It’s been over 30 years years since Nordhavn entered the powerboat market with its N46, a fiberglass vessel designed to cross oceans and penned with what has become the builder’s trademark shiplike aesthetic. And it’s been just over 20 years since the company’s founders took Hull No. 21 of its smallest model, the N40—a mini explorer yacht built by Pacific Seacraft in California—and cruised 26,000 miles around the world during a 27-week voyage. The circumnavigation helped to solidify the Nordhavn brand as being ideal for yachtsmen who wanted to venture to remote locales.
As the years have progressed, so have the sizes of Nordhavn’s models. The largest fiberglass yacht—the Nordhavn 120—launched this past fall. And, not to rest on its mega-yacht laurels, the builder recently partnered with Dutch yacht-design firm Vripack to build its first metal superyacht: the Nordhavn 148. It is the builder’s second collaboration with Vripack, which also worked on the Nord- havn 80.
The 148—with an exterior design from the builder and Vripack, and interior design and naval architecture from Vripack—will have a steel hull and an aluminum superstructure. The hull will also be outfitted with an ice belt: reinforced plating around the waterline where the hull would come into contact with ice. This could prove invaluable if her owner cruises in high latitudes. According to Vripack, the yacht is designed to operate in water temperatures as low as 39 degrees Fahrenheit and as high as about 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
The builder says that constructing the yacht in steel and aluminum creates more flexibility for owners to customize the layout too.
Power will be twin 741 hp Caterpillar C-18 diesels, which are compliant with Tier III emissions requirements. The 148’s projected top speed is around 14 knots, with a 6,000-nautical-mile range at 8 knots. A 114 hp hydraulic bow thruster will help with close-quarters maneuvering.
The yacht is expected to come in at about 495 gross tons, about a 25 percent increase in volume over the builder’s current 120 flagship. Draft will reportedly be 9 feet at full load, and standard zero-speed stabilization should help keep the 148 on an even keel.
There will be accommodations for 12 people, including a main-deck owner’s suite, with four guest staterooms belowdecks housing two double berths, two single berths and two Pullman berths. There are also five cabins for crew and the captain.
According to the builder, the Nordhavn 148 should take less than two years to complete. Stay tuned for more.
Take the next step: nordhavn.com
