Fjord 40 Cruiser and the Fjord Cruiser Legacy, a Buyer's Guide

What people mean by a Fjord cruiser

Search for a Fjord cruiser and you will find two very different families of boats under one name. The first is the classic Norwegian Fjord range of the 1960s and 1970s, small and mid-size cruisers that put a whole generation of Scandinavians on the water. The second is the modern Fjord brand, taken over by Germany's HanseYachts in 2006 and 2007, whose first big statement was the Fjord 40, first as the Open and then as the Cruiser.

This page covers the Fjord 40 Cruiser in detail, but it also explains the heritage, because the history is what gives the brand its character and explains the design choices behind the modern boats.

Alf Bjercke, Arendal and the boat for everybody

Fjord's own history traces the brand to a boat fair in Hannover in the late 1950s, visited by a Norwegian named Alf Richard Bjercke. Inspired by Henry Ford's idea of a car for everybody, he set out to build boats that were reliable, seaworthy and honest, in a very Norwegian way.

In the early 1960s Bjercke started building in a rented shop in Arendal on Norway's south coast. The shop could not handle boats longer than 24 feet, so the early range was small: a dinghy, the 15-foot Bolt, the 17-foot Fjordling and a 21-foot cabin cruiser. The Fjordling in particular became a classic and is still searched for and traded today.

Growth was fast. Fjord moved to a larger yard in Arendal, then in 1964 to Fevik, and within two years the yard employed 120 people. Ten years after its founding, Fjord had more than 700 employees and offered 72 models from four shipyards, and Bjercke was sketching a 75-footer.

The oil crisis, the Terne and the Hanse revival

The 1973 oil crisis ended that expansion. Fjord shrank, then returned in the late 1970s with new models and a motorsailer. In the late 1980s Eivind Amble turned a traditional wooden ketch design into the 28-foot GRP Fjord Terne, a characterful boat that kept the name alive through the 1990s as production concentrated on it.

In 2006 and 2007 HanseYachts, the German sailboat builder founded by Michael Schmidt, took control of Fjord Boats and set out to make it a modern motor yacht brand. Hanse is now majority-owned by the investment firm Aurelius. The new Fjord range was designed around a walkaround concept that the company describes as the Range Rover of the sea: Scandinavian simplicity, German engineering and a deck you can walk all the way around without steps.

The Fjord 40 was the boat that launched that idea. The Fjord 40 Open was the first new model of the Hanse era, introduced in 2007, and Hanse described it as the European Power Boat of 2008. The Fjord 40 Cruiser followed and was on sale by 2009, when Hanse took it to the Melbourne Boat Show for its Australian debut.

Fjord 40 Cruiser versus Fjord 40 Open

Fjord sold the two boats side by side as the 40' Open and the 40' Cruiser. The Open is the purist's boat, with a standalone windscreen, a hardtop over the helm and a cockpit exposed to the elements. The Cruiser adds more protection and a more cruising-oriented arrangement, making it the better choice for northern waters and for owners who want to spend nights aboard. Fjord's own archive no longer lists full specifications for the Cruiser, so confirm dimensions and layout against the builder's documents for the boat you are viewing.

For reference, Power and Motoryacht's 2008 test of the 40 Open found a modest head with a wet shower to port, a small settee and a berth for children to starboard, and the main berth in the bow, with a mahogany interior. Expect the Cruiser to be laid out for a couple with room for occasional guests, but check the exact arrangement aboard, because owners and dealers often describe these boats loosely.

On deck, the walkaround design is the reason to buy one. Being able to walk safely forward on wide side decks makes anchoring and docking easier than on many sport cruisers, and it gives the boat a distinctive, purposeful profile.

Power and performance

Volvo Penta power is the Fjord 40 norm. Power and Motoryacht's test of the 40 Open listed twin 300 hp IPS400 drives as standard with 370 hp IPS500 or 435 hp IPS600 as options, and the test boat with IPS500 passed 42 mph on the radar gun, roughly 36 knots, at a weight of 16,700 pounds. The same boat carried 265 gallons of fuel and 80 gallons of water and measured 39 feet 4 inches with a 13-foot 1-inch beam. Figures for the more enclosed Cruiser are not published in an archive we could find, so ask for the original build specification and a sea trial before trusting any listing's numbers.

The deep-V hull was built for the North Sea and the Baltic, and in the PMY test it tracked well through a steep, sloppy inlet, though the bluff bow made for a wet ride. That makes the Fjord 40 family a sensible choice for Northeast US or Great Lakes owners who want a capable day cruiser that can handle rough afternoons.

Running costs and parts support

Annual costs, excluding depreciation, typically run about $30,000 to $60,000 for insurance, berthing, diesel and drive service, bottom paint and canvas. Volvo Penta's network makes engine support straightforward, but boat-specific parts such as hatches, windows and trim come from HanseYachts and can take time to source in the US.

Hanse remains an active builder with a US presence, which helps, and the current Fjord range of models from the 39 XL to the 53 XL shows that the brand is alive and invested in its future.

Buying a used Fjord 40 Cruiser

Most Fjord 40 Cruisers for sale are in Europe, typically priced between about $150,000 and $280,000 equivalent depending on year, hours and condition. US buyers should factor in shipping, import duty and a survey before purchase.

Survey the engines and IPS drives carefully, check the teak decks and walkaround side decks for wear, and inspect the canvas and windows for leaks. Confirm the VAT status and the CE documentation on European boats. Because these boats are rare, a well-maintained example with complete documentation is worth paying a premium for.