Our Nordhavn Purchase – How It’s Supposed to Work

Yesterday was a great day and saw the delivery of our new N40. Having decided a couple of months ago to ‘move to the dark side’ and leave a lifetime of sailing for the comfort and utility of a passagemaking trawler, we met with Ted Robie – a senior broker with Nordhavn in Stuart, Florida. Ted has a hugely impressive background in yachting, including tenure with Hinckley (our current boat – now for sale – is a lovely Hinckley Bermuda 40) and many years of bluewater racing. He also has encyclopedic knowledge of the Nordhavn line and helped steer us to the N40. Listening to me, he got a good idea of my goals and expectations for an offshore trawler. Importantly, he also spent time with my wife and got the ‘other side’ of what would make us happy as a couple.

Linda and I just bought a house in Tucson and we were talking about the last year, selling Discovery, moving to a rental house and then buying and moving into a beautiful house in Tucson. What a year it’s been.

Dear Mr Streech,

After several years of thinking and looking at what is available my wife Zubi and I bought a Nordhavn N 47 01. It was a difficult transaction and the seller had left the boat in Florida and gone to England. During this difficult time of discussions, deal making etc, two of your brokers Ben Sprague and Dave Belfour held our hand and walked us through this trying time. Many a time we felt that a deal could not be made but they kept their faith and persisted in finalizing a deal which we did not think could happen.

I wanted to share with you our wonderful experience working with Larry Gieselman as our Nordhavn sales agent. We decided to list our 43 Nordhavn with PAE after listening to Larry’s explanation of all the benefits of listing with them. There were other avenues we considered as well but finally decided on Larry and PAE.

Just thought I might echo Jay’s comments. I am in a smilar situation to him and recently went to the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show. While there I met Peter Devers from the Australasin PAE office. He was more than happy to show us through the boat and discus ideas I had for a layout that would suit us if we were to spec a new boat. Even though I am of simmilar age to Jay and a purchace of a boat may be some years away nothing seemed to be a problem.

Just wanted to introduce myself. I’ve been watching the messages for awhile now and wanted to post but have been a little tentative. This group seems very welcoming to new people which is great. That isn’t always the case on some message boards.

Well, I live in Surprise, AZ and have been dreaming about being a Nordhavn owner. My parents are live-a-boards on a 50’r in Ventura so I spend a lot of time on the water. I spent Memorial Day out at the channel islands and I must have stared at the N40 anchored aways North of us in smugglers for hours. It could have been an N43 since we were a decent ways away…

Hi Dan,

I never thought it would come to this, but I finally have a bone to pick with PAE. Here I am in sunny, hot, relaxing La Paz and dealing with a few issues on the boat. So I email Dave Harlow in the late morning, my time. I then hear he is in China, but to my surprise, I get virtually an immediate response from him. By my calculation, it is around 2 am in Xiamen at that time!!! Is it written into your employment contracts with your employees that they are not permitted to sleep? Man, you are a slave driver!!!!

Dear Sirs,

I am sending you this letter to let you know how much I have appreciated the services of Andy Hegley and my whole buying experience with him.

Yesterday was a great day and saw the delivery of our new N40. Having decided a couple of months ago to ‘move to the dark side’ and leave a lifetime of sailing for the comfort and utility of a passagemaking trawler, we met with Ted Robie – a senior broker with Nordhavn in Stuart, Florida. Ted has a hugely impressive background in yachting, including tenure with Hinckley (our current boat – now for sale – is a lovely Hinckley Bermuda 40) and many years of bluewater racing. He also has encyclopedic knowledge of the Nordhavn line and helped steer us to the N40. Listening to me, he got a good idea of my goals and expectations for an offshore trawler. Importantly, he also spent time with my wife and got the ‘other side’ of what would make us happy as a couple.

Hi Larry,

You did an outstanding job of representing Nordhavn and me in our transaction. You are: fair, knowledgeable, a very calm person, easy to work with, unflappable. You did a great job of communication with the team. From the guys who directed the boat, Mike to the guys who helped deliver the boat, Glenn.

