You see it all the time in car sales advertisements: Schedule a test drive today! Sure, after driving around in a car for a half-hour, you get a pretty good sense for what your daily commutes would feel like. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as that when it comes to boat buying, especially when the boat you are looking to buy is a Nordhavn, meant not so much to be “driven” as it is to be experienced. Even if test drives were a thing, going nowhere for two hours won’t exactly give you a true feel for what passagemaking is about.
Thankfully, a relatively simple way to get an authentic Nordhavn test experience does exist. Hire a Nordhavn for charter.
Chartering not only mimics the sort of real-life long-range adventures of actual owners, some charters will provide you with valuable cruising practice, the kind of hands-on training that’s necessary to have prior to running your own boat. It used to not be so easy to find a Nordhavn-for-hire, but today there are Nordhavn charters located in almost any part of the world you wish to explore, including the Caribbean and Mexico, the Pacific Northwest, the Indian Ocean, and Europe.
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“Chartering a Nordhavn is definitely a great opportunity for a Nordhavn dreamer to experience the life of an owner,” said Jason De Kruyf, who along with wife, Kate, offer their Nordhavn 40 Uno Mas up for charter in Anacortes, WA. “We have had potential charterers let us know that they are actively shopping for a Nordhavn and would love to charter in order to experience the boat.”
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Most of the Nordhavns available for charter are run through charter companies which provide captains for the trip. Doug Corley owns Nordhavn 55 Penalty Box III, and offers his boat through Northwest Explorations as a bareboat charter, meaning a captain and crew will be provided upon request. But if someone has their license or already knows how to operate a Nordhavn or wants to learn, they can complete a course that would enable them to run their own (rented) ship. It’s how Corley and his family approached their own charter and purchasing journey. The Corleys had limited prior experience and opted to participate in a multi-day training session. “Learning the systems as well as the skills necessary for close-quarter maneuvering was fantastic and gave us the confidence to go out on our own,” Corley said. “Upon completion of this course, we were approved to take out a charter boat and captained our own adventure.”
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Still there are other charters where relaxation and adventure are the sole priority. Bob Giles, who charters out his fully-crewed Nordhavn 96 VivieRae II says his charter guests are there to be just that – guests. “Folks are on this boat for pleasure,” he said. The luxury yacht has a chef and two stews to serve guests’ on-board needs and is equipped with all the water toys, dive equipment, fishing gear – plus three tenders – necessary for ocean adventure enjoyment to the highest degree.
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Most of the hireable Nordhavns focus on a single general area for trip destinations, but when asked what itineraries are possible with VivieRae II, Giles offers a very indiscriminate response. “Thailand in January, Maldives in February and March, and the Med April through September.” Of course, it’s because he’s constantly using his boat. The adventures of Giles and VivieRae II are well documented on nordhavn.com, and he’s a staunch supporter of the principle that Nordhavns are meant to be used and not sitting at a dock. He’s got a crew to take care of that end for him, but he likes the idea of chartering to help offset the costs of ownership. He found success with chartering his previous Nordhavn 86 VivieRae and discovered it was a practical way to help balance the finances of operating the boat. While he hasn’t had much opportunity to provide his N96 for charter this year, he hopes to book six weeks’ worth of guests in 2024.
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Like Giles, the De Kruyfs with Uno Mas and the Corleys with Penalty Box III, each had chartering in mind when they purchased their boats. In fact Jason De Kruyf said putting Uno Mas into charter was key in order to embrace the long-range cruising lifestyle. “We have small children and both work so using the boat enough was the problem solved by chartering,” he said. “We get to own and use our dream retirement boat now [even though] we can’t use it enough at this point in our lives.”
Corley and his wife also struggled to strike enough of a work-life balance that would have boat ownership make sense. “We wanted to buy a boat like the Nordhavn 55 to be able to explore the region, but since we aren’t retired, we won’t be using it full time,” Corley said. “Having it in the charter fleet means that Penalty Box III will be used when we cannot [and] is professionally maintained.”
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Conversely, chartering their boat was not part of the initial purchase plan for Mika Naatula and Katri Rosenberg. The Finnish couple bought their Nordhavn 64 Sweet Hope so they could to take deeper dives into the pristine cruising grounds surrounding their homeland and nearby Scandinavia. They enjoyed exploring the area so much they decided to open their boat to others in order to expose them to the immaculate cruising there. “We want to show the whole world the wonderful and unique Finland archipelago,” said Naatula, who captains the boat while partner Rosenberg operates as the professional chef and stew on board. “We get to show our clients the [uniqueness] of the Archipelago of the Baltic Sea. Its natural scenery, silence and habitants. Places that you can’t find anywhere else.”
Naatula finds the majority of their charter guests are potential buyers who want to test a Nordhavn. Since Sweet Hope is a 64-footer, it is especially attractive to would-be owners looking for a larger Nordhavn. The charter offers the best of both worlds, says Naatula. Getting to test a Nordhavn while in an area many have not ever been in, getting to fish and see this part of the world from a different vantage point. “It combines perfectly with a luxury vacation,” he said. “What could be better than a dinner prepared using your own fresh catch?”
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Naatula and Rosenberg are full-time liveaboards but don’t mind sharing their yacht with their guests, who get to chat with actual owners and see ownership in action. Plus they get to witness what makes a Nordhavn so special. “People love the nature, the tranquility, the silence, the authentic insularity.”
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Indeed, the Nordhavn brand is a big draw for charter companies. Presumably because there are so few of them available for charter, but in general, there appears to be a continually growing fascination with this style of yachting. “We [hear] just having a Nordhavn in the fleet gets a lot of attention,” said De Kruyf. “I think [guests] enjoy the great looks and conversations Uno Mas fosters everywhere they go.” He also appreciates the added interest that comes from having a boat with a storied history. Uno Mas’ participation in the Nordhavn Atlantic Rally is a conversation starter and provides assurances to the boat’s capabilities.
Giles, meanwhile, says his guests enjoy the value that they get with VivieRae III, which as an owner, he is able to pass on to his clients. “It’s lots of boat for a cost that is much less than similar [charter] yachts which might be longer, but don’t have more gross tonnage.”
On Penalty Box III, guests name the craftsmanship and thoughtfulness of all controls on board the Nordhavn 55, as well as the layout of the engine room as high points, and not surprisingly, “the feeling of safety in all conditions,” said Corley. That, plus the high speed Starlink internet that allows connection to the world no matter where the boat happens to be cruising.
Probably the biggest draw to chartering is the chance to picture yourself as a member of the Nordhavn club, or be a member of it – if only for a few days. “Nordhavn is a family,” said De Kruyf, “so while they are chartering they get to enjoy being part of that.”
CHARTER CONTACTS FOR BOATS IN THIS STORY:
For more information on other Nordhavns available for charter please visit the Charter Page.