Enterprise III resides in Ventura, CA on a cruising permit since she is flagged Australian. She is available for inspection by appointment. A previous potential buyer was unclear on the US Duty status, so the owners reached out to the CBP (Customs and Border Patrol) for clarity. On September 1, 2021, we received an email ruling that confirms the US duty status: (Entire ruling available by request).
Under the facts of this case, the above-described foreign-built vessel would not be considered to have been exported and would not be subject to duty upon its sale within the United States to a U.S. citizen.
The unrivaled popularity of the Nordhavn 55 is due to many factors, not the least of which is the genuine joy owners experience operating and traveling aboard these exceptional trawlers. Full time cruising? Ocean crossing capability? All the comforts of home? Economical to own and operate? Gorgeous interior accommodations? If you desire all of the above, you deserve to know more about Enterprise III.
Enterprise III is hull number three of the incredibly popular Nordