My impression looking at 2 or 3 year old Nordhavn's vs the same age Selene is that the Nordhavn ages bettter. There are some design features including seating on the flying bridge, engine room access which I like better on the Nordhavn. Any new boat will have problems. I spent over 3 months getting issues repaired on a new boat last year. Further more, with time many systems on boats will either wear or fail. One needs to either be able to fix them, or do without. If one looks at the Nordhavn 40 around the world--there were a number of issues, if one studies all of the reports from the boat and various people aboard. I also need to clarify a word which may have caused some confusion: Scheme: " A systematic program for obtaining some objective" is Webster's first defination--Nordhavn has done this brilliantly in their marketing and advertising campaigns. Bob Austin

The specs for the construction of a new boat result in some thick documents when buying from reputable semi-custom builders. There is an extraordinary amount of precise detail. Once the builder has had an opportunity to check the boat out, I don't understand why the new owner wouldn't want her surveyed by independent professionals - both hull and machinery/electrical. These well-built boats cost a great deal of money - often more than the same family spends on their house. We are paying for relatively complex systems to provide the comfort and safety of home in a more hostile environment while moving in the right direction. I wonder what constitutes a reasonable shakedown period before crossing an ocean in a new boat? Most electronics for example either fail immediately or within 90 days. How long does it take to be reasonably confident about a new Nordhavn for example? Ron Rogers

Hi Bob (and all), You wrote:"Nordhavn has done this brilliantly in their marketing and advertising campaigns." Yes, they certainly do and I feel that after we purchase a boat, it is our responsibility too to keep her in good shape and visiting the 'engine room' often and not only when things goes wrong, is a MUST! You said:"One needs to either be able to fix them, or do without" Absolutely! On Goleen we keep our engine room not only sparkling clean, if possible, but with an eye on everything at all times to spot signs of wear and tear. OF COURSE, THINGS CAN GO WRONG NO MATTER, AND NOT ONLY ON THE ENGINE ROOM! On passages, we visit the engine room very often and Chris measure temperatures, search places for possible leaks, fuel levels, fuel filters and so on. I hardly even hear music on board when we are on a passage because I like to hear if the engine 'sound' is the same or if it changed in any way, which is one of the first signs of trouble ahead, if it changes. I do appreciate that it is difficult for any of us, and even for the 'engeneer's types' to know it all, but one need to be prepared to take action and do something on the spot and sometimes, FAST. We had problems before that we didn't know how to fix it immediately so, we opened the manual and read' or made a phone call and listened. If one is prepared mentally, physically and emotionally for this kind of event to happen, it should be fine, and THAT is why I keep banging on the key on this forum that talking about HOW we cope ( and not ONLY about 'WHAT WE DO') in adversity is important too. In the end it will be our mental state that will save the technical issues (and ourselves) when 'push comes to shave', in MY opinion. Just to illustrate: On Yachting World, April edition, 'Run down at Night', pg 80/85, Clark Beek wrote about his experience of his 40ft ketch Condesa been run down by a freighter: Pure Panic paragraph: *"Let me state for the record that I am not proud of what I did. This was one act of pure panic.* *...I did a freestyle sprint at a speed only possible when that sort of adrenalin is pumping through one's veins, tumble in a crashing bow wave, then sprinted again. Ian (*his crew*) would have been right behind me, following my stupid lead, but because of Hilary (his* other crew was stuck inside the vessel*) he missed his chance at being the second human in history to bodysurf a freighter's bow wave."* And he goes on: *" My most important piece of advice is this: plan to be an idiot. I always considered myself a pretty cool customer under fire, but when life and vessel were on the line I found myself functioning at about 10 per cent of mental and physical capability. It made me re-evaluate some of my emergency procedures omboard because they are too complicated for a rattle mind."* ** You see what I mean? All the best and keep learning, Sonaia Hermida NH 5729 On 3/30/07, thataway4@cox.net <thataway4@cox.net> wrote: > > My impression looking at 2 or 3 year old Nordhavn's vs the same age Selene > is that the Nordhavn ages bettter. > > There are some design features including seating on the flying bridge, > engine room access which I like better on the Nordhavn. > > Any new boat will have problems. I spent over 3 months getting issues > repaired on a new boat last year. Further more, with time many systems on > boats will either wear or fail. One needs to either be able to fix them, or > do without. If one looks at the Nordhavn 40 around the world--there were a > number of issues, if one studies all of the reports from the boat and > various people aboard. > > I also need to clarify a word which may have caused some > confusion: Scheme: " A systematic program for obtaining some objective" is > Webster's first defination--Nordhavn has done this brilliantly in their > marketing and advertising campaigns. > > Bob Austin > _______________________________________________ > > Passagemaking Under Power and PUP are trademarks of Water World > Productions, formerly known as Trawler World Productions. > > To be removed from the PUP list send an email with the > subject "unsubscribe" (no quotes) to the link below: > > mailto:passagemaking-under-power-request@lists.samurai.com > > Passagemaking-Under-Power Mailing List