Birge
Nordhavn 60 “Relish”

A”A440″ departed in the wee small hours of the morning for our Alaskan adventure. Rich and I can’t thank you and everyone else at Nordhavn for the great care that was given to us the past several months.

Hi Dan,

As we finished our first year on the boat, putting on over 8300 nm and 1100 hours, I just wanted to let you know how pleased we are with the boat and the team at PAE. The boat is wonderful and was the talk of the Cubar Rally with more tours than I wanted.  Every day I seem to discover some little nuance about the boat that is an incredible feature making the operation of the vessel more user friendly and enjoyable. It is an incredible floating house that makes living on the water so enjoyable.

Linda and I just bought a house in Tucson and we were talking about the last year, selling Discovery, moving to a rental house and then buying and moving into a beautiful house in Tucson. What a year it’s been.

Dear Mr Streech,

After several years of thinking and looking at what is available my wife Zubi and I bought a Nordhavn N4701. It was a difficult transaction and the seller had left the boat in Florida and gone to England. During this difficult time of discussions, deal making etc , two of your brokers Ben Sprague and Dave Balfour held our hand and walked us through this trying time. Many a time we felt that a deal could not be made but they kept their faith and persisted in finalizing a deal which we did not think could happen.

Well… it finally happened, I bought a boat. Nordhavn 50-20 “CONTINUOUS ” has now a new proud 3rd owner. My name is David Mayer. We recently wrapped up a great delivery from Fajardo, Puerto Rico to St. Petersburg, FL arriving at first light Good Friday (4/6/12). I would first like to thank Doug Danielson (2nd owner) & Kelly for making the trip with me on up to the Florida Gulf Coast. A seven day shake down, out of the gate, is certainly one way to get hands on & in a hurry.

I can whole heartedly recommend Larry as well. He is a super no pressure salesman. Unbounded enthusiasm.

Harris
Nordhavn 4738

We are newbies to Nordhavn having purchased our N40 in February 2010. We were at Dana Point on vacation (we live in Florida) and we met Larry Gieselman.

Curtis and Marcia Low
Nordhavn 40

I wanted to write and praise the professionalism of Larry Geiselman in his role as PAE broker. I put my boat on the market less than 6 months ago, and despite the fact that  Larry was in the USA, I was in the UK, the boat was in New Zealand and the buyer was in Australia, the sale has now been concluded without a hitch.

Having never purchased a boat in the States before, I was a bit apprehensive about the procedures and what we would have to do. I called the Rhode Island office and spoke to Ben Sprague, who very quickly assured me that he could act in our best interest and that he could guide us through the procedures of the purchase. He acted as the negotiator with the owner’s broker, who was Andy Hegley with the Southeast Nordhavn Office in Florida. Basically there were two Nordhavn brokers  one acting for the seller and one acting for me as the buyer. Ben really held our hand through the offers making sure that we were able to transfer ownership and re-register her in the UK. He basically guided us through the purchase.

Peter Dyball
Nordhavn 62 “Ocean Quest”

Unless a broker is with Nordhavn, he won’t have the knowledge necessary to give a new owner the proper training these kinds of boats require. This is also very important for the seller. Nordhavn Brokers can articulate how these boats are built in terms of engineering and construction as well as the quality of the components important information that makes these proven Nordhavns a much better value for a potential customer.

After looking at several other yachts, the timing, my personal needs and my expectation of quality led me to Nordhavn and broker Dave Balfour. If it wasn’t for Dave Balfour’s expert guidance through the sale and comprehensive knowledge of the boat, the sale would have never happened.

Dear Sirs,

I am sending you this letter to let you know how much I have appreciated the services of Andy Hegley and my whole buying experience with him.

He has gone above and beyond his role in the process, helping me out at every step of the way. I would highly recommend him to anybody who wants to buy a boat, and hope to stay in touch.

