Why so many Nordhavn's for sale?

[fissioneng]

It seems to me that there are an inordinate number of relatively new Nordhavn's for sale. (over 50). For a builder that hasn't been around that long and one that charges an ultra premium price, it has me wondering. Several hypotheses:

1. The owners buy them new, take their dream trip, and then get out of boating or trade down in size.

2. There is something about them that the owners don't like that they only find out about after owning them.

3. They are strapped for cash and need to sell an expensive asset.

Any opinions?

[Passages]

I suspect #3.

[MikeP]

Yeah..3. 1 is a possibility in some cases, I guess. 2 Seems extremely unlikely based on everything I have ever heard/read about them or have seen on the 2 I have been aboard.

There was a 57 Nord in our Marina in LI for the summer a few years back. We really liked it and if we could have afforded one, I would be on a Nordie owners forum right now instead of this one!

[Sparky1]

I'm sorry, but NerdHavens are butt ugly. They may be great boats, but I couldn't get past that part. Don't you buy no ugly boat.

Hey, maybe there should be an option 4, chicks laugh when you try to pick them up in one. Can't beat a cat in a Hatt.

[saltshaker]

I would suspect 3 with the added reminder that there are fewer and fewer buyers out there who are willing and able to spend big bucks on boats.

[spartonboat1]

I agree with the #3 calls. But to a limited degree, I remember reading one of those "we all crossed the Atlantic" in a Nordhaven stories and many agreed that it becomes 'booooring' after a time and 'once' is enough.

And me. I will never see as much of the Grt Lks as I would like! If you love rough seas and running out of the sight of land, then pick a bad day and run out the center of Ml MI or Huron and start running N or S. (lol)..

[Brian Degulis]

On YW 1492 Hatts listed 72 Nordhavn. Nordhavn started in 1989 (I think) Hatts 1989 or newer for sale 527. So now you would have to find out how many hatts were built from 1989 to now and how many Nordys were built. Then you will know if the # of Nordys for sale is higher than hatts? And even then you would have to factor in that in 1989 Nordhavn was a start up company and Hatt was well established.

Brian

[spartonboat1]

On YW 1492 Hatts listed 72 Nordhavn. Nordhavn started in 1989 (I think) Hatts 1989 or newer for sale 527. So now you would have to find out how many hatts were built from 1989 to now and how many Nordys were built. Then you will know if the # of Nordys for sale is higher than hatts? And even then you would have to factor in that in 1989 Nordhavn was a start up company and Hatt was well established.

Brian

In short, there are quite possibly a higher (much) percentage of newer used Nordie's out there, vs. the same vintage Hatt's. The Nordie's are purpose-built, and maybe have a limited market in a down economy and now maybe a longer sales cycle used.

[Freestyle]

I have been lawyering the purchase and construction of a 60 for a friend and am in regular contact with the Norhavn folks. They have 4 new 60's under construction. Two scheduled ones from last summer fell out but the people in line stepped up. So they have a smaller pipeline but are generally pleased with the frmness of demand and have a year's backlog.

Some of the new ones being constructed are also listed for sale which may be increasing the "used" market. They require some pretty serious up front money so if you have the means to finish construction and take delivery it is more cost effective to do so and then try to sell to someone who is waiting in line for their new construction. I think this is increasing the listing action.

Bruce

Freestyle
1976 43 DCMY
Tampa

[yachtbrokerguy]

Having been involved in the sale of different trawlers, new and used, I have aways thought that Nordhavn buyers were affected by the Walter Mitty syndrome. Walter Mitty was a movie character who would daydream amazing adventures, while doing mundane things. The movies were based on the stories by James Thurber. Walter Mitty could be paddling a canoe, then daydream he was crossing the Atlantic as captain of a windjammer.

Many Nordhavn buyers envision cruising long distances and enjoy the ordering process and the decisions of a new build. Trips to China, picking electronics, big budgets, big fun, and an enjoyable challange to make it their way.

Then they do some cruising, and because they are in an ocean going vessel they get out in weather that gets nasty, that they would not do in a 58YF or the like. At only 7 knots they get stuck on the ocean for awhile and lo and behold, the boat is on the market a short time later.
I had a client who bought a 62 Nordhavn, I went with him from Key West to Norfolk to teach about passagemaking. He sold his bought when he could not do the long trips he dreamed about with his two home schooled children on board. I had another client who did his first cruise on a 57 Nordhavn and his wife did not like the slow trip, the boat was for sale a month later.