Nordic Tug 37/39/40?

[dhays]

I am hoping that this group may be able to help explain this to me....

For my wife and I, the Nordic Tug 37 seems to offer almost everything on our list of features. Not perfect, but a pretty good match. The only wrinkle is the cost. I have been watching them for a bit and seeing what they are doing on the used market.

Well, then NT came out with the NT 39. For all intents and purposes, it was simply a NT 37 measured with a different ruler. Same hull (37' 4" LWL, 12' 11" beam) 8" more LOA and 4" more draft (not sure where that 4" comes from). My impression was that since they had made a number of changes/improvements to the topside, trim, and equipment list, they just gave it a new name to differentiate it from the older version of the same boat.

I was happy with that, as a potential used boat buyer, it would help differentiate the versions of the same boat and hopefully make the NT37 less attractive on the used market compared to the NT39.

Well now it appears that NT is no longer making the NT39 and are promoting the new NT40 due to be available this winter. To me, the basic boat appears to be be the same as the 37/39 although the LWL is 38' 11" instead of 37' 4". Given the NT integrated swim step hull design LWL can get a little confusing to me. It does have the same displacement weight and draft as the NT39. The LOA of the NT40 is listed at 43' instead of the 40' of the NT39.

So does anyone know what is going on? I know there are those here that are pretty in tune wit the industry. What is different about the NT40? Is it just a stretched NT37/39? Is it the same hull? Other than some electronic tweeks, and a change to a Volvo vs Cummins power plant, I am not understanding the difference? Seems like they introduced the NT39 just 5 years ago.

 

[bligh]

Pretty sure the 39 and 37 are the same boat and the 40 has a stretched out cockpit. Both cummins and volvo are available in all of the boats over 32 ft according to the mfg.
Dont hold your breath for prices to fall.
Best of luck.

 

[Retriever]

The 37, 39, and 40 all come from the same hull mold.

The 37/39/40 are 37 feet at the waterline. The 37 and 39 are just under 40 feet overall, although some have a bow sprit that adds a few feet of length.

The key difference on the new 40 is the cockpit extends to the back of the molded swim platform and an additional bold-on swim platform extends the LOA.

The biggest difference between the 37 and 39 is the interior layout. The 37s have the guest room to port and the head to starboard. The 39s have these switched, with the key benefit being a much larger helm area. I actually prefer the layout on the 37 because I find the large pilothouse chart table is way more useful than a wider helm console.

I'm in Anacortes and am happy to show you my boat if you make it up this way. With a little advance notice I could probably take you out for a quick ride too.

 

[Bay Pelican]

These have always been my favorite semi-displacement boats. Actually it was a Nordic Tug that got me interested in trawlers.

 

[Hawgwash]

I'm in Anacortes and am happy to show you my boat if you make it up this way. With a little advance notice I could probably take you out for a quick ride too.

What a great gesture!

 

[markpierce]

Nordic Tugs were my second choice, because decks and handrails won out over faster-than-hull-speed. Still, have never heard negatives concerning the NTs. Here needing a bright-yellow pilothouse roof:

 

[dhays]

Pretty sure the 39 and 37 are the same boat and the 40 has a stretched out cockpit. Both cummins and volvo are available in all of the boats over 32 ft according to the mfg.
Dont hold your breath for prices to fall.
Best of luck.

The 37, 39, and 40 all come from the same hull mold.

The 37/39/40 are 37 feet at the waterline. The 37 and 39 are just under 40 feet overall, although some have a bow sprit that adds a few feet of length.

The key difference on the new 40 is the cockpit extends to the back of the molded swim platform and an additional bold-on swim platform extends the LOA.

The biggest difference between the 37 and 39 is the interior layout. The 37s have the guest room to port and the head to starboard. The 39s have these switched, with the key benefit being a much larger helm area. I actually prefer the layout on the 37 because I find the large pilothouse chart table is way more useful than a wider helm console.

I'm in Anacortes and am happy to show you my boat if you make it up this way. With a little advance notice I could probably take you out for a quick ride too.

I knew I would get informed responses. Thanks a lot guys.

Retriever, that is an amazingly generous offer. Not able to take advantage of it at this point, but who knows down the road.

A NT37 would be great for us, not too big, two cabins so we can take our married children along comfortably, pilothouse, just about idea. If only my wife didn't want to remodel the house....

 

[Puffin_NT32]

Dave,

All of the models of the NT have been re-classified to show their actual LOA, adding about 2' to accommodate the integrated swim platform. My NT32 is now the NT34, same boat. The models 26, 32, 37, 42, and 52 hulls were designed by Lynn Sennor. Sennor died around 2004, and Nordic Tug hired Howard Apollonio as their new naval architect. Apollonio's first NT design was the 49, with a major change in the hull, eliminating the waterline reverse chine, the source of the NT's notorious "hull slap" at anchor. Shortly after purchasing my new NT32, I filled in the chine to eliminate that slap, and I know many other NT owners that did the same.

