N4 Update

Well after a few months of talking with PAE on building N4 it appears that dream will be on hold for at least awhile. Bottom line for us little guys is that PAE's desire to build larger yachts which bring larger margins along with other economical issues has resulted in the cost of building smaller boats (under 50') to be unrealistic for most buyers. This being said KK is in the same situation and Selene likely not far behind. Even with a family discount on a new N40 build and a special deal on a N43 the bottom line was greater then what made economical sense to us.

So, this situation combined with a job change resulting in a little less time in San Diego has us leaning towards keeping N3522 and enjoy the high quality and robustness this boat offers us. While we will continue our search for another new build make and model (yes we like new builds) it will not be something which we will spend a lot of time doing. We actually consider ourselves very fortunate to have found and own N3522 with her like new condition and lines that just cannot be found in another boat except a larger Nordhavn. If there is a builder out there that is interested in building a boat similar to the N35 but a little larger please contact me off line. I have the design already drawn up!

This was a great weekend of just hanging out on the boat and a short cruise and anchor. Crowds weren't that bad at all on the water and we are dialing in on our new stuffing box packing seeing temperatures starting to improve, what a long and expensive journey this has been.

Bottom line is when your on your boat is doesn't matter what make / model or size, the feeling on the boat is the same. We are all blessed if we can appreciate what boating is all about.

John T.

I am not a builder but have you looked in to Albin? They are still building boats and i know they acquired a bunch of molds back in 2008. I am not sure what exactly that acquisition was or who it came. give them a call...the worst they can say is that they can't or won't help you.

They don't carry the 'street cred' that PAE does, but if N is off the table why not look to a smaller builder?

Has Nord. raised prices precipitously? When I went shopping, they were in line with others, maybe even a little cheaper given the engine/transmission savings.

Greetings,
Mr. 4061. "...when your on your boat is doesn't matter what make / model or size..."
EXACTLY!!!!

How about a Diesel Duck from SEAHORSE MARINE ?

Later,
Dan

N 4061,
Why would Nordhav'n give families a discount?

What's the matter w the rest of us?

Is family money greener?

Oh I get it .. The're struggling to make ends meet w the kids and all so Nordhav'n's giv'in the family a break at the expense of the rest of us.

The KK guy at the Sanctuary Cove boat show gave me another reason for cost of boats, or at least their 52. I was on board a KK52 in Seattle in Jan 2012, and was pretty impressed. I thought the price of $1.2 m was pretty good too.

Now, the KK52 is $1.8. Yes, costs have gone up. But the main reason for the price difference is that back in early 2013 they were trying to get the new model accepted into the market, so they priced it at cost. They achieved some sales and got it established, and now have a profit margin as well. Combined with the higher costs that saw the sticker price jump by 50%. Although I do like the boat, even if I had that kind of cash for another boat I'd likely buy a used boat and refit it a little. The KK52 is very nice, but ....

I think for any new boat the same applies - with cost increases and reasonable profit for the builder, it just doesn't work in terms of the numbers. Quality used boats are still abundant and make more sense financially.

Prices

MYTraveler said:

Has Nord. raised prices precipitously? When I went shopping, they were in line with others, maybe even a little cheaper given the engine/transmission savings.

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Without going into detail Nordhavn always has been and continues to be a little higher then KK and Selene. Today the gap has closed somewhat thus making all three builders prices a little more then we want to spend at this time. Another change is that Selen and KK do not include the cost of shipping their boats to the US west coast while Nordhavn does burry the cost in the base price of the boat.

It is really getting to the point that you will need to spend $1M on any of the builders new boats (assuming 43' and above) to get a complete boat. When you add in depreciation (none of these builders hold their value like use to) you can take a big hit financially building new. Unfortunately we enjoy the process of planning and building new boats in addition to the reliability versus a 5-10 year old boat so we are caught in tuff situation.

So at this point we decided to put the longer range trips on hold until I retire, look out for a 1-2 year old N boat (not many to be found) while also exploring building new with another building (slow going semi-displacement hull). Our only real need for the full displacement hull today is the active fin stabilization. Cruising at 7 knots with any hull (not stabilized can be interesting in a beam sea).

I'm not a fan of Gyro stabilizers (having to run the generator all the time plus the high initial cost) which is about the real option on a smaller semi-displacement boat (40') so its a difficult decision what to do next.

Will keep you posted.

John

Talk About Solid Built

So the other day I had the opportunity to go aboard a brand new XXXXX boat which I thought was well built. My decision to enter the shower to get a feel for size resulting in me hitting my head on the wall (not the boats fault). I almost cracked the dang thing (the wall not my head). I was a little taken back by how thin the walls were and when I asked the sales rep about it his response was "its a molded stall and have not had any complaints". OK I thought until we got back to La Tempestad and banged my fist against the shower wall and felt a thud and followed by the pain. I then started to bang on all the walls throughout the boat and reconfirmed (I guess what I already knew) this little boat is built tough. Even a little 8 inch vanity door is solid 3/4" wood. Amazing how they built this boat.

I would be interested to hear from others and stay focused on the bathroom and galley for this discussion since these areas may not be viewed as critical structural areas and may offer builders an opportunity to go a little less robust. thanks

John T.

N4061 said:

I would be interested to hear from others and stay focused on the bathroom and galley for this discussion since these areas may not be viewed as critical structural areas and may offer builders an opportunity to go a little less robust. thanks

John T.

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I think generally the quality of those areas is indicative of other things. Perhaps there are builders who build the boat solid and these areas cheaply, but even then it would be annoying. I even look at countertops (what if I have to replace them three years down the road), light fixtures. When you close a shower door is it solid or the wall shaking?

I'd say this too. The amounts we pay for boats, I just don't want to feel the basic items that I use daily aren't sound. Just durability and how long items are going to last. Remodeling a kitchen or bath in a house is expensive. Well it is on a boat too.