Interesting discussion on resale and value of different boats, so here is one more data point for those interested. Having owned three Nordhavn's, almost purchased a Selene and KK then built something a little different (Helmsman 38E) and now looking for our next boat adventure (electric, row boat or possibly even a Sailboat which we should call "Going Backwards") one can conclude I'm likely very confused.
Regarding resale its hard to go wrong with a Nordhavn. All three of our boats (2 new builds, one used) were sold between our original paid price and 10% less). Length of ownership was between 18 months and four years). For fun I recently compared our performance against KK and Selene and found KK to run a close second and Selene a distant third. Regarding quality (include design, systems, access and construction) I have to give Nordhavn the edge but in no way is perfect, no boat is. I learned quickly even the smallest Nordhavn is a complex boat with more systems than I care to think about. With this much complexity its only a matter of time until something requires attention which is part of the journey. This is one reason we built our last boat to be simpler and it worked (for us). No stabilization, no generator, no water maker, no wing engine, and few other no items. Granted the mission of this boat was weekends and local coastal cruising which it supported just fine and was not a candidate for "ocean crossings" or 1000 mile trips south (or north) to Cabo. Even with less complexity we enjoyed of share of troubleshooting and mechanical issues which though minor were still issues from time to time. Hey, its a boat.
I have to agree with the post about all the newbies buying trawlers and as a result driving up the costs of resales which will not last forever. When the bubble bursts (and it will) I predict a large number of newer used boats hitting the market resulting in a buyers (not sellers) market and lower pricing. For those who can wait a year or two to make their purchase you may end up saving a few dollars but then again you also end up losing 1-2 years of fun on the water.
One last comment about owners websites, I have been on the big three and agree while the Nordhavn site is closed to only boat owners (current and past) the amount of information and assistance is IMO the best.
Enjoy the journey!
John T - N4050, N4061, N3522 former owner
Regarding resale its hard to go wrong with a Nordhavn. All three of our boats (2 new builds, one used) were sold between our original paid price and 10% less). Length of ownership was between 18 months and four years). For fun I recently compared our performance against KK and Selene and found KK to run a close second and Selene a distant third. Regarding quality (include design, systems, access and construction) I have to give Nordhavn the edge but in no way is perfect, no boat is. I learned quickly even the smallest Nordhavn is a complex boat with more systems than I care to think about. With this much complexity its only a matter of time until something requires attention which is part of the journey. This is one reason we built our last boat to be simpler and it worked (for us). No stabilization, no generator, no water maker, no wing engine, and few other no items. Granted the mission of this boat was weekends and local coastal cruising which it supported just fine and was not a candidate for "ocean crossings" or 1000 mile trips south (or north) to Cabo. Even with less complexity we enjoyed of share of troubleshooting and mechanical issues which though minor were still issues from time to time. Hey, its a boat.
I have to agree with the post about all the newbies buying trawlers and as a result driving up the costs of resales which will not last forever. When the bubble bursts (and it will) I predict a large number of newer used boats hitting the market resulting in a buyers (not sellers) market and lower pricing. For those who can wait a year or two to make their purchase you may end up saving a few dollars but then again you also end up losing 1-2 years of fun on the water.
One last comment about owners websites, I have been on the big three and agree while the Nordhavn site is closed to only boat owners (current and past) the amount of information and assistance is IMO the best.
Enjoy the journey!
John T - N4050, N4061, N3522 former owner