N86 at rest, Ken Williams’s blogs about the adventures of his Nordhavn 68 demonstrate that he and Roberta are really enjoying theirs.) The sky lounge also opens onto an aft deck. Some owners will store a shore boat and install a winch here; others will choose to use it as an outdoor lounge. This deck is the overhead for the cockpit that provides another 340 square feet (31.5 square meters) of space and was a particularly popular gathering place during the Swiftsure events. The bridge bulwark contains a huge amount of storage—one Nordhavn 76 owner installed a large gasoline tank and pump for his small boats—and a small compartment in each corner containing one of the four remote helm stations distributed around the boat (two on the Portuguese bridge, one in the cockpit, and one on the flying bridge). Using these remotes that control the main engines, bow and stern thrusters, and rudder, the captain can ensure he is in the best location from which to maneuver the boat safely. The central portion of the Portuguese bridge also provides access to the foredeck. Most owners choose to install cradles and a crane in this area to store and manage one or two inflatables, but it would be hard to find a better place to sunbathe. The cockpit also provides access to two more important areas of the boat. A pneumatically operated hatch opens to a set of stairs into the vast lazarette, and a doorway adjacent to the saloon door opens onto a finished staircase to the crew quarters and engine room (also accessible from the lazarette.) For owners who engage crew, in addition to the captain’s suite aft of the pilothouse, there are three bunks, a head, and stowage finished out in wood, and situated between the lazarette and the engine room, plus an extra pipe bunk hidden behind paneling. Inside or out, up or down, the Nordhavn 86 can accommodate as many or as few as one would wish, in any style one can imagine, with complete comfort and security, anywhere one might wish to go, and on any ocean. 24
CIRCUMNAVIGATOR I 2010
Rugged & refined Maiden voyage of Aurora demonstrates the comfort, technology and seaworthiness of the Nordhavn 86
By Garrett Lambert Contributing Editor
www.circumnavigatormag.com