information on 57 Nordhavns

[Ross Macdonald]

It is about a year until full retirement and we are looking for a boat with more range and long distance capabilities than our present boat. The four trips we have made with this boat are always from San Diego south to San Jose del Cabo, La Paz and across the Sea of Cortez to the Mexican mainland. If you have made these trips you know along the 650 miles outside the Baja this run can be challenging sometimes. Especially going North. We have our 58 Westbay for sale and it has accorded itself well on these trips but with 3406 Cats for power even running at 9 knots they are not fuel efficient. So we have looked at a couple of Nordhavn 57's as the next boat. After researching as much as possible and talking to two 57 owners they seem to check all of the boxes. One of the few Nordhavns that can sustain 9 kts. and has a low Seaton profile which is different from all other bigger Nordhavns that have very high profiles. Anyway, if any TF members have travelled on a 57, any info would be appreciated. My wife and I run the boat by ourselves and both have about 15,000 nm. in our log books. After owning a number of boats I know all boats have their idiosyncrasies. Thanks, Ross

 

[hollywood8118]

It is about a year until full retirement and we are looking for a boat with more range and long distance capabilities than our present boat. The four trips we have made with this boat are always from San Diego south to San Jose del Cabo, La Paz and across the Sea of Cortez to the Mexican mainland. If you have made these trips you know along the 650 miles outside the Baja this run can be challenging sometimes. Especially going North. We have our 58 Westbay for sale and it has accorded itself well on these trips but with 3406 Cats for power even running at 9 knots they are not fuel efficient. So we have looked at a couple of Nordhavn 57's as the next boat. After researching as much as possible and talking to two 57 owners they seem to check all of the boxes. One of the few Nordhavns that can sustain 9 kts. and has a low Seaton profile which is different from all other bigger Nordhavns that have very high profiles. Anyway, if any TF members have travelled on a 57, any info would be appreciated. My wife and I run the boat by ourselves and both have about 15,000 nm. in our log books. After owning a number of boats I know all boats have their idiosyncrasies. Thanks, Ross

I have a fair amount of time in a N57, in that range it would definitely be my #1 choice. It is a fast boat for the fuel it uses, is very comfortable underway.. ER gives great access both at rest and underway. One of my favorite things is to be able to open the lazarette and the doors to the ER and have the breeze blow through while doing service.. and the ER is laid out really well and not a bit cramped. I love the fwd cabin and the ability to in the right conditions sleep under that huge hatch. I really cannot think of any negatives of a N57 other than the bulbous bow noise take a bit to get used to if you reside in the fwd cabin.
Good Luck
HOLLYWOOD

 

[EngNate]

I ran Victoria BC to San Francisco in early April in quite rough weather and I give the boat a thumbs up. I also did the same on a N75 and it gets the nod too. I subsequently took the 57 to San Diego and then La Paz. I didn't pay attention to the fuel economy. Easily cruises 10Kt with the Luggers.

 

[Ross Macdonald]

Thanks to both of you for your info from actual hands on experience in a N57. Interesting that you mentioned the bulbous bow on the 57. I was curious as to the effect on the performance going into a head sea. Most time on our trips back up from Mexico we are obviously dealing with wind, swell and current coming at us. We spend almost all of our time underway either in the salon or pilothouse so would be curious how the bulbous bow affects live ability in those areas. We have used a routing service on all of our trips and the constraints we give them are quite low. Luckily we never have deadlines so waiting in protected anchorages for good windows is not a problem. So again, thanks for your input. After crawling through every inch of the engine room on a 57 that is for sale here on the west coast, the only problem area for access was the deep bilge below the shaft on the main engine and access to the shaft log. Very deep there and not easy to reach. I am an engine room guy and always look at a boat from the "inside out". Access to all areas is very important to me. So if any other negatives that you guys know of would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[mvweebles]

I delivered two N57s before I stopped delivering in 2004. One from Dana Point to Ft Lauderdale (4600 nms) . One from Dana Point to Cabo San Lucas (900 nms).

