JMYS interviewed Scott and Teri Miller, the owners of Miller Time, to find out more about them, their boat, and what kind of cruising they have done. This insightful interview will give you a good idea of why they chose a Kadey Krogen 58 and give you a look into their life aboard.

What other trawler brands did you consider and why did you select a Kadey Krogen?

When we began our search for a trawler, we had already encountered the Krogen brand while visiting marinas on our previous boat. Kadey Krogen offers boats that easily feel like home, but we wanted to cast our net further.  After considering Flemings and Nordhavns, we kept circling back to the Krogen.  We loved her spacious living area and the layout.   The Krogen 58’s various levels are accessed by a few steps instead of ladders and the generous gunnel and Portuguese bridge make moving around the boat safe and easy.

What was your boating experience prior to owning Miller Time?

Our boating life began with the purchase of a used 19ft Sea Ray in 1992.  I called this our gateway boat, as it led to the incremental succession of boats over the years.  Just prior to our Krogen 58, we owned a 48ft. Silverton Convertible.  The Silverton was perfect when we wanted to get somewhere quickly, but the Krogen 58 allows us to enjoy the journey and the destination.

You lived aboard for 2 years, what did you learn about each other living in close quarters? 

We often joked about taking turns sitting out in the dinghy with it tied 20 feet off…but honestly, Miller Time never felt like close quarters.  With a comfortable pilot house, well-appointed flybridge, roomy salon and a covered “back porch” on the stern, there was always a place to settle if you needed the space.  I think we both learned to respect each other’s needs for space. Just because we are together on the boat does not mean we must do everything together.  Miller Time gave us enough space to enjoy our own hobbies, work or down time.  Of course, it helped that after years of a work schedule that took Scott away from home a lot, we truly enjoy time together.

You’ve taken many trips aboard Miller Time, which is the most memorable?

Interesting you ask what was “most memorable” and not what our favorite trip was.  We have had so many amazing trips.  With stunning scenery, interesting people and making lifelong friends along the way, it would be hard to pick a favorite, but my most memorable is an easy pick.  My most memorable trip was our first ever journey bringing Miller Time from her place of purchase, Florida, to our home in Virginia.  It was a long trip filled with all manner of “firsts”, most of which were breathtaking, exciting, fun, encouraging and relaxing and few of which were nerve wracking, frustrating or scary.  I would not trade a single episode of that trip for anything, even the hard parts.  This was the trip that gave me confidence as a first mate, solidified my confidence in my hubby/captain, and confirmed that Miller Time was capable of carrying us to and through all the adventures we had in store.

Why are you selling?

We originally planned to continue to cruise part time after purchasing a home on the Eastern Shore last year.  We had some difficult honest conversations about how we would be using Miller Time going forward.  The reality that our desire to maximize time with our family, invest in our new hometown, and enjoy the Chesapeake Bay, meant we would not be doing any long-range cruising over the next few years.  Miller Time was meant to go places.  While it is heart breaking to step away from her, we know we won’t be using her as she needs to be used.  This change is best for us as well as for the boat.

How difficult is Miller Time to handle for a cruising couple?

Miller Time’s 63 ’LOA is shockingly not as hard as one would think.  Because of her heft, she is not easily impacted by her surroundings.  Her twin engines, bow thruster, wing station, open lines of sight and her responsiveness to navigation make bringing her to a port, mooring or anchorage easy enough.  She does require large lines, but these are usually simply handed over to dock hands and do not require tossing.  Her fenders are large, but we use AERE inflatable fenders, which are very light weight and easy for the first mate to deploy.  With the use of headsets, we work together so captain and crew understand the situation when docking, mooring or anchoring.  On any size boat, whether with a crew of 2 or 20, taking your time and communicating before, during and after will make all the difference in your cruising experience.

Where is your favorite space to unwind and relax on Miller Time?

Scott would say the flybridge all day any day.  Whether piloting, or enjoying a beverage and a sunset, it is his favorite place.  I agree, the flybridge is great for breezes, fresh air and views, but I also like to curl up with a good book nestled on the salon settee.

What advice do you have for the next owners of Miller Time?

After taking the time to get to know her, just go!  Sometimes the hardest part is dropping that last line, but that is where all the adventure begins.  Oh, and brace for meeting the coolest folks along the way.

Thank you, Scott and Teri!

Want to read more about the Miller’s time aboard? Head over to their blog, where Teri wrote periodical updates for family and friends!

Miller Time Blog

ED note:  This backstory was in development when Miller Time first came on the market. As we go to press, we are pleased to announce that she has been surveyed and closed – all in a matter of weeks.   Proving that a well maintained, popular trawler is easier to move off of when you are ready to move on.

Congratulations to Scott and Teri and best wishes for your future adventures.

Jeff interviewed the owners of KEMO SABE to find out more about them, their boat, and what kind of cruising they have done. This insightful interview will give you a good idea of why they chose a Nordhavn 40 and give you a glimpse into their wonderful experiences aboard.

Questions and Answers:

As a way of introduction, tell us about yourselves…

Wayne and I are adventurers and have been traveling and cruising together for over 30 years.   We spent 17 years on sailboats, 13 years on KEMO SABE, a few years on a sun fish and Hobie cat, and many work years traveling globally.

