St. Helena is hull 19 out of 23 and now, for the first time ever, is offered for sale by her original owners. She is lying in Sidney, BC where she continues to enjoy the wonders of cruising that the 48 and north latitudes provide. The owners are a retired couple from Colorado who have enjoyed over a dozen summers exploring the Pacific Northwest aboard her. They took delivery in California, and after a year in the waters of Baja California, headed north for the Pacific Northwest. They have done a remarkable job of looking after the boat; there are maintenance spreadsheets and a summary of upgrades as each year they made sure she was ready for their return the following season. These sellers have treated St. Helena graciously, living by the philosophy that, “When you take care of your trawler, your trawler takes care of you”.

The Nordhavn 35 was a limited production model that has aged remarkably well and is truly an irreplaceable vintage since the tooling was destroyed many years ago. There is really nothing around under 40’ that is as practical and elegant, especially for two people. There are similar types of sporty trawlers; like the American Tug, Nordic Tug, Grand Banks 36 and Selene 36/38/40 – but none of these models can challenge the overall package the Nordhavn 35 offers.

Superbly engineered and beautifully crafted in Taiwan, the Nordhavn 35 has a commanding presence. First thing you will notice is her striking good looks, sharing a family resemblance to her larger ocean crossing sisters. One of the 35’s primary advantages is that she was designed with every critical decision in favor of creating the ultimate coastal explorer for an adventurous couple. One of the biggest appeals of this little ship is that she has as an ideal layout for two. Ideal for a couple who wants something easy to manage and maintain that also boasts beautiful craftsmanship and is easy to operate. The 35 is purpose built to accomplish this mission, (no cramming in a second cabin or additional head). Think of her, if you will, akin to a “tandem bicycle built for two”.

On deck, you enter aft underneath the covered cockpit and can move forward along either side deck up to the anchor well. The cockpit is trimmed with teak and there is a centered hatch that opens to provide access to the lazarette which features steering and storage, accommodating two teak captain’s chairs in a custom storage rack. Stepping onto the cabin top working aft if you can easily climb up the folding steps on the mast onto the boat deck (pilothouse/saloon roof) to retrieve the tender. The dinghy is a Trinka rigged for sailing and this selection, though not mainstream, has been a successful decision that they wouldn’t change. Off the large swim step is a manually lowered davit for convenient and safe access to the dinghy.

Entry through the Dutch door into the saloon/pilothouse reveals a spacious and cozy room, larger than you might expect, with comfortable seating and windows on all sides. This is the room with a view and you drive St. Helena from the built-in bench forward to starboard. Most of the meals are served and enjoyed at the port side settee and table. With climate control using a diesel furnace, you will have an ideal yacht for the Pacific Northwest.

With the master forward and cleverly turned sideways, the sleeping accommodations are spacious and comfortable – easy on/off and simple to make. The lower level begins with the galley to port, a few steps down from the saloon, and includes the head with stall shower to starboard.
Down a few steps you arrive to face the galley to port, a traditional layout with counter space, lockers, drawers, cold storage, microwave and a propane stove and oven. The galley is down, but you can be preparing a meal and converse with your spouse up in the saloon. This is a galley where two people can share meal preparation and it is safe and secure while underway.
Across the hall is the private head and shower stall. There is an opening portlight, freshwater toilet, sink with medicine cabinet above and a bi-fold shower door.

The engine room is accessed below the large pantry locker and is surprisingly large for a 35’ trawler. Fuel tanks are outboard, you can easily make your way along the starboard side of the engine and moving aft brings you to the generator in a sound shield. The fuel system is simple to operate with easily accessible valves.

The master stateroom is light and airy. There are opening windows on both sides and an opening hatch overhead. Forward is a changing seat below the chain locker door. There are drawers and hanging lockers to accommodate clothing for extended travel. The bed itself is an island berth with access on both sides, storage for suitcases underneath, a walk around that is easy to get in and out of and convenient to make when you wake up from a restful night’s sleep.

The Nordhavn 35 is a very appealing boat with many attractive aspects including her quiet ride and her optimized layout. She is quite happy prowling around at trawler speeds, but can turn up to achieve 10 knots if you need to race the tide or want to get into port before the sun sets. A quick look at the equipment summary aboard St. Helena will let you know that she has an appropriate equipment list.

St. Helena has been prepared for the market and priced in expectation of a prompt agreement to purchase. With so few Nordhavn 35’s that ever come up for sale, it is important for you to get aboard so you can see for yourself – especially if you wish to become a 35 owner sometime soon and don’t want to miss out.

Her Yanmar main engine is one of the few 35’s to exceed 4,000 hours and that remarkable diesel power plant has been rewarded with careful attention to preserve reliability for many more years to come. One of the parameters in physical dimensions was the ability to truck the 35 across land from coast to coast relatively economically for more cruising versatility. Many 35’s have crossed the country by highway to visit unique cruising grounds and change of scenery. The scarcity of available boats publicly listed for sale has made the Nordhavn 35 highly coveted and sought after.
St. Helena is USCG documented and available for inspection by appointment only. Please get in touch if you are interested in additional information. More photos and a video are planned to be available in the near future