The full benefits of a single engine installation are known to the experienced cruiser. To begin with, maintenance costs over the life of owning the vessel are reduced. And while two engines typically cost more than one, P.A.E. specifies only the finest, industrial grade diesel engines which are built to run for years and years without a major overhaul. A single engine installation offers increased stability due to its lower location, as well as significantly reduced noise and vibration. It is also important to understand that a full displacement hull is so efficient it requires surprisingly low horsepower to reach and maintain its cruising speed. The Nordhavn 50 uses a mere 84 horsepower at its cruising speed of 9 knots. This allows for the installation of the quiet, smooth running, low RPM, 250-hp Lugger diesel. A combination of fuel economy and continuous, reliable horsepower propels the Nordhavn for days on end. The long-life Lugger power plant is capable of achieving a cruising range of 3,000 miles at an efficient speed of 9 knots and a burn rate of 4 gallons per hour. It also provides the reserve power to pick up the pace to l0 knots, at an acceptable 8 gallons per hour, when a more timely landfall is required.

To promote regular inspection and ensure that routine maintenance is carried out on schedule, a cruiser's engine room should be a clean, well-lighted area, with plenty of room to turn a wrench or change a filter. Wiring harnesses should be properly routed and clearly labeled for rapid tracing. Hydraulic and fuel lines should be protected from damage and wear. There should be room aplenty for a well-shielded genset and an auxiliary "get-home" engine with its own electrical system, drive shaft and propeller. Sufficient room should also be available to accommodate and service extra large battery banks and optional active fin stabilizers. In all of these areas, the Nordhavn 50 exceeds expectations.

With approximately 5' of headroom on both sides of the main power plant, the Nordhavn 50 engine compartment is where a captain doesn't mind spending time. An optional, auxiliary "get-home" diesel engine is available in case it's ever needed. Fuel tanks are individually molded, heavy-duty fiberglass units which are then glassed into the vessel, creating added structural integrity. Fiberglass tanks will also last far longer than metal tanks. Huge inspection plates encourage periodic cleaning, and large baffles reduce sloshing of fuel while at sea. A simple-to-use fuel management system takes the guesswork out of which tank is being used and permits on-the-run fuel filter changing.

Unique to most recreation boats is P.A.E.'s keel cooling and dry exhaust system which eliminates many of the troublesome elements of the more typical engine installations. In place of a through hull, strainer and raw water pump, the Nordhavn 50's engine utilizes a closed system of fresh water, cooled via a heat exchange unit located beneath the hull. There are no strainers to clog, and no salt water enters the boat. The system is complete with
a dry exhaust that exits the boat far above the upper deck, eliminating the noise and diesel soot that normally exits at the boat's transom. In keeping with P.A.E.'s extraordinary efforts to make long distance power cruising enjoyable for the entire crew, the engine room is so thoroughly insulated with 2" and 3" lead/foam panels that, with the access door shut, owners report having no trouble sleeping in the master stateroom while underway. Indeed, the loudest sound one hears on a Nordhavn 50 is often nothing more than wind and water