Bill Baker stood at a podium in Poulsbo, Washington, looking out at a sea of people inside the Sons of Norway Lodge. “What I see here is community,” he said.
His words met the moment, which was part of the largest single gathering of Nordhavn yachts, ever—58 boats, according to the builder—held in the waterfront city known for its Scandinavian heritage. Baker, a member of the planning committee for this owners’ event, has a Nordhavn 62. “All of us need community,” he added. “It’s something that we all want in our life.”
Hundreds of boaters have found that sense of community through Nordhavn ownership since the brand’s founding in 1978. The three-day rendezvous in May also included owners who attended without their boats, just to be part of the fun. All in all, owners of 70 Nordhavns were reportedly present.
“We have about 206 total attendees this year. Largest one yet,” said Jill Bernard, also a member of the event planning committee, along with her husband, Bob. They own the Nordhavn 47 Slow Burn, their second boat from the builder, and they couldn’t be prouder. “We just made history for Nordhavn. It’s official,” said Jill.
The gathering from May 9 to 12 was the third rendezvous of its kind for Nordhavn owners. This gathering grew from humble beginnings. Kevin and Allison Jefferies, who own a Nordhavn 55, used to organize potlucks for owners around Puget Sound. But as the number of owners grew, so did demand for a serious event. The rendezvous now takes place every other year.
Attendees this time around also included Jennifer Greer, who owns the Nordhavn 40 Symphony. “I’ve had a couple of boats before, but I really wanted one to extend my cruising,” she said. “One of my friends told me the boat can take way more than I can, and I’ve found that to be very true. I took it up to Alaska last year, up to Glacier Bay and back down. The boat lives up to its reputation.”
Tom and Linda Hamilton own a Nordhavn 57. “We wandered into the Anacortes boat show about eight years ago and walked right past this boat that was so interesting. We didn’t really know anything about it, but it was beautiful,” Linda said. “We did a little investigating, found the broker and fell in love.”
The previous owners had taken that same N57 to Alaska, where they exchanged vows on the bow. “They flew in a pastor who married them on their boat,” Tom said. He and Linda now bring the whole family cruising, including five grandkids, while working remotely as business owners, thanks to Starlink.
Nordhavns, Linda said, attract “a certain type of rugged and adventuresome individual. And these people are all fun.”
Todd and Sheryl Hannah surely fit that description. They own Seeker, the first Nordhavn 55, built in 2005. They bought the boat in July 2023, having previously owned a much different 17-foot Larsen that limited their cruising ambitions. “Whatever we want to do, the world is our oyster,” Tom said of their Nordhavn. “And the community is unbelievable.” They keep Seeker at Salt Spring Island in British Columbia, where a small group of Nordhavn owners gather to swap notes. “We get together every month, whoever can make it,” he said. “It doesn’t get much better.”
Lance and Stephanie Leuthesser put 25,000 nautical miles on a 40-footer before purchasing their Nordhavn 41 Tavee in 2006. “Our dog that did every mile with us was named Tavee, and she passed away,” Stephanie said. They sold the boat and, three years later, were thinking about getting a new dog when Nordhavn broker James Leishman called. “Stephanie figured we needed a new boat,” Lance said, “so here we are.”
They say they are proud to be part of a long-range cruising community—especially one that’s built on powerboats, which they find easier to cruise aboard as they’re getting older. “Previously, that type of cruising was the domain of sailboats,” Lance said. “Nordhavn made it the domain of powerboats.”
Penelope Pierce attended the rendezvous with her husband, Benjamin. They own a Nordhavn 68 that they bought brand-new in 2023, having previously owned a smaller Nordic Tugs. “One of the attractions to building a Nordhavn was the community,” Benjamin said, adding that they routinely check in online with the Nordhavn Owners Group. “Everyone has been generous, open, willing to share,” Penelope added. “We didn’t know what to expect here, and we’ve made so many great friends because we have lots of things in common. We have Nordhavns, we like to be on the water, we like to be adventuresome. It’s a special thing.”
Robert and Vikki Conold own the Nordhavn 68 Zorro, which was built in 2009. They bought it about three years ago and were excited to attend the rendezvous for the first time this year—after having coveted Zorro from a distance for more than a decade.
“It’s a funny story,” Robert said. “We saw it in Roche Harbor in 2010, so it was pretty new. I told people, ‘Geez, that’s the kind of boat I want to get someday.’ The people I was with took a picture of it, and they framed it and said I was going to own it one day.” He kept that framed photo of Zorro in his office until the boat came up for sale. “I love that every time I get on the boat, I know things are going to work,” he says of the Nordhavn’s reliability. “I’ve bought other boats where that doesn’t happen.”
Angela Burke and her husband have lived aboard their Nordhavn 68 for two years. “We sold our house and our car in Florida and bought a boat that was in Mexico,” she said. “With our dog and two suitcases, we flew across the continent.”
They brought the boat from Mexico to Alaska, and to Poulsbo for the rendezvous. Next on their list is crossing the Pacific, which they’ve been thinking about doing for 15 years. In retirement, they’re finally getting the chance.
“We literally are modern nomads, which is kind of cool,” Angela says. “Wherever you go in the world, there is usually one other Nordhavn, and they are very generous at sharing knowledge and information and happy-hour drinks at the back of the boat.”
Burke’s background in corporate branding gives her even more respect for what Nordhavn has accomplished with its culture. “It’s not fabricated by the company. It’s actually created by the owners,” she said, adding that many start out as dreamers who connect online. “And then you cross over to become an owner. And the two communities really embrace each other, which is kind of cool.”
Dan Streech, the owner and president of Nordhavn, says designing and building the boats is very much a team effort. In particular, he shares credit for the brand’s success with longtime partners Jim and Jeff Leishman. Streech says that while people sometimes want to focus on the three of them, they believe the boats are the stars of the Nordhavn story.
“The boats are absolutely beautiful, and that is the design genius of Jeff Leishman,” Streech says. “The boats are recognizable, always. Once you kind of know what they look like, you can spot them in an airplane. And they are technically superb. They can go long-distance. If you’re looking for an ocean-crossing production powerboat, there are almost no other choices.”
Attending this year’s rendezvous, Streech says, felt a little strange. He’s getting near the end of his career and is trying to ensure that all the people and pieces are in place for the event to continue on for years to come. While plenty of boatbuilders host rendezvous all around the world, Nordhavn’s is an owner-generated event, created by boaters who have come together and formed a powerful community, a family of sorts, of their own.
“This is all about owners doing it on their own volition to just express their love of the brand,” Streech says. “And that feels pretty good.”
This article was originally published in the August 2024 issue.