The 4600 nms Dana Point to Ft Lauderdale trip was done in three legs with about 3 lay days all told (owner paid an expedite fee to get through the Canal). Total engine hours over the 25-day delivery was 500 hours (about 115 on generator for AC coming up the Caribbean due to spray over the bow) for a roughly 9.1 kt average. We burned around 3100 gallons so about 6gph Seas were junk coming north from Panama to Cuba with 25-kts and 8-foot headseas almost the whole way, four days.

She's a relatively small 57-footer, but a helluva boat. My favorite nordhavn in the fleet. The one I took to Cabo had full walk-around side decks. Personally, I prefer the asymmetric salon with only a stbd side deck.

My opinion, one of the great boats built. Relatively fast and economical, and easily handled by a couple. Solid.

Peter.

 

[Ross Macdonald]

Thanks Weebles..Great stuff. Really appreciate your insight. The 57 we were aboard was actually an asymmetric hull and a two stateroom layout. Most always just my wife and I. Agree on the extra room in the salon and maybe master stateroom. Sounds like you put one to the real test. Any thoughts on access to all areas in the engine room? Aft area where gensets are is a sit or kneel down but as you know, good access to the main and wing engine. We are also liveaboards so hopefully this is a good compromise of livability and sea worthiness. Any other thoughts that come to mind, let me know. Ross

 

[mvweebles]

Thanks Weebles..Great stuff. Really appreciate your insight. The 57 we were aboard was actually an asymmetric hull and a two stateroom layout. Most always just my wife and I. Agree on the extra room in the salon and maybe master stateroom. Sounds like you put one to the real test. Any thoughts on access to all areas in the engine room? Aft area where gensets are is a sit or kneel down but as you know, good access to the main and wing engine. We are also liveaboards so hopefully this is a good compromise of livability and sea worthiness. Any other thoughts that come to mind, let me know. Ross

Access and lighting are good as you'd expect in a Nordhavn. Shortly after the N57, PAE introduce the N55 which is a massive boat in comparison. Storage areas on newer style boats have been enlarged though I'm not sure that's a good thing. Personal preference I suppose. After the N57, PAE moved production to a different yard. I can't cite exact examples, but it felt like some bolt on components were less durable in the newer boats - door frames were painted aluminum that pitted in short order.

Again, just an observation, but after the N57 seemed to begin the era of sales to novice boat owners for PAE. Not to say they don't have plenty of repeat owners (TwistedTree on this forum is have a second or third built, and Ken Williams, prolific blogger for years, has had three). But the N57 seemed to really appeal to knowledgeable boat owners. They were often ordered with upgraded systems that were beefier than commonly available yacht quality systems. I recall some massive hydraulic trash pumps for emergency dewatering and the anchor wash down pump that looked like a fire boat on July 4th.

If I had one nit pik, would be the bulbous bow. Granted, I spent too much time in a steep headsea, but they are noisy. A canon shot from time to time. But the boat was designed with that buoyancy so it's just the way it is. A far better mitigation is to avoid prolonged headseas, which is why I'm looking forward to cruising my Willard 36 over the same grounds. Instead of 25-days, plan on at least 25-months. The only other flaw I encountered was it didn't seem to like hi-speed diesel pumps - guessing either the vents were undersized or the routing on the filler neck was skewed, but it took a couple hours to put on 1000 gallons. But that might be a boat-by-boat thing.

I'm obviously a huge fan of the N57. I'm surprised PAE didn't stay with it a bit more in subsequent designs. I guess she just looked too elegant. Being able to sustain 225 nm days really adds up over a cruise. Opens a lot of options.

Good luck!

Peter

 

[Ross Macdonald]

Thanks again Peter...Great points. The bulbous bow noise would be annoying for sure but the last trip up from Bahia Santa Maria in July we were getting pounded in short interval 4-5 ft. seas and experiencing "boomers" as we called them. This was in our 58 Westbay. Hoping the N57 isn't any more annoying. As they say what goes down must come back up at some point, so the slog north up the outside of the Baja is inevitable unless one is doing what you are planning and continuing to head south. We try to wait for windows and as you know, you can't have any deadlines. Anyway, will keep the TF posted on how things move forward. We do have a buyer for the Westbay but do not want to be without the next boat for any length of time.