Our sailboat cruising was primarily in fresh water on Lake Erie / the Great Lakes, with our home port in Buffalo, New York. We chartered sailboats in the Caribbean, for our blue water fix.   We revere floating, finding our way around ports by foot and bicycle, kayaking, and, meeting other cruisers who always have an entertaining story to tell.

Wayne is a retired architect — having been a principal in the two firms he owned.    I was a technical manager in the operating system software development industry, at Microsoft and SUSE.  Wayne’s role on KEMO SABE is as the lead for mechanical maintenance, and I focus on navigation and hull maintenance. In retirement, I strove to take on more mechanical chores — something I didn’t have time for when I was working and cruising. I was thrilled to learn to splice electrical wires — it is a very valuable skill required to configure the pilothouse for wireless data!

Both Wayne and I were awarded our 100-ton USCG captains license in 2000. Kristin is a moderator on the NOG / Nordhavn Owners Group, and we both continue to learn through their incredible resources.

Main Deck

What other boats did you consider before settling on the Nordhavn 40?   What convinced you to buy the Nordhavn 40?

Other boats?    What other boats???  

We thought wind propulsion was our “thing” — until a friend of ours in Seattle invited us to cruise with them on his Willard trawler (thanks, John!!).     We were in awe of the directional mobility, diesel efficiency, and comforts of a trawler.   During that trip, we came upon a Nordhavn 35 in Friday Harbor — who offered us a tour.

The next week, Wayne announced that he “found the boat I want.”     What? We had a beautiful sailboat!   The Nordhavn was love at first sight…..

We continued a short search — looking at some Selene’s, Nordic Tugs and several Nordhavn models.   (We also looked at a Tartan 44, to make Kristin happy that we did good comparative analysis )

We settled on the Nordhavn for its quality.   For its stability – offshore and inshore.  For its 2-person handling, with the safety of a full keel, Portuguese bridge, rock solid windows and doors.      For its livability – above- board cooking, lounging, and entertaining (versus the “below deck” living space on the sailboat).

What we didn’t know at the time was that with it, came a community.   One that embraced us, and, helped us learn all things Nordhavn. What a joy that community continues to be!    We’ve developed and maintained many, many friendships in the Nordhavn family.

KEMO SABE Paravanes

You guys love the paravane outriggers and use them all the time when you are underway.   How much time do they take to launch and retrieve?   Do you have a minimum trip length where you don’t bother?

We travel offshore, on the US eastern seaboard, as often as possible.  We come and go at available, safe inlets.   Offshore travel has comprised at least 50 percent of our 30,000 nm experience.

We deploy the paravanes any time we have over 1-2 feet of wave or swell on our broadside or stern quarter (which is approximately 75 percent of the time).

We love the stability of the paravanes — we don’t roll when they are deployed!   They are easy to maintain, and it takes us 15-20 minutes to launch or retrieve them.    Whether it is a 3-hour ride, or a 48-hour ride —- it’s worth every minute of comfort.

The fins require 15 feet of depth — so, we don’t use them on the Intracoastal Waterway / ICW.  And, we have a flopper stopper that you can deploy on a paravane, if you need stability at an anchorage.

The Nordhavn owners’ group has GREAT documentation that we used as the template to develop our process of deployment.

Engine Room

What was the reason you removed the wing engine?

We had a Yanmar 27 HP engine on one of the sail boats we owned for 10 years.   It just ran and ran (we didn’t know much about maintenance at that time of our learning curve).     The same engine was on KEMO SABE.

We ran it, as recommended for a few years. But, we started having problems with it about five years ago. After having several mechanics diagnose and repair the problems, it was suggested that we need a ring job (which required pulling the engine out). We pulled it, and, found that there was corrosion inside the engine. Three years had gone by without using or needing the wing.

We researched purchasing a used engine, and we spoke with other Nordhavn and Krogen owners who didn’t have a wing engine. Given the type of cruising we do, we realized we didn’t need to re-install another engine. Our dinghy can provide a way to push the boat, in an emergency —- which was a great idea that one of our N40 friends shared.    And, as a bonus, our average cruising speed increased without the underwater drag!

We have the hub, shaft, prop, skeg, electrical and mechanical controls required to reinstall the engine, if the next owner would like to do so.

Master Stateroom

What was the most remote place you have cruised?

Kristin’s work schedule kept us close to cellular signals and airports —- so, the majority of our cruising has been on the US east coast — from Newport, Rhode Island to Key West, Florida.    We’ve traversed the Gulf Stream to spend time in the Bahamas as well (flights and cellular data service are fabulous!).

We spent 10 years slowly exploring the rivers in the Chesapeake, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.  These are not geographically remote — but, provided us with quiet, scenic anchorages that most people don’t take the time to explore.       The Nordhavn 40 is nimble and can tuck into many anchorages that bigger and deeper boats cannot.   Places like Edenton, NC, and Onancock, MD, come to mind — where we poked into, enjoyed a relaxing visit, and, met wonderful friends that we’ve had for years!

One of our favorite places is Cumberland Island, Georgia — the anchorage is large, with good holding.   And we can dinghy over to the state park to walk the beach on the Atlantic Ocean, looking for wild horses and surf to swim in.

We’re city people and we have enjoyed harbors and anchorages that have access to good food and entertainment — like Charleston, Baltimore, and Sag Harbor.   We owned a slip in Charleston, but our dinghy took us back and forth to our private floating condo and the city life in other more populated harbors.