Alain Dijon

Boats and the Alphabet. Do these two seemingly incongruous words go together? I think they do. Years ago, when all you had was the phonebook, all the businesses wanted to be first. AAA Plumbing was always top of the list. Now we have Google, Bing, Yahoo and Safari. The new technology is great but you have to buy a higher listing or use words to increase the chance you are first. In the end it is still alphabetical for the most part. So how can Devin Zwick ever sell a boat?

We wanted to let you all know that we visited the West Palm Beach Boat Show at the end of March and visited your yacht.   We were warmly welcomed aboardby one of your crew, Captain Paul Hutton.  He was a fabulous spokesman for your company and for your yachts.  First and foremost, he made us feel welcomed and comfortable even though we were only admiring the yacht. He is one in a million type of sales representative.  We only wish we were in a position to purchase a yacht, but our purchasing days are over, but we do love to admire.  Thank you for employing such a warm hearted and caring individual  You could immediately tell he loved his product and knew the details inside and out.  He made a lasting impression of my husband and me and we wanted to thank you.

Bruce & Laurel Bodie

We are writing to commend one of your brokers. We have worked with Don Kohlman in the purchase of two Nordhavns and the sale of one. In all of our sales and purchases of houses, boats and cars, we have never encountered a salesman with as much professionalism, thoughtfulness and creativity to close a sale. He has gone above and beyond for our family a number of times. His humble, calm manner makes sea trials and negotiating a less stressful process. His knowledge of boating, and Nordhavns in particular, is remarkable. Don is more than our broker, he has become our friend and go-to guy when we have questions. You are fortunate to have Don on your team. He is a valuable asset.

Thank you,
Pat & Alexa Shanafelt
#N5020
www.mvnoeta.com

Please allow me this opportunity to congratulate you on having Mr. Devin Zwick as part of your enterprise! What
an ambassador he is for you.

Mr. Zwick was immensely instrumental in making our retirement dream of living on a Nordhavn 55” come to life.
Though technically he represented the seller, we felt as though he was a guiding star for us through our entire
passage of challenging negotiations, multiple surveys, international documentation and confusing processes with
TIPs, etc. His ability to communicate for us, his professionalism as well as quick thinking were invaluable. By the
time we arrived to port in La Paz, we had been instilled with a guarded (safe) confidence that we were absolutely
correct to follow our 25 year dream and we could do this! For that, we are very grateful to Mr. Zwick.

Most people in his position would have been “done with the deal” at this point. But, we brazenly asked him if he
would come back for a bit more hands on training. Over and above anything he was obligated or expected to do,
he agreed. This is the part where he discovered our true identity-MEET THE MURPHYS! Giving of his time, he
arrived the day Hurricane Lorenza was predicted to strike La Paz late in the night. Securing the boat provided yet
another valuable teaching experience from him. Fortunately, she gave us only a glancing blow so we planned to
leave in the AM. However, the port remained closed all day so he patiently went through systems, maintenance
and necessary information regarding our Tesoro since he knows her so very well having captained her on multiple
long passages. The day was done. We would try for that hands on training again in the morning. Maybe not….at
2:30am the high water alarm sounded and yes, it was NOT a false alarm. A seacock valve had blown. Mr. Zwick
sprung into action and once again used real life as a teaching moment. He spent hours helping bail and repair as
well. Such a calming presence with constant reminders that remaining calm is of utmost importance.

Surely we could head out for that hands on teaching later that day….and we did. It was decided we would anchor
and enjoy the evening even though he had a noon flight the next day. Believe it or not, that evening was
uneventful.

Up with the sun, we were set to sadly return him to the states but…only the Murphy’s could get the anchor stuck
on the pulpit while bringing it up – really stuck. Devin to the rescue (we felt we’d been through so much together
that we could call him Devin at this point). He continued with the teaching and confidence building until the lines
were secured to the dock .

We cannot thank him enough for everything he offered us on so many levels. We also can’t wait to see him again
(though understandably that feeling may not be mutual). Again, what a superb liaison to represent PAE as his
passion for what he has chosen as a profession is contagious but moreover what a giving human he is.

Regards,

Joe Salomone and Patti Shaw
N5521

I wanted to write and take a moment to share my thoughts and thank you. Feel free to publish, use or do whatever you wish with the below :) Also ALWAYS open to being a reference – not that you or Nordhavn would need one.

Nordhavn has always been known as a premier brand for those that can afford one, which I never thought I would find one in my price range. When I placed my call to James Leishman, he did not know me – nor I did him. At this point I had looked at almost every trawler and long range cruiser on the market. My frustration had grown with all the other brokers and agents, as I had more knowledge on the vessel I was looking at, more than the broker (which my experience was limited). After a 5 min conversation with James I was so excited to speak to someone that actually knew something about the Nordhavn 40 that I was inquiring about. James patiently answered every question I had and more, along with offering solid knowledge and never becoming “salesy”. Later I learned his whole life has been surrounded by Nordhavns as his family owned the company. I felt I was speaking to someone of royalty status as I got to know him and work with him. James humble approach to me was amazing. Here I am working with him on a small N40 deal as he is juggling the sales of multi-million dollar deals simultaneously. Throughout the process, James would talk to me daily – often times multiple times of the day. He would give me updates and as I ran into stumbling blocks on my end, he without hesitation jumped in and said don’t worry, I got this! He would make a few calls and magically we would be back on track – here was a man that actually did what he said he would do at every turn. There were several days throughout the process that he would call and just ask how I was doing, was I worried about anything, how things are going. I can’t tell you what this meant to me as for me this was the most expensive purchase I was making.

The service and attention I received from James was as if I was buying a multi-million dollar yacht. I do not know the experiences of those that are, however I would easily argue that my experience with James was just as good if not better than those spending millions of dollars.

What is even more notable is that James would always say that this was just the beginning, that we would be speaking for the lifetime of ownership of the vessel. He was not lying! The attention after I closed and took possession of my new baby was (and continues to be) remarkable. James checks in with me often and has personally spent countless hours diagnosing any problems I have ran into.

Now I completely understand why Nordhavn is such an amazing brand – beyond the vessels themselves, the service, care and pride of brand ownership from James, this has been the most wonderful experience of my life. I am so grateful and appreciative for James Leishman as I know, there is no way I could have accomplished this without him!

I couldn’t recommend James and Nordhavn highly enough to anyone considering a purchase. Other owners have welcomed me and accepted me into the family without hesitation.

Cheers to you James! Thank you so much!

Sincerely
Wayne Cichanski
N40-60 OceanStar

Devin Zwick has been assisting my wife and I with a purchase of a 35 nordhavn. I know this is the smallest in your fleet but Devin has made us feel like we are buying the largest!  Who ever writes his performance review (if you have these) should know what a valuable asset you have here.  His knowledge of nordhavn and general marine is outstanding.  He quickly builds trust and establish rapport.  His ethics surfaces almost immediately.  He is available anytime we call or have a question.  If there is a future promotion or raise you would be wise to invest in Devin.

Best Regards

Brian and Colleen Peterson

I am composing this email from our “new” N352 while at a mooring in Cherry Cove on Catalina Island. I wanted you both to know how happy we are that Larry helped us find the boat we wanted. My wife and I are experienced boaters and I am past commodore of the Santa Barbara Yacht Club.

Larry first showed us a N35 last year in Dana Point but we were not excited about its condition. Earlier this year, we saw one for sale in Washington State and put in an offer but did not get the boat. It was at this time that Larry began to call current N35 owners to see if any were interested in selling, as there were none on the market. After about a week, Larry contacted us that he had a potential seller located in Marina Del Rey if we were willing to meet his price. We immediately agreed subject to visual inspection, survey, etc. Anyway, to make a long story short, we were able to close in 30 days and we are loving the N35. Our club will be here Sunday and ready to show this beautiful boat to many of our members.

We wanted to take the time to let you know how grateful we are to Larry for going above and beyond in finding a boat we are very happy with!