 

[hollywood8118]

I didn't mind the bulbous bow at sea.. it made the fwd cabin a bit noisy at anchor, it was just the wash of wind waves over it that after some time I got used to. I wouldn't be too concerned with the deep shaft alley, not much to do down there other than to swab it out at times. Got into some stinky conditions off the coast of Baja and Panama and really appreciated what a great handling boat it is. My preference is the reverse raked window versions but a little reflected light off the bridge windows would keep me from owning either. As is the case with almost all Nordhavns, the Owners typically keep up their boats to the highest standards.



HOLLYWOOD

 

[mvweebles]

Panama Canal Delivery

I went back and looked at my logs for the N57 delivery from Dana Point to Ft Lauderdale - I over-stated some of the data. Averaged 8.65 kts, not 9.2.

See attached PDF for a presentation I used a yacht clubs and Trawler Fests back in the day. Diesel was $1.46/gal!

BTW - route up the Caribbean shows hugging coast along Nicaragua. This is no longer a safe passage due to piracy concerns. Was also not able to get a good angle on the headseas (8-foot steep chop for several days with little respite). Another delivery skipper recently posted a better choice would be to head to Port Antonio on east end of Jamaica and around east end of Cuba which is the route I will take when my wife and I transit this in a couple years on the way home to Florida from California.

Peter

View attachment Panama Canal Transit 2_29_2004.pdf

 

[sunchaser]

I've first hand experience on the N57, but not the sea time of Hollywood or Weebles. Can only but agree with their seaworthiness comments though.

Once past 15 years there are two areas likely needing maintenance - first the hydraulic hoses from each PTO to the windlass and thrusters, potentially a complete replacement. Secondly, similar considerations on the coolant lines from the engine to and from the keel cooler.

If the vessel is in SoCal, lots to like about the one shown on Yachtworld. Double check that machinery maintenance was done on a time basis as it has quite low operating hours.

 

[mvweebles]

I've first hand experience on the N57, but not the sea time of Hollywood or Weebles. Can only but agree with their seaworthiness comments though.

Once past 15 years there are two areas likely needing maintenance - first the hydraulic hoses from each PTO to the windlass and thrusters, potentially a complete replacement. Secondly, similar considerations on the coolant lines from the engine to and from the keel cooler.

If the vessel is in SoCal, lots to like about the one shown on Yachtworld. Double check that machinery maintenance was done on a time basis as it has quite low operating hours.

Those are very good comments for any 20-year old boat. PAE likely does an excellent job of protecting hoses from chafe, but over time, adds up. I just barely caught one of my hydraulic hoses in time - I happened to kneel in a wrong place as I was servicing my engine and sprung a very minor leak, but the hose was trashed. Would not have operated more than a few hours longer without a failure and dumping 5 gallons hydraulic fluid.

 

[Ross Macdonald]

Incredible photo blog of that trip Peter. Best I have ever seen. Also input from Sunchaser. The 57 in Oxnard has low hours and when I went through the engine room there were things that needed to be done. I would obviously like to see maintenance log and receipts for things like stabilizer seals, among other things. The problem with the boat is it has not been used for a long time which as you all know is the worst thing you can do to a boat like this. All of this depends on whether this seller is willing to significantly lower the asking price. Way above our top number right now. This boat has been on the market for at least a year and a half. Another N57 was just donated to Orange Coast College and is in the process of having a complete refit then will be sold. I looked at it and the refit in progress is very extensive. So that is possibly another option. I believe the name of that boat is Southern Cross. Thanks again for all of the great advise. Ross

 

[mvweebles]

Incredible photo blog of that trip Peter. Best I have ever seen. Also input from Sunchaser. The 57 in Oxnard has low hours and when I went through the engine room there were things that needed to be done. I would obviously like to see maintenance log and receipts for things like stabilizer seals, among other things. The problem with the boat is it has not been used for a long time which as you all know is the worst thing you can do to a boat like this. All of this depends on whether this seller is willing to significantly lower the asking price. Way above our top number right now. This boat has been on the market for at least a year and a half. Another N57 was just donated to Orange Coast College and is in the process of having a complete refit then will be sold. I looked at it and the refit in progress is very extensive. So that is possibly another option. I believe the name of that boat is Southern Cross. Thanks again for all of the great advise. Ross

