All Nordhavn oceangoing vessels are based on the fundamental design parameters of a full displacement hull. While these fundamentals are followed today, the design team at P.A.E. has spent years finding ways to improve the performance of oceangoing, power driven vessels. Earlier full displacement motor vessels were pretty much limited to their theoretical hull speed of l.20 S/L times the square root of their waterline. Most of these older designs also had very modest accommodations, as their stern sections were quite narrow and their super structures were kept low for stability. However, through rigorous tank testing programs and years of experience in building offshore passagemakers, P.A.E. has been able to achieve a more desirable balance of seaworthiness, long range, generous interior space, reasonable speed and high efficiency through the development of its innovative Modified Full Displacement or MFD™ hull design. Answering a demand for more interior room for accommodations, tankage, and storage, the Nordhavn 50 was drawn with a relatively full stern. This full stern section helps to minimize pitching motion while maximizing carrying capacity. An added benefit is that it reduces drag caused by "squatting" at higher speeds, which in turn extends the upper range of its cruising speed. With a range of nearly 3,000 nautical miles at a very economical 9 knots, the Nordhavn 50 is also capable of running at l0 knots, utilizing only l74 horsepower and providing a range of over l,600 nautical miles. She is a paradigm of efficiency.

To attain this high efficiency, and to dampen pitching motion, a bulbous bow was incorporated. This bow, similar to the type used on oceangoing freighters and large, commercial fishing vessels, reduces frictional resistance between 8 and l2 percent, requiring less horsepower at a given speed. By reducing pitch amplitude and acceleration, the bow also contributes to a more comfortable ride in a seaway.

Another modification of the full displacement hull was the addition of "maintenance strakes," or underwater bulges in the hull form in the vicinity of the main engine. Originally designed to provide extra headroom in the engine room by lowering the bilge or floor, tank testing revealed that these shapes also added slightly to the efficiency of the hull by reducing the wetted surface area. The result is not only a more spacious engine room that encourages routine maintenance and care of the vessel's main propulsion engine and operating systems, but an underwater hull form that is even more slippery than usual. With carefully balanced efforts to increase interior volume, reduce pitching motion and improve the efficiency of the underwater surface, tank testing by B.C. Research in Vancouver, British Columbia, confirmed a remarkable 20 percent reduction in pitching motion and an even more surprising 2.5 percent reduction in drag from its initial design. The Nordhavn 50's MFD™ hull represents the full evolution of a traditional, oceangoing vessel into a modern, contemporary style yacht with room for luxurious accommodations.