Nordhavn, the Trawler Brand That Proved Small Powerboats Can Cross Oceans

PAE and the idea of a production passagemaker

Nordhavn is the trade name for the trawler yachts designed and marketed by Pacific Asian Enterprises (PAE), a California company incorporated in 1978 and based in Dana Point. PAE began by importing and selling Asian-built sailboats and trawlers before launching the first Nordhavn, the 46, around 1989. The goal was a production boat that could safely cross oceans under power, with a heavy full-displacement hull, big fuel tanks, redundant systems and, on most models, a get-home engine. Jeff Leishman of PAE drew every Nordhavn on this page.

The idea was proven in dramatic fashion. Between November 2001 and June 2002 a stock Nordhavn 40 ran a lap of the planet from Dana Point and back, logging roughly 26,000 miles and becoming the smallest production powerboat to complete the trip. Nordhavns have since crossed every ocean, many in factory-organized rallies.

Four building eras, from Taiwan to Istanbul

PAE has never owned a yard, so the story of the range is also a story of builders. Ta Shing in Taiwan produced the three-stateroom Nordhavn 57 from 1996 until hull 40. In California, Pacific Seacraft, better known for bluewater sailboats, laid up the first 44 hulls of the Nordhavn 40 from 1999. In 2004 the 40 molds moved to South Coast Marine in Xiamen, China, which became the backbone of the brand, building all 59 Nordhavn 47s, the Nordhavn 43 and, today, the Nordhavn 63.

The most recent era was Turkish. Telgeren and Partners in Istanbul built the twin-engine Nordhavn 41, billed as the replacement for the 40, and its bigger flybridge sister, the Nordhavn 51. In July 2026 PAE halted production of both, blaming Turkish inflation and unpredictable costs, after 44 Nordhavn 41s and roughly ten Nordhavn 51s. The molds are to be destroyed, so both are now closed fleets sold only on the brokerage market.

Nordhavn 40, 41, 43, 47, 51, 57 and 63, choosing your passagemaker

Smallest and oldest of the couples' boats is the Nordhavn 40, roughly 40 feet and 50,000 pounds with a single diesel and the circumnavigation pedigree, and the most affordable route into the brand. The Nordhavn 41 took over as the smallest modern Nordhavn, with twin engines, CE Category A certification and one or two staterooms, built from 2020 until the July 2026 shutdown.

The Nordhavn 43 is the classic single-engine answer at the next size up, carrying 1,200 gallons, two staterooms and a hull PAE later stretched into the 475. The Nordhavn 47, built from 2002 to 2009, adds a dedicated wheelhouse, a wing engine and a roomier liveaboard interior.

The Nordhavn 51 is the outlier. Instead of one main engine and a wing it runs two 160 hp John Deeres, and it adds a flybridge, two en suite staterooms and a day head on a fixed standard specification. Deliveries began only in 2024, so it is both the newest used Nordhavn and one of the rarest.

At the top of our coverage sit two big boats. The Nordhavn 57 is a 60-foot, three-stateroom passagemaker with 2,000 gallons, and many owners run it with professional help. The Nordhavn 63, built in Xiamen since about 2010 on the hull of the 55 and 60, moves the wheelhouse aft, carries a 17-foot tender on the foredeck, and remains in the current range with around 20 delivered by 2025.

Resale, support and the passagemaker survey

Nordhavn resale is among the strongest in powerboating, helped by a loyal owner community, regional sales and service offices, and buyers who specifically want ocean-crossing capability. With no new 41 or 51 available, scarcity should support those prices, though builder-specific know-how will increasingly come from the owner group.

Check engine configuration before comparing boats. The 40, 43, 47, 57 and 63 follow the single main engine tradition, while the 41 and 51 use twin diesels. On a European-lying 51, confirm VAT and US duty status early.

Surveying a Nordhavn means surveying the systems that make passagemaking possible.

• Main engine hours, keel cooler or heat exchanger, and dry stack exhaust condition
• Wing engine or get-home system operation on single-engine models
• Stabilizer fins, seals and hydraulic systems
• Fuel tank condition, fuel polishing systems and transfer pumps
• Window frames, portlights and deck core for leaks
• Electrical systems, inverters and generator hours on liveaboard boats