We’ve been lucky enough to crew with Nordhavn friends to Alaska and Halifax — a completely different experience, for certain.

Saloon

Wayne, you have used some of your architectural skills to make some nice improvements.   What is your approach?

I have a keen sense for open spaces, structure and clean lines. For example, replacing the two fixed tables in the saloon with two hassocks and an adjustable, freestanding table, created a more comfortable open area in which to live and entertain (and a space for our yoga practice).

I designed the enclosed TV cabinet, to hide that appliance from view.    And I applied the carpet tiles as a way to fit the floor space from edge to edge, but also leave access to the engine room panels.

Freestanding Saloon Table and TV Cabinet

When you are anchored out – what do you guys like to do?

We have spent most of our cruising years at anchor – so, we learned to exercise, cook, work, and do maintenance with whatever resources we had.   We kayak, explore rivers with the dinghy, practice yoga on the deck, explore trails on land, swim (when in blue water), and do chores. There are always chores!!!

Because of our style to move slowly, we have found special snorkeling spots (in the Bahamas), hiking trails (on the east coast of Maryland), and state parks to visit along all the water ways.

One passion of Kristin’s is to find the local farmers market —- we’d often time our arrival for the Saturday morning opportunity to get local fare and seasonal vegetables.

Pilothouse

Kristin – you used KEMO SABE as a remote office before that became THE thing to do. What is it like working from a boat?

I am grateful for the opportunity we had to cruise while I juggled the rigors of an international team schedule.     I recall many 4am calls in a quiet anchorage, delivering a presentation.   I missed a few 5 pm happy hours — but, Wayne always put my cocktail in the freezer, awaiting the end of my last meeting…..

We always cruised within the boundaries of a cellular signal —- which grew as years progressed (currently, you have a cellular signal as much as 5 miles offshore in the US — sometimes more!).    And, my roles always required a lot of travel, globally.  The US east coast ports offered many access points to large airports —- so, our navigational plan took careful consideration of how we could get to somewhere, and, when we could get there.      We learned to never push the boundaries — weather rules.

Please tell us about the cruising community and being out there with other trawler folks.

We can’t gush enough about the cruising community……     It is what we will miss most without a vessel like KEMO SABE.

We’ve met many, many people over the years —- some we met once or twice, some we found along the way, over and over again.     We remain friends, with or without distance.

At each harbor, we help each other, we spend time enjoying simple things — like a cool breeze, or a sunset), we organize to walk to the farmers market, we cook together, we mentor each other and, we watch each other’s boats.    Oh – and, happy hours.   We have lots of happy hours.     It’s a mobile community!

One of our favorite stories is a Nordhavn 50 (and Nordhavn 57) owner who knocked on our hull and asked if we would be friends with his wife while he was away….   (thanks, Stan!)  Of course, we fell in love with her…

We could write a book about all the wonderful friends we have, near and far.

The learnings you accrue through the experience of others – and, through their teachings is so incredibly valuable.

Now that you are veteran Nordhavn 40 owners, can you look back and think of something that you wished you had known or learned earlier in your time aboard that might benefit someone looking to buy a Nordhavn 40?

We wish that we both had retired earlier.   The cruising life is full of exciting challenges, offers opportunities to learn, provides natural independence and green living; and it is introspective AND entertaining.

Something we would have done differently is to hire a captain early in our ownership years. The captain will expedite your learning of how to handle a full displacement, single screw vessel; how to dock; and how to maintain your systems.

We knew a lot, as owners of sail boats —– but the rest we learned on our own, and, through the incredible resources of the Nordhavn Owners Group.

As we mentioned earlier, we never wished for a bigger boat — the Nordhavn 40 was perfect for us, with regard to maneuverability, nimbleness, maintainability, and livability.    We chose to fund upgrades on KEMO SABE, versus a new vessel.

Thank you, Wayne and Kristin!

For more information on KEMO SABE, please visit her dedicated website www.Nordhavn40ForSale.com and contact listing broker Jeff Merrill with any questions. KEMO SABE is located in Del Ray Beach, FL.

Jeff asked Keith and Jacqui Ruse, owners of True Love, a few questions to learn more about their custom aluminum-alloy trawler. They lived aboard True Love with their family and enjoyed years of trouble-free cruising. They are now looking to downsize and True Love is on the market. Visit her dedicated website www.Snowbird73.com to learn more.

Q. You have worked on this boat for years when the original owners were clients. Now you are the owner. How does that change your relationship with the boat?

It’s an honor. We view this as a huge opportunity to own and look after a wonderful cruising boat. We go out on her routinely, locally, and anchor out. It allows me to see more where our customers are coming from.  We do most of our own maintenance, but also save the bigger projects for the yard. We love that a boat this size can be operated by the two of us, without crew, and that is how the boat was designed and built, to be operated by a couple.

Main Deck

Q. What are you going to miss?

This really is a well-conceived boat, the engine room is spectacular.  I don’t think we be able to get that type of space and layout with the same quality equipment in an off-the-shelf boat. The living and handling characteristics of this boat were very well thought out by original owners, builders, and designer. All equipment on the boat is first class; Diamond Seaglaze doors and windows, cork soles, ABT stabilizers and hydraulic thrusters, it’s all great.  The cockpit / back deck area is a great outdoor space to fish from, to swim from and is very easy to get on and off when boarding.  We like to entertain back there and play.  For us this has been the ultimate RV on the water – very functional and utilitarian.