Thanks for the kind words Ross. it was such a good delivery. Really good group of guys - one was a professor of horticulture in Vermont, another owned a custom manufacturing business in Minnesota, and the third was a lineman for PG&E in California. With exception of head-seas in Caribbean, it went like clock work. We played cat & mouse with an 75-foot Azimut type boat when the Azimut came out of Cabo. They'd plow past us at 25-kts and stop for fuel, then we'd pass them. They beat us to Panama by about 6-hours, and likely burned 10k gallons of diesel (or more).

I looked at Yachtworld - is the N57 in Oxnard "Zia," noted as Santa Barbra in YW? I was aboard that boat in 2003 or so. I forget exactly, but the original owners were a couple - somewhat young, and in some sort of tech business. They hired me for a couple days to move their boat around San Francisco Bay for them. For the life of me, I cannot remember their names though - long time ago. He seemed like a pretty knowledgeable owner. If it's the same boat, I'm surprised it has sat for a while. These boats held their value for a long time, sounds like it's changing a bit, perhaps taking a stair-step down.

Good luck whatever you decide.

Peter

 

[Ross Macdonald]

Peter..The boat was berthed in Santa Barabara and the last name of the original and only owners is Eckford. They originally made maybe one trip to Mexico and maybe a few Channel Islands trips. Seacoast Yachts has an office in Channel Islands Harbor Oxnard so when the owner probably sold his slip in SB the boat was moved to a spot in front of the Seacoast office in Oxnard. So these people bought it new. The only reason I know this small amount of info is because I have friends in the SBYC that know these folks and the boat and I guess they have moved on from boating and let this beautiful boat sit. The broker had all of the headliner replaced and it turned out very nice. all of the interior is very clean. But the engine room needs a complete detail and clean up. I went through this drill on the boat we have now and it took me 6 months to get things squared away, cleaned and painted. Not really up for a complete redo again. On another note Peter, We were in Cruiseport Marina on the last trip South and I think I saw your Willard there. Anyway, thanks again for your input....Ross

 

[mvweebles]

We were in Cruiseport Marina on the last trip South and I think I saw your Willard there.

Weebles was pretty rough looking when she pulled into Ensenada. She's had a ton of fiberglass work completed and will be painted in the next few weeks. I started with Baja Naval, but that didn't work out so ended up finding a small team that I'm pretty happy with (NizaMarine.com). I'm headed back to Ensenada in a few weeks to check-in. Weebles will be back in Cruiseport sometime next month.

Eckford (Jim?) was the name of the owner! I remember it now - thanks. Pretty standard Nordhavn story - folks buy a helluva boat, use the hell out of it for a couple years, then move on.

You may want to ping Jeff Merrill, ex PAE project manager and current yacht broker. He's big on having engine rooms cleaned-up before being listed, and he of course knows Nordhavn-quality work. He may be able to assist bring the boat up to speed pretty quickly. If the work is cosmetic, boat may be a bargain due to looks alone. As much as I like Niza Marine in Ensenada, a good sized Nordhavn is above them.

Good luck Ross. Good to reminisce.

Peter

 

[nemier]

+1 N57
+2 Jeff Merrill

 

[Ross Macdonald]

Interesting reply Infinity. Not sure what it means. Can you expand on that for me? Jeff Merrill +2 and N57+1?? By the way I have followed your blog for a while and it is really well done. Looks like you are presently in Oz. Ross

 

[mvweebles]

Interesting reply Infinity. Not sure what it means. Can you expand on that for me? Jeff Merrill +2 and N57+1?? By the way I have followed your blog for a while and it is really well done. Looks like you are presently in Oz. Ross

Shorthand for "ditto thumbs-up" on N57, and a second thumbs-up for Jeff Merrill. A quick search of Infinity's blog shows Jeff was part of their early pursuit.

 

[Ross Macdonald]

Roger that Peter. I will go through their blog tonight. Sounds like Jeff Merrill is a good go to guy for detailed info on the N57.