Owners Rendezvous expected to break Nordhavn attendance record

Owners Rendezvous expected to break Nordhavn attendance record © Nordhavn

At least 60 Nordhavns are slated to converge in Poulsbo, WA, next week at the Nordhavn Owners Rendezvous, marking the largest number of Nordhavn yachts ever gathered. An additional dozen more boats will be represented by owners who are attending by land or air. The numbers easily top previous attendance records set at prior rendezvous in 2021 and 2022 with 37 boats and 48 boats respectively. The weekend will include educational seminars, dinners, and dock parties, but the centerpiece of the 2024 Rendezvous - as it is with any Nordhavn gathering no matter the size - is the intermingling of owners who will invite each other on their boats, swap stories and maintenance tips, and share in the delight of all things Nordhavn in general. This year's NOR runs May 9.

The northwest owners rendezvous started in the 20-teens, a small convergence of Nordhavns that were in the PNW area, organized by N55 owners Kevin and Alison Jeffries. They dubbed their annual congregations NAPS for Nordhavns Across Puget Sound. The Jeffries got the ball rolling, but once they began world cruising, the baton needed to be passed. Cue N47 owner Jill Bernard, her husband, Don, and fellow N62 owner Bill Baker. The trio took the informal NAPS hangs and boosted them to full blown multi-day Owners Rendezvous with speakers and sponsors, and with this, the boat numbers doubled and owner participation tripled.

Since then the NOR has been an unmissable event for those owners who have the ability to make it, by boat or otherwise. Organizer Jill Bernard ponders the growth the event has undergone since taking over the helm in 2020. "A rendezvous is the perfect vehicle for a Nordhavn owner," she said. "It encourages camaraderie and friendships which is the foundation of the Nordhavn lifestyle. In general, Nordhavn owners just really love to see each other!"

While other yachties tend to visit with each other at the dock, it's not the case with Nordhavn owners. Since they typically are out cruising to parts unknown and rarely in their slip, it takes a bit of organization to get them to meet in the same place all at once. At this time of year, the PNW is littered with Nordhavns as they prepare for summer cruising to Alaska and British Columbia, and this certainly plays a part in the participation numbers. There's no doubt the enjoyment of each other's company is the biggest draw, but for many owners the NOR tends to be a hands-on research opportunity disguised as a three-day party. "It's a chance to network, be exposed to the latest trends, and get advice from folks who have already done the reconnaissance," said Bernard. Case in point: at this year's event, a group of owners is coordinating an informal advisory sidebar on Alaska cruising.

Another perk unique to a Rendezvous is the opportunity to climb aboard so many different models. At this year's Owners Rendezvous, 18 different Nordhavn models will fill slips at the Poulsbo Marina, from an N35 all the way to an N96. "It's really fun getting to see how different everyone's Nordhavn is," Bernard muses. "As they say, if you've seen one Nordhavn, you've seen one Nordhavn!"

The chance to cultivate the adventure bug within and to see the world on their own time and by their own accord is why people buy a Nordhavn in the first place. But in the second place, they will tell you it's to become a part of the legendary Nordhavn family. And for as long as that's the case, the most popular cruising grounds for Nordhavns will be wherever the Owners Rendezvous is that year.