Engine Room

Q. Aluminum and steel trawlers are not as common as fiberglass. What advice would you give a buyer looking at metal vs. plastic?

Part of the reason we bought her is because she is an aluminum alloy boat.  Super strong, very well built – we could cruise her anywhere.  I’m not worried if we accidently bump into anything, the location of the hull plating was custom designed by Gregory Marshall who has a long-standing history of designing exceptional yachts.  There is really no compelling reason to stay away from a metal boat.  The vast majority of military and commercial work boats are made of steel or aluminum.  The recreational boating market favors fiberglass because it is easier for the builder to stamp out more units, that isn’t wrong, but when you get to this size it’s nice not to have a me-too boat.

Lower Deck

Q. What has been the best part of owning True Love?

Having the family on board is our primary focus and biggest joy.  Our favorite days are family time when everyone is in town and we can take off – even locally, just head over to Cape Charles or somewhere nearby for a short getaway.  We are great friends with the original owners and they loaned us their boat many times so our kids grew up spending time aboard.  Everyone is familiar with her, knows where everything is and has their own space.  Cruising with a family of six is just the best. For Jacqui, the separate clothes washer and dryer has been fantastic, she can do five loads of laundry a day when we are out cruising.  We have traveled to the Exhumas and Abacos in the Bahamas, great memories of snorkeling and exploring, it is just an amazing platform.

Master Stateroom

Q: How is it cruising with a dog? 

Charlie, our standard poodle, weighs 100 pounds and he is a joy to have aboard. He has a great temperament and a wonderful companion and very happy when he’s on the boat.   The layout, the way it was designed, especially focusing on the stairs between levels makes it very easy for a large dog to get around. From the swim platform to the flybridge, he can go anywhere and this was an important consideration for us. He can easily move from the big boat to the tender. We installed some dog assist handles and a custom ladder to get him out of the water. Charlie doesn’t really like to swim a lot so we don’t worry about him jumping after a ball floating by.

Q. What has been the biggest surprise going from a house to full time cruising onboard with your family?

It has become an excellent home on the water. It’s pretty fun to throw off some lines and take your house cruising. We feel so much at home on the boat. The sight lines and large windows offer great views wherever you are.  At the dock we have our yard as a land base, but we love the ability to move and change our scenery.  We went out cruising one weekend and planned to stop for dinner where the dining attire is a bit more formal than what we wear on board. We didn’t think we could dress appropriately, but then remembered we travel with everything we own so I grabbed a button-down shirt, Jacqui put on a dress and we went out on the town. That was a breakthrough – we realized we have everything with us – clothing, books, medication and we are travelling with everything thing we need.  No more weekend boating situations where you might leave something you need at home. True Love has a great interior arrangement and accommodations that provide plenty of space and privacy.

Saloon and Galley

Q. You own a yard and you own a boat. As a boat owner, what advice do you have for fellow boat owners when they go to yard for work?

You need to have reasonable expectations and communicate what you what to achieve clearly. It is also important to accept up front that not everything will be completed the same day you ask for it. As the scope of work you require changes, you need to be flexible and adjust with the time it takes to get more items done. For example, if you are going to change out batteries, ask for the estimate in price and time.  Realize that the batteries need to ordered, received and inspected then we have to assign people in our team to do the work. You will be happier the better you are informed as to what to expect and that communication should be two ways. If you need attention, or something doesn’t seem right, please let us know.  One of the biggest issues is when clients change what they originally contracted for and don’t expect that it will change the time frame and the cost.  If you book in advance, know that a lot of our personnel scheduling is committed to you before you arrive.  We are scheduling the other customers as well.  It’s harder for us to get things done on time when things change after we get started.

True Love

Q. What do you have on this boat for the first time that you haven’t had on previous boats?

The dumbwaiter between the galley and flybridge, and we love it!  When entertaining with guests, or just the family, we can sit eight people on the flybridge dinette.  We could carry everything up the stairs, but it is a super cool convenience that is just fun to use. And you can send the dishes down to the galley when they are done. The other big improvement for us is having a watermaker.  We really enjoy the freedom that gives us.  Sometimes we go to marinas in winter and their water has been shut off for freezing, but we can continue to make water rather than carefully thinking about the use of every drop.  I’d have to also mention the laundry appliances.  Having a separate clothes washer and dryer is a home thing that we haven’t had aboard a boat before and we use these appliances all the time, they work much better than a combination laundry machine.

Flybridge Dinette

Q. You are an experienced yachtsman, is True Love an entry level boat or something for a seasoned owner?

It’s a bit of both since she was designed and laid out to be operated by a couple.  You need to learn it step by step. Two people, once they learn the ropes, can handle this boat. For long passages you would want other crew for standing watches.  She is very capable offshore with good fuel consumption at displacement speeds.  She is big, but she has great visibility, I like to back into the slip from the lower helm – I can see fine (and it doesn’t hurt that I have twin engines and hydraulic thrusters with proportional controls!).