Very appreciative,

Stan & Kathy Darrow

N35 “Grey Gull”

Hi James

Thank you, none of this would have happened without your support and guidance we really appreciate your effort and continued excellent communication through this process which has been all new to us.

We are very happy Nordhavn owners really looking forward to the next steps in this adventure.

Again big thanks from Jacqui & me

Kind Regards
Greg

James,

Thank you for your assistance with the commissioning of Another Road this past week.  Your staff at the North Palm office were very informative, professional and patient with our excitement of being on our boat for the first time.

More importantly, thank you for your hospitality and company at dinner Thursday evening.  Your presence at dinner was unexpected and should have been our treat having asked you to join us once we saw you at the restaurant. I thought I was quicker in discreetly presenting my credit card to the waiter but was surprised that you had already settled the bill.

Your discussions at dinner made a lasting impression with our family as to how they were welcomed by you into the “Nordhavn family”. It reinforced how the sale of Nordhavn is not the end of the transaction but the beginning of a lifelong relationship with the associates at Nordhavn.

Thank you again,

Regards,

Bill & Jean Pavone

Dear James,

Thanks [for] all (your help). It was nicely handled – all was closed on time and exactly as we discussed. Well done!

I like how you cultured the buyers, carefully bringing them along. They got a great deal on an even greater boat. But it takes a strong salesman to calm nerves, answer questions and solve problems.

-Former Nordhavn 59 owner (name withheld upon request)

Greetings!  I wanted to give a shout out to the folks at your Anacortes office, and to PAE.

Devin Zwick was our broker in 2021 when we were searching for our boat.  We were in contract on a Nordhavn 47 in Stuart, Florida.  Devin’s service to us throughout that process was excellent.  That sale did not go through for some unique reasons.

Devin represented the seller in the boat we ultimately purchased.  Usually, we would not want to use the same broker as the seller for obvious reasons.  Our trust in Devin and his integrity trumped this and he brokered our Nordhavn 47, Feisty Lady.  Devin’s knowledge of Nordhavns, and boats in general, was impressive and so helpful.  He spent a day with us out on the water helping us get used to a much bigger and heavier boat.  He was responsive to the myriad of questions we had in the months following our purchase.  Devin’s vendor recommendations have been excellent, and he remains a trusted consultant for the litany of work we have had, and will have, done on our boat.  I liken boat brokers to used car salesmen; not usually a fan.  In more than 40 years of boat ownership, Devin is by far the best with whom we have worked.  We will never use anybody else.

My husband, who holds a 100 ton Masters license, and I decided to do a handful of day charters in the San Juan Islands this season.  Your Anacortes office connected us with Jennifer Stern of your Northeast office who linked our webpage onto the Charter section of Nordhavn.com.  During Trawlerfest, Devin and Julie McKee gave our information to folks inquiring about possible charters.  We have hosted 3 couples to date.  One couple is currently in contract on a Nordhavn 55.  We originally thought we would be contacted by persons interested in seeing our beautiful San Juan Islands.  We found this to not be the case, as each of these couples has been far more interested in the boat, her systems and performance underway.  One couple flew all the way from Germany to spend four days on our Nordhavn.  We have brought each of these couples to your Anacortes office.  Devin and Julie are truly incredible ambassadors.  We are genuinely able to highly recommend them to folks looking to purchase one of your boats.

Sincerely,
Mary Kelley
Feisty Lady
N4731
Bellingham, WA

The guy to talk to is James Leishman – he knows about stuff that is going to be available and is probably one of the most honest, well respected and an all round great guy that I have 100% trust in. He was extremely patient and a great guy to deal with when we purchased “SeaMorr”….I can not say enough about him. He will know what is available and would have individuals that are looking for a N55 (also a great boat). We had Mermaid Monster on our N52 in Florida, and it was great to hear the differences and improvements from the N55 to N52…little things that Braden and Brooke looked at were awesome to hear about.

Kenn Morrison
Ex N5276 SeaMorr