatbulding companies in Taiwan (Ta Shing Yachts) and China (South Coast) with whom PAE has a long history. Most Nordhavns are sold and commissioned in the United States, but the company has a sales office and service facility in England, has a sales office in Australia, and Nordhavns are routinely delivered and commissioned in Europe, Asia, Australia and elsewhere.