B-Atlas Boat Guide · NRDH-40
Nordhavn 40 Ocean Passagemaker
1998–2018
The Nordhavn 40 is a 39-foot-9-inch full-displacement ocean passagemaker developed by Pacific Asian Enterprises for long-range cruising by a couple. Its 50,000-pound displacement, 920-gallon fuel capacity, protected single-main shaft drive and heavy-duty systems are oriented toward passagemaking rather than marina-focused weekend use.
- LOA
- 39′ 9″ / 12.12 m
- LWL
- 35′ 5″ / 10.79 m
- Beam
- 14′ 6″ / 4.42 m
- Draft
- 5′ 2″ / 1.57 m
- Hull behaviour
- Displacement
- Fuel
- Diesel
- Propulsion
- Shaft
- Engine configuration
- Single main diesel with separate auxiliary/wing engine on many boats; later factory spec lists 160 hp John Deere main
- Displacement cruise
- 7 kn · 2.60 US gal/h / 9.84 L/h · 2.69 nm/US gal / 1.41 L/nm
- Faster / planing cruise
- Not applicable
- Boat family
- Trawler
- Construction
- Fiberglass
Best for
- Couples planning serious offshore or transoceanic cruising
- Owners prioritizing range, redundancy and seaworthiness over speed
- Long-duration remote cruising where self-sufficiency matters
Trade-offs
- Very slow cruising speed
- High displacement and 5-foot-plus draft complicate haul-out and shallow-water use
- Ocean-grade systems increase maintenance, inspection and ownership complexity
- Large fuel capacity and passagemaking equipment are unnecessary for many regional cruisers
Known concerns
- No model-specific concern has been promoted to B-Atlas’s evidence threshold. This does not mean the model has no age-, condition- or hull-specific risks.
Inspection focus
- Inspect hull, deck, keel, rudder and structural systems to offshore-survey standards
- Review main engine, wing/auxiliary engine if fitted, generator, stabilizers and fuel-transfer systems
- Inspect shaft, stuffing box, steering and emergency-steering arrangements
- Review electrical, charging, battery and long-range fuel/water systems
- Confirm maintenance history for all passagemaking and safety equipment
Continue researching
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About this record
B-Atlas preserves uncertainty: missing information remains unknown rather than being treated as a negative. Specifications and guidance describe the model record; individual boats can differ by year, equipment, refit and condition.