Practice Makes for Perfect Boating
May 8, 2008
By Jeff Merrill
Practice makes perfect, so goes the old adage, and Mark and Michelle Doppe have taken it to heart.
It began a few years ago when the Doppes came to me in search of their perfect boat. Problem is they weren’t quite sure what their perfect boat was, only that it was a Nordhavn. Mark had had some boating experience, but Michelle was a newcomer to trawlering and since the couple wasn’t even sure this long-range cruising thing would be up their alley, we decided that going with the smallest in the line to be used as their “practice” boat made the most sense. They’d either learn that they loved this size yacht, find they needed a bit more space to roam around in or realize no boat was the perfect size. No matter which way they decided, they’d have a couple of years’ experience under their belts and be better prepared to take that next step.
The couple spent two years exploring locally around Seattle and the San Juan Islands, and enjoying every minute on Rhapsody. “We liked the quality, rugged build, dependability, looks, reputation and fuel economy that our 40 gave us,” Mark said. “And fortunately, Michelle ended up liking most aspects of cruising.” But they discovered they’d need a much bigger boat in order to feel comfortable and accommodate all the guests they planned to host on board. They applied the knowledge they gained from their trial run in their N40 and consulted with me on which larger Nordhavn would be the right size. They were drawn to the Nordhavn 76 and 68 so we did a serious study of these two boats. But neither model quite fit in with the Doppes’ budget plans.
So we set our sights smaller and settled on the Nordhavn 55. It turned out to be a perfect fit: a roomier feel than some 60+ footers, yet small enough that the pair felt comfortable enough handling her themselves. Plus it had the additional head and increase storage space they required. And while the 40 is an ideal couples’ cruiser, the stairs leading down to the staterooms and up to the pilothouse proved burdensome on their two German Shepherd dogs who accompany them on board. Here, the mostly unilateral layout of the 55 was another bonus.
When it came time to put together the order for their hull, she wound up being pretty much stock from the yard so custom touches could be added when she arrived. Being from the Pacific Northwest, the Doppes decided to ship her to Seattle where local outfitters, Emerald Harbor Marine, have been hired to add numerous upgrades including a stunning blue paint job on the hull. Other improvements include installing a forward looking sonar and converting the captains’ quarters behind the pilothouse into an office, complete with built-in keyboard so Mark, an accomplished musician, can keep his fingers limber underway.
It’s been nearly a year in commissioning, due primarily to all the custom work being done, and the Doppes have been boatless for several months now. I sold their Nordhavn 40 – without even listing it – to another customer of mine who I thought was the ideal candidate for Rhapsody. (Case in point as to why you should come to a Nordhavn representative with your Nordhavn buying/selling needs! We have the buyers and often times we know in advance about boats coming up for sale before they are publicly listed.) The new Rhapsody is scheduled to launch in June and the Doppes can’t wait. For now, their plans call for short two- to three-week trips to get any bugs out before they embark on that big cruise.
Although it’s been several years, I think it’s safe to say that the Doppes have found their perfect boat and I’m happy to have been able to assist them with their search. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the old adage – at least in the Doppes’ case – needs to be tweaked: Practice, research, and an extensive commissioning process makes perfect!
Jeff Merrill is a representative in the Nordhavn Yachts Southwest sales office. He can be e-mailed at jeff.merrill@nordhavn.com.
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