Apollonio's 49 and the new 40 are new hulls with the "slap-less" modified chine, where the chine is raised and appears to function more as a spray rail. The new 40 has a longer salon than the 39. I've also heard rumors that all the older models may see similar chine modifications in new builds.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Puffin,
You wrote the new 32 is called a 34 is the "same boat". Not in my opinion. Anytime you lengthen the WLL 2' you have a different hull. Significantly new hull even if it's the same ahead of the transom. This could have been done for a number reasons. One that comes to mind is to give more flotation and otherwise support for the big fuel tank in the Lazerette. Also the chine line isn't straight so the transom would be slightly higher so the boat would be more of a FD boat (very small amount) but faster as well possibly w the same power.

That's a new hull to me. But I can see why you would consider it same o same o. And if it were a one off boat for me I'd consider it almost stupid not to just extend the boat 2' aft. They should have called it an extended 32 not a "new" hull.

 

[dhays]

Dave,

All of the models of the NT have been re-classified to show their actual LOA, adding about 2' to accommodate the integrated swim platform. My NT32 is now the NT34, same boat. The models 26, 32, 37, 42, and 52 hulls were designed by Lynn Sennor. Sennor died around 2004, and Nordic Tug hired Howard Apollonio as their new naval architect. Apollonio's first NT design was the 49, with a major change in the hull, eliminating the waterline reverse chine, the source of the NT's notorious "hull slap" at anchor. Shortly after purchasing my new NT32, I filled in the chine to eliminate that slap, and I know many other NT owners that did the same.

Apollonio's 49 and the new 40 are new hulls with the "slap-less" modified chine, where the chine is raised and appears to function more as a spray rail. The new 40 has a longer salon than the 39. I've also heard rumors that all the older models may see similar chine modifications in new builds.

Thanks for the information. If my wife wasn't so set on having a second cabin to take our kids families with us, I would be all over a 32 or 34.

Btw, hull slap from the stern would simply remind me of my sailboat.

 

[Carolena]

I'm not as well versed in the 37/39, but here is what i can tell you about the 32 (which largely tracks changes to the hull on the 37-39). The original 32 had a bolt on swim platform. Around 2001-2002, they extended the hull and integrated the platform. Our boat, a 2002, was one of the first that had this change, but it was still called a 32 (I believe it was an option to get the extended hull). A year or two later, they started calling it the 32+, and eventually the 34. Over this time, they also changed the interior and power options. We have the older interior which means a larger saloon and smaller v-berth. We also have the 220 Cummins. I think a year or so after our boat, they moved the engine aft, took about a foot out of the saloon, installed a walk-around queen, and upped the engine size. I believe that starting next year they are going to return to the bolt on platform and extend the cockpit to the end of the hull. FTW, we really like the layout in ours and prefer it over the newer ones with the smaller saloon, as the saloon gets used a lot more than the berth. We are also happy with our engine and would not want to deal with an after-cooler and greater fuel burn just to add a couple knots at top end.

 

[dhays]

FTW, we really like the layout in ours and prefer it over the newer ones with the smaller saloon, as the saloon gets used a lot more than the berth. We are also happy with our engine and would not want to deal with an after-cooler and greater fuel burn just to add a couple knots at top end.

Thanks for the progression. It does sound like it tracks the changes in the 37/39 pretty well and it helps to get a sense of what was going on.

I would agree with the engine. I am speaking from inexperience, but the "feature" that the NT offers (and many other boats for that matter) of being able to hit a respectable speed when needed is something that I view as kind of a negative. While it could be nice to have that speed available, I don't see myself using it much. I am used to going slow and the capability to go fast on those rare occasions when I might want it comes at the price of less efficient slow running.

But every production boat is a compromise and I would imagine that the market for smal FD yachts is vanishingly small.

 

[Puffin_NT32]

Manyboats (Eric),

My "same o same o" comment relates to the integrated swim platform models of the NT 32/34 hulls. As described by "Carolena", where NT dropped the bolt-on platform, and extended the hull, the waterline length from 2002 to present day NT 34 is the same... 34'. NT lists different LOA's with different anchor rollers, ranging some LOA's from 34'6" to 34' 11". My 2006 NT32 is powered with a 270 HP JWAC Cummins, and carries a 34' waterline length, with a LOA of 34' 11". A couple of years ago, NT changed the NT32/34 hull again to incorporate a tunnel stern behind the prop to minimize "squat" as you go up on plane (at the expense of significantly less storage in the stern locker).

To Dave, the hull slap is at the forward chine, directly under the forward berth.

 

[dhays]

To Dave, the hull slap is at the forward chine, directly under the forward berth.

Ah thanks. I assumed stern. I can get significant hull slap in certain conditions in my boat at the stern, directly under our heads in the aft cabin. Depending how tired I am, it can be bothersome. Never seems to bother my wife though. That may have something to do with the ear plugs she wears so my alleged snoring doesn't bother her.