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It was 10 years ago this week that a 40-foot boat called NORDHAVN wound its way into Dana Point Harbor covering the last few miles that would cap off a glorious circumnavigation and launch Pacific Asian Enterprises, Inc. into the trawler juggernaut it is known as today. Dubbed the Around The World voyage, or ATW, it was an unprecedented trip, mainly in the manner that it was executed: five different crews – consisting mainly of P.A.E. staff – guiding a 40-foot production powerboat around the world with stops made only for re-fueling, waiting out weather or crew changing. It was a record-setting trip for the speed – and size of vessel – in which it was completed (a record that still holds today). But more important, it provided a global platform to prove just how capable Nordhavns are.
To celebrate the landmark occasion, nordhavn.com launches this special section dedicated to the ATW. We take a look back at history through the eyes of the crew members, who offer their own reflections of what it meant to participate in the milestone-making voyage. We examine just how cutting edge the ATW trip was – not only as a research endeavor but also for the incredible marketing opportunity it turned into. We also tap into the mind of P.A.E. vice president and co-founder Jim Leishman – who concocted the plan one night after dinner – to find out why he thought the idea of the ATW was just crazy enough to work. Plus, we track down the ATW boat and discover where she is and what she’s doing now. All this plus photos, raw footage from taken on board the trip, and much more to take you back over the course of that special 172-day journey which culminated on June 30, 2002 – the day NORDHAVN completed her circumnavigation and put Nordhavn on the map. |
