Nordhavn 57 for Sale, Review and Ownership Guide

The Nordhavn 57 and the case for waterline length

Anyone shopping a Nordhavn 57 for sale should start with one number: a 53 foot 3 inch waterline. On a displacement hull, waterline length sets the practical speed ceiling, and the 57's is long enough to push its theoretical hull speed close to 10 knots. That means comfortable passages at 8.5 to 9 knots, a pace that cuts a full day off a 1,000 mile leg compared with a 7 knot passage in a smaller Nordhavn such as the 43.

Pacific Asian Enterprises introduced the 57 in 1996, with Ta Shing in Taiwan as the builder, for owners who wanted the authority of the larger Nordhavns without the cost and crew of the 62. Nordhavn described her as a passagemaker with lines that would look right in the world's best marinas, and the profile does strike a balance between workboat seriousness and yacht polish. Nordhavn says it halted production after hull 40, and the model is now retired.

Overall length is 60 feet 7 inches, so the name refers more to the hull's working length than to the marina bill. Expect to pay for 60 or more feet of slip.

One hundred twenty-two thousand pounds of stability

At 122,000 pounds, 17 foot 7 inch beam and 6 foot 2 inch draft, the 57 is a substantial vessel. The weight gives it a slow, predictable motion, and the long waterline means it spans more wave crests than a 47, reducing pitching. That combination is why the 57 suits crews who plan multi-day passages where sleep quality matters as much as speed.

It also means a haul out is not a casual event. You need a travel lift rated well above 60 tons, which rules out many smaller yards on the ICW and in the Bahamas. Plan haul outs around larger facilities and budget accordingly.

A de-rated Lugger and a long-lived drivetrain

Most boats have a Lugger L6125A, a large displacement six cylinder diesel de-rated to 325 hp at 2,100 rpm. De-rating is the key to longevity: the engine works well below its pleasure-boat rating, which reduces stress and heat over thousands of hours. Nordhavn's standard specification pairs it with a Twin Disc MG5091 gear at 2.95 to 1 and a 36 inch four-blade bronze propeller, though the boat Yachts International tested in 2000 had a 3 to 1 gear and a 38 x 24 inch prop. Later hulls differ: hull 39 was delivered with a 340 hp Lugger L1276A common rail engine, and at least one 57 was built with twin 350 hp Caterpillars.

Electrical generation comes from a Northern Lights M843N 12 kW generator on the standard spec, supported by dual 130 amp alternators on the main engine. Many boats have since added a second generator or an upgraded unit for air conditioning and redundancy. The get-home system on the tested boat and on current listings is a 70 hp Lugger wing engine on an offset shaft with a folding prop, which also powers the hydraulics; Yachts International logged 4.7 knots on it. Run it under load on any sea trial.

Range at 8 to 9 knots

Nordhavn quotes more than 3,000 nautical miles of range, and the 2000 Yachts International test gives more detail: about 4,000 nautical miles at 8 knots, 3,000 at 9 knots and 2,000 at 10 knots. On sea trial the boat made 7.7 knots at 1,300 rpm, 9.8 knots at 1,800 rpm and 11 knots at full throttle. Nordhavn's spec sheet lists 2,000 gallons of fuel, while that test boat was described with 1,700 gallons in four tanks, so confirm the tankage on the boat you are buying.

This range makes Hawaii from the West Coast, the Atlantic via Bermuda and the Azores, and multi-season cruising in Alaska or Patagonia practical without fuel stops. The trade-off is that filling 2,000 gallons is a significant expense, so many owners plan fuel stops around low price ports.

Water capacity of 300 gallons is modest for a boat of this size, and nearly every 57 on the market has a watermaker. Confirm its age and membrane condition.

Fin stabilizers and riding at anchor

Active fin stabilizers are standard equipment on boats of this type, and you should not consider a 57 without a working system. Inspect fin size, actuators and seals, and the hydraulic power source. Upgrades to newer control units are common and worth the investment.

At anchor, fin stabilizers do little unless they include a zero speed function. Many 57 owners use flopper stoppers in rolly anchorages, and a few have retrofitted gyro stabilizers. Ask what the current owner uses, and how well it works.

Great Loop, Bahamas and where the 57 belongs

The 57 is not a Great Loop boat. A 6 foot 2 inch draft is too deep for much of the inland route, and air draft is likely to exceed the 19 foot 1 inch Chicago bridge limit unless the mast and antennas fold well down. The Bahamas are possible with careful route planning but large areas of the banks are off limits.

Where the 57 shines is open water: the Pacific Coast from Mexico to Alaska, transatlantic routes, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. If your plans are mostly inland and shallow, look at a Grand Banks or a Kadey-Krogen instead.

Living aboard and running with two

The 57's interior is styled with more contemporary finishes than older Nordhavns. Below the pilothouse are three staterooms and two heads: a full-beam master aft with a king berth and its own head and shower, a forward guest stateroom with a queen island berth and private access to the second head, and a port cabin with twin bunks that shares it. The raised pilothouse, with an L-shaped settee and chart table, is the center of gravity on passage. The saloon and galley are large enough for long term living.

A couple can run a 57, but docking a 122,000 pound single screw boat needs thrusters and practice. Most owners add a stern thruster, and many bring crew for ocean passages.

Refit priorities on a twenty-year-old ocean boat

Most Nordhavn 57s on the market are now well past twenty years old, and that changes how you should shop. The hull and the Lugger are rarely the problem. The expensive surprises live in the systems that age on a calendar rather than an hour meter: wiring and breaker panels, hydraulic hoses for the stabilizers and thrusters, window and hatch seals, fuel tank fittings, and the electronics package at the helm.

A sensible approach is to rank candidate boats by how much of that list has already been done, with invoices. A boat that has had a full electronics refit, a stabilizer rebuild and new hoses throughout in the past five years can be worth $150,000 or more than an original boat at the same asking price. Hire a surveyor who knows Nordhavns specifically, add a separate engine survey with oil analysis, and run the boat for at least two hours at passage rpm during sea trial so temperatures stabilize and weak spots appear.

What the 57 costs to buy and keep

Asking prices range from about $650,000 to $1.2 million. Annual running costs of $65,000 to $120,000 cover slip, insurance, haul outs, engine and generator service, stabilizer maintenance and bottom paint. A major refit item such as new electronics or a generator replacement can add $50,000 to $150,000 in a given year.