True Love underway

Q. What are some of your favorite memories aboard?

All family related and getting away from our home waters to explore.  In my mind I picture my wife and kids smiling, laughing and having a wonderful time together. Cruising the Bahamas, and visiting the Turks and Caicos Islands are experiences we all treasure.

Q. What advice do you have for the next owners of True Love?

Learn her, use her and enjoy her. There are some amazing systems on board all included to increase your enjoyment.  Depending upon your boating experience, some of these things may seem a bit over the top and it may it look overwhelming, but you can quickly learn the boat.  This boat was built to be used; she is an incredibly robust platform for cruising.  She is very functional and has many attributes to make your cruising times safe and comfortable.

Thank you to Keith and Jacqui Ruse.

Jeff asked the owners of Enterprise III to share some of their thoughts on owning a Nordhavn 55. This is an active couple with a great zest for life who have fully embraced the Trawler Lifestyle.  Prior to purchasing their beloved Nordhavn 55, the only vessel they had owned was a sailboat half this size.  They originally wanted a cruising sailboat, then had a life changing charter aboard a Nordic Tug that opened their eyes to the potential for cruising under power.   After doing their research they concluded that a smaller Nordhavn would be just the right ticket, until they stepped aboard their 55 and… we’ll let them explain below. Always up for adventure, unafraid to take on a challenge (and quick learners) they have explored over 18,000 miles and gathered a new story (or two) every day they have been aboard.

LAYOUT: Enterprise III Pilothouse Deck

Why a 55?

… that caught me by surprise.

After we’d finally decided to give up working in 2012 (THAT was a two-bottle night!) and actually get a boat, we’d been in contact with PAE in Dana Point expressing an interest in a 46 that was for sale there. We’d already seen a 43 and a 47 in Brisbane and so we had a good idea of what the later models looked like, but at this stage we were only looking at cruising for maybe a year-or-two, just to see if we actually liked it as much as we hoped we would, and we could afford the 46 without it impacting too much on all our other ‘domestic’ arrangements.

And this is where I(we) realised that there’s a special place being reserved in hell for boat salesmen.

Because after showing us the 46 – I loved it (co-captain not too thrilled) – the broker walked us through a new 52 being fitted by its coincidently also-Aussie owners for its first decent sea-run: I loved that more.

Then, if I thought I loved the 52, he walked us through a 55 that wasn’t for sale before unsubtly breaking it to us that there was another 55 ‘Actually better than this one’ for sale in San Diego, and that ‘Seeing as you’ve come this far already’ it would be a shame not to look it over.

So next day we did.

And this no word of a lie: the decision was made in 15 seconds flat.

We took our shoes off and stepped on board. I went up to the pilothouse with the hell-bound broker and watched while he flicked a dozen-or-so switches. I then noticed the co-captain, shoes back on and sitting on the dock-box. I went to enquire.

‘That’s my boat!’

And that was it! Three days later we were the proud, if slightly stunned, owners of 5503. And it’s without a doubt the best decision ‘we’ve’ ever made.

It took us about three months to get everything set up back in Australia for our long-term departure (you would not BELIEVE how much paperwork is involved in trying to reduce paperwork!), and on June 14th 2013, we stepped aboard in San Diego.

We’ve barely been off since.

LAYOUT: Enterprise III Main Deck

How did you find adapting to a full-time cruising life?

Took to it like ducks to water!

Although it was daunting at first, no doubt about it …

… if I’d known just how much we didn’t know before we took the plunge I’d have been far less sanguine about taking it.

About the only thing the 55 had in common with our lil’ MacGregor 26 was a steering wheel. It felt like driving a battleship after puttering around in a peddle-boat on a kiddie-pond.

But that was just the handling part.

Full-time cruising required us to master an entirely new set of life skills: weather appreciation, route planning, communications (sometimes remote), provisioning, visas and cruising permits, border formalities, marina bookings, scheduled maintenance hauls, DIY maintenance diagnostics and repair skills on top of having to learn how to handle 60 tons of momentum in some very tight spaces.

LAYOUT: Enterprise III Lower Deck

Advice to a new owner?

Unless they’re already familiar with most boat systems, read everything first!

I spent the first six months reading every manual on board, all of which seemed to have been written for someone with way more ‘base knowledge’ than me, so there was a fair bit of web-searching needed before I could even understand the Intro’s.

They’ll hear repeatedly that ‘You get to know your boat one system at a time’ and this is a spot-on bit of received wisdom, so no one should feel daft if they don’t know how a particular system works when they first get on board. Because trust me, they’ll have plenty of opportunity to dissect and analyse it when it eventually breaks down (which it will).

Take full advantage of the NOG! (Nordhavn Owner’s Group).

The combined body of Nordhavn knowledge on that forum is encyclopedic and everyone on the forum is willing and eager to help and share.

As far as base self-sufficient maintenance skills go: I(we) were fortunate in that my dad was a mechanic and I’ve been slinging spanners ever since I was big enough to pick them up, and so pulling machinery apart holds no fear for me. Plus, I’m a mining engineer by profession, which encompasses a broad range of disciplines and requires a healthy ability to analyse a situation with a less-than ideal amount of information … but I still don’t like electrics. I have to think way too hard when dealing with the sparky stuff and I’m always hugely relieved if I get away from an electrical job without having scored any straight white hair or curly black teeth during the endeavor.

But I reckon anyone with an engineering-type bent or background could manage and maintain just about all the systems on a decent cruising boat.

If they haven’t got this background though I’d strongly recommend attending as many training courses as they can before ‘going remote’, because ‘remote’ is where problems that you can handle yourself are little more than inconveniences, but problems that you can’t handle yourself can be disastrous.

I’d also recommend taking a basic SCUBA course too. I do a lot of my own diving and I have to say that not being able to look at the bottom of the boat or check the prop or thrusters or zincs will be a real handicap to a serious cruiser. The boat has its own compressor, two dive cylinders and 100′ umbilical hose, so there’s no excuse!

Saloon to Pilothouse

What have you learned while live aboard cruising?

Space is important.

When we first started looking at Nordhavns we were only looking for a boat to cruise on for a year-or-two, hence our interest in the 46. But now we’ve been on a 55 for close to seven years we can say without any fear of contradiction that ‘space’ is essential for comfortable living.

We even got rid of the semi-rigid because it was taking up too much space on the dinghy-deck, and we replaced it with a Porta-Bote folding boat. This inexpensive and utilitarian butt-ugly tender folds to the size of a paddle-board and stores out of the way in a couple of kayak brackets. It takes 10 minutes to set it up and with its 6HP outboard it does absolutely everything we want a skiff to do: it’s all-but indestructible, we can slam it onto just about any type of beach without any fear of puncture, it’s light enough to easily drag back to the water if we find the tide’s gone out and left us high-and-dry on some remote strand somewhere, and if a bear takes an interest in it while we’re off walking it’ll have a far better chance of surviving the encounter than the air-filled tubes of a tricked-out high-tech pride-and-joy bling-RIB (great for impressing the anchorage as you tootle between neighbour boats, but a proper liability everywhere else).

Having no dinghy to store, the boat-deck became an extension to our outside living area. We had a custom canvas awning made for it (with shade cloth drop-panels) and spent many hours relaxing there while on-anchor watching the sun go down over the Sea of Cortes (actually over the Baja Peninsula, but that’s just being pedantic).

Also, in marinas where it’s not practical to leave the dinghy tied alongside all the time, with no dinghy to store on deck we had plenty of space on the boat deck for al fresco dining, relaxing and even exercising.

Awning on the boat deck

Where is your favorite cruising area?

That’s a tough one.

Over the past seven(-ish) years we’ve travelled just-on 18,000nm between Alaska and Mexico and spent full seasons in both the high and low latitudes.

Whales and icebergs in Alaska plus six inches of snow on the boat over one New Year in Princess Louisa Inlet in BC (we were the only boat there) was magical.

Being surrounded by hundreds of dolphins and leaping Mobula Rays in the Sea of Cortes was equally magical. Getting our arses kicked by Hurricane Newton in 2016 in the Sea of Cortes was less magical…

Whales in Alaska

Why are you selling?

That’s a question we’re still asking ourselves.

If Covid hadn’t hit we’d likely right now be somewhere on the east coast of the US getting ready to ‘hop the pond’ and head for Europe via Bermuda and the Azores.

But it now looks like that plan has been kyboshed for at least a couple of years, and this must sound outrageously spoilt, but we think it’s time to move on to something different.

Our longer-term ‘plan’ had always been that once we gave up ocean cruising we’d relocate ourselves to Europe where there are 35,000kms of navigable rivers and canals, and get ourselves a canal boat to live/cruise on. So now we’re bringing that forward.

Pilothouse

What are you going to miss?

Everything.

Getting off is going to be hard.

We’ve been married for 26 years now and we realised recently that the time we’ve lived on this boat is the longest we’ve lived anywhere. Granted, while living on the boat we’ve also been living in some stunningly gorgeous and varied locations, but this has definitely been ‘home’ in a way that nowhere else has.

Cockpit

What’s next?

A 60-65′ Cat C Luxe Motor or Dutch Tjalk is what we’ll be looking for next … watch this space for updates!

THANK YOU!

For additional information (pricing, specifications, layout, photos, video, etc.) please visit www.JMYS.com and the dedicated website prepared for this listing, www.Nordhavn55forsale.com.

Broker’s comments: The 55 design is one of the most popular Nordhavns ever conceived.  Easily managed by a couple and large enough to be a palatial home afloat. This is a trawler that can cross oceans with grace and explore remote coves in style.  In the current “Covid Climate” many future trawler owners are getting tired of staying at home and thinking more seriously about getting a boat and getting away.  There has been a surge in demand for trawlers in this size range and the Nordhavn 55 is at the top of list. Please get in touch if you would like to know more and let’s schedule an appointment to get you aboard and see for yourself why Enterprise III has been such a wonderful cruising platform.

Steve Zimmerman has logged several thousand miles on the water, including the entire East Coast from Canada to the Caribbean, the Pacific Northwest from Anacortes WA to Glacier Bay Alaska, and over forty trips between the Chesapeake and Long Island Sound. He has raced, cruised, and worked as a paid hand and captain.

Join Steve for his passionate and personable live presentations on Thursday, Nov 12 at 9:00 am for the DownEast Loop and on Saturday, Nov 14 at 3:00 pm How to Buy a Used Boat… As Told By The Boat Yard.

Don’t forget to get your 25% discount by entering JMYS.

The full slate of seminars is posted online.  JMYS has two speakers, Larry Friedman is presenting one seminar and Jeff Merrill will be giving two talks at TrawlerFest LIVE.

We have been given permission to offer a 25% discount if you enter the code JMYS when you register.

Both of these seminars are filled with dozens of useful photos. Jeff’s two PowerPoint’s and relevant document “handouts” will be made available to attendees.

Additional seminar topics include: Down East Loop, Cruising the Chesapeake, the Great Loop, What to look for Before You Call a Surveyor, and more!

Each seminar is scheduled to be 1 hour long with a 15-minute Q & A, followed by a 45-minute opportunity for the attendees to check out sponsors, exhibitors, Boaters University, and to take a break and interact with others.

Individual and all-access event passes can be purchased from this link: https://whova.com/portal/registration/trawl_202010/

Don’t forget to get your 25% discount by entering JMYS.

We hope to “see” you there!

Recently a viewer, Ed Hoyles, had a very complimentary comment for Bill relating much of what he loves about PassageMaker magazine. The comments come to Jeff, not Bill, so Jeff replied to Ed, but also sent the thread to Bill by email so Bill would know what was going on.  Bill wrote the following response which we posted in the comments section and wanted to share with our JMYS.com readers as well.

Here is the YouTube comment thread:

Ed Hoyles on September 18^th.

Your idea of story continuity was a trend setter that was way ahead of the times. I always liked that you did not follow the norm of making the reader “Continued on page” and be exposed to advertisements just to finish the article. Brave concept, yet you made the mag successful because of it

JMYS – Trawler Specialists on September 18th

Hi Ed, I will share this with Bill and agree with your points. The Parlatore’s produced the magazine they wanted to read, they did it their way, not the way it was “supposed” to be done. Those early years are treasured volumes in my collection and have been thumbed through more than once. I guess I treat them like books, they are resources I cherish, not a thin collection of glossy pages that show up via mail to be skimmed and tossed. The length of the stories, the detail, etc. issue after issue, year in and year out. Still enjoy the publication and events, they identified a great market that was just starting to awaken and is still booming.

Here is what Bill Parlatore had to say via email:

Hi Jeff,

I would love to elaborate more details about the magazine and what was behind it.

There are several other points, some a bit subtle, but they added to the enjoyment of all who read the magazine, both reader and advertiser.

Laurene and I were not from publishing, so we started with a blank piece of paper, unhindered by the traditional publishing style whose ways of doing things were obsolete.

As Laurene worked on the business plan, we sat down at the dining room table and brainstormed everything we disliked about traditional magazines, not just boating magazines.

From this discussion came the commandment to never split apart a story, for the obvious reasons you mentioned. It was a difficult thing to pull off when creating the layout imposition for each issue. But we never wavered, and the readers appreciated the extra effort to make it happen.

We also used a larger font size, knowing that our readers were older. 

We followed the Chicago Book of Style, rather than the AP style all journalists are trained on. The AP style aims for using the least amount of type whenever possible, as it stems from a time long ago in publishing when a typesetter manually set the type by hand, letter by letter, so using less type saved time and ink. We went the other direction and spelled out state names and other normally abbreviated words if it made reading easier and less work for the readers’ brains to untangle the abbreviations.

This is why I rarely used professional journalists, who have been trained to do just the opposite. Bob Lane was a trained newspaper journalist, but he came around to my way of thinking.

I made all contributors follow one mantra: The story determines its length. During the years it made me crazy when writers, especially if they once worked for a newspaper, would chop up press releases to fit a hole, most always leaving out useful information. I made sure we provided the whole story, news item, or announcement. And since the people at boat and equipment companies who put together these press releases are not really thinking about it from all angles, we would often call the companies and builders to ask more questions. So what does this mean to the trawler owner? How is this better than what you had before? Are there other side benefits to the new gear?

In one huge area, we stood separate from every other publisher. To the other magazines, the only customer is the advertiser, never the reader. That is why they give magazines out for free or almost free. It bumps up the circulation so they can charge the advertisers such high prices. And why the stories are short, incomplete, and lacking in detail. 

At PMM, the readers were every bit as important as the advertisers, which accounted for our longer articles that really told the full story.

Other boating publications purposely never say anything negative about a product or boat, which I believe is a great disservice to both advertiser and reader. I once wrote about how the settee in a certain trawler was too short for sleeping, as off watch crew would be driven out of the forward accommodations going into head seas and have nowhere to sleep. The builder told me had never thought about that, the Taiwan workers at the yard were short, so it went unnoticed. By simply following my suggestion to shorten the width of an end table to allow for a longer settee, the issue was resolved. 

I can give many other examples of how our honest articles improved the boats and equipment through the years to the point that several builders sat us down when they designed a new boat to get our experienced take on their ideas beforehand. Remember, most boat builders don’t spend much time on their boats, and certainly not on any other builders’ boats. So they often don’t realize there may be better ways of doing something. 

Hope this helps fill out the story, Jeff. Have a great day!

Bill 

Sent from my iPad

Thank you Ed, thank you Bill and a big thank you to everyone who has watched the video.

 

Please read our latest owner interview about Nordhavn 40, Sea Trek. This brief Q and A with the current owners explains some of their choices, shares some of their experiences and is a wonderful insight.

LAYOUT: Main and Lower Deck – Saloon, Galley Head and Staterooms

Q. How did you determine what type of cruising you wanted to do?

A. Since we were not retired, we needed our cruising grounds to be close enough to civilization for internet access. Plus, access to airports for the occasional business trip. That plan allowed us to follow the sun and season from Canada to the Bahamas. At the same time, we wanted to choose a boat that could go beyond that as we did want to push our limits and seek out what we called our stretch goals. This included longer duration passages to Bermuda, Greenland and the Southern Caribbean.

Q. How did you conduct your trawler search?

A. Like a lot of people, we went online and did a lot of searching on the internet. YouTube was a great help in learning about the different types of boats and what was available on the market. We also went to a few boat shows. Through those efforts we were able to connect with Jeff Merrill and leaning on his expertise, we were able to narrow down what we truly needed, and we were able to focus on finding the right boat.

LAYOUT: Raised Pilothouse

Q. You ended up with a US built Nordhavn 40 flybridge. What other brands and models did you consider and what tilted you to the N40?

A. We looked at both semi-displacement and full displacement configurations. We saw a lot of the Taiwanese trawlers at first such as DeFever, Island Gypsy and Marine Trader. We also looked at some Tollycraft, but ended up focusing on the Nordhavn, Kadey-Krogen and Selene brands. In the end, it was the ship-like quality, reputation and functionality of the Nordhavn 40 that best filled our needs.

Q. Did you set a budget for purchase and, if so, how close did you come with your cost estimates?

A. We did have a certain number we wanted to stay under for a purchase price, and we did stick to that number. However, more importantly, we also understood that we needed to incorporate the “make it your own” costs that occur post-purchase. No matter what condition your boat is in when you buy it, there’s always expenditures that happen when trying to either upgrade it or customize it to your liking. So, we tried to budget for those expenditures as well. However, like most boat owners, we went a bit over budget on those items because there’s always something new you’d like to add especially after attending the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show!

Q. Looking back at the purchase process, what do you wish you knew then that you know now?

A. We wish we would have bought a vessel that was set up for the same mission and objectives we had for our boat. We wanted to live aboard and cruise full time. Don’t get us wrong, our boat was in good shape when purchased, but it was not necessarily set up for full time cruising and living aboard. The previous owners really only used her for weekends and shorter trips, not for long term cruising. So, it was missing features that we felt we needed like a watermaker, solar power, updated electronics and more.

Q. Any interesting lessons learned the hard way that you can relate here that might benefit those who are reading this?

A. We wouldn’t say “the hard way”, but it does take a bit of time and dedication to learn the myriad of systems on a trawler. The learning curve was a bit steeper than we originally thought it would be as we were coming from a much less complex sailboat. However, with time, experience, the Nordhavn Owner Group forum and other experts, it was certainly manageable.

Q. What has been your biggest positive surprise?

A. The people that we’ve met either in person or virtually in the cruising community. We’re amazed how quickly you can find new friends by trading war stories about your latest adventures, repairs needed or places to visit. One of the advantages of owning a Nordhavn is having access to the Nordhavn Owners Group forum. It’s an online resource to ask any question about running and maintaining your Nordhavn. You can get answers from other experienced owners as well as well-known experts. It’s a bit like having a security blanket, just in case you can’t figure out something on your own. So, meeting both a wide array of helpful, friendly fellow boaters in-person and online has been the nicest surprise for us.

Q. What did you learn about each other spending all that time on your Nordhavn 40?

A. We know a lot of people have the opinion that living in close quarters on a boat would lead to divorce court, but we found the opposite to be true. We’ve always worked well together on various projects. Operating a vessel of this complexity played to our strengths. This helped us keep to a low stress, fun environment.

Q. What was your favorite cruising location?

A. We’ve had the opportunity to travel up and down the East Coast of the US as well as the Bahamas. We would have to say our favorite is the Bahamas. The beautiful, crystal clear water with the opportunity to snorkel, kayak and paddleboard amongst the various sea life is amazing.

Q. Any tips on trawler ownership to share?

A. Two things come to mind. First, don’t get tempted by the “just a few more feet” when purchasing your trawler. Buy a boat that will fulfill your mission without over doing it. Every additional foot is additional cost as docking, painting, hauling, etc. is all paid for by the foot. Second, try to spend more time enjoying the boat than doing maintenance. There’s always boat projects or preventative maintenance to do. However, don’t forget why you bought a boat in the first place – to go cruising and have some fun. So, find a balance between fun and boat maintenance.

Broker’s comments:  The owners of Sea Trek have happily immersed themselves in the Trawler Lifestyle.  They are very conscientious and have been tremendous caretakers of this vessel. His aviation background and her organizational skills are a perfect match to manage a boat with the potential that a Nordhavn 40 offers. They have spent the majority of their ownership on board and this has allowed them to make sure everything is easier, accessible and in good working order – ready to go whenever and wherever they want.  Sea Trek is an incredible Nordhavn 40 and one that is already making a very strong impression in the market.  If you are looking for a Nordhavn 40, please note the upgrades and improvements on Sea Trek that have occurred in the last couple of years – every item on a boat like this has a limited life cycle and they have been diligent in making sure things are in order.  I welcome your call, text or email if you would like to learn more and/or to schedule an appointment to get aboard.