Nordhavn Saturday

I knew that my client Nordhavn had a new N 86 stopping in Hong Kong enroute to a delivery to Indonesia for the owner. I e-mailed the president of the company and asked how I could get aboard to see the new boat (hull number 10 of this model). He put me in touch with the captain and the project manager and they were very accommodating. The boats are built in Xaiman China, a few hundred miles up the coast but it is easier to bring crew into Hong Kong and fuel and provision here. The captain invited me to come down Saturday morning for a sea trial of a new forward scanning sonar and auto pilot calibration. I took the train to Tsing Yi Island and then a taxi to the boat yard.

Trever Smith, the Nordhavn project manager had just flown in that morning as well and it was good to see him as he is an old friend from previous matters.

The boat was beautiful, shiny and new. There are always a bunch of little items to complete; getting the towels and sheets out, putting the right bulbs in lamps, getting distilled water for the humidor, etc., etc.

Soon after coming aboard we pulled away from the dock and headed out to more open water.

I poked around the boat and hung out in the pilot house as the tech demonstrated the forward scanning sonar. With a call to the tech support in the USA on an iPhone, we went through the paces of calibrating the autopilots.

After being on the water a couple hours, we headed back to the boat yard. The new cook made lunch for us all.

Since the plastic coverings do not come off until the owners come aboard, we ate with the cover on the table and the plastic on the chairs. The food, nevertheless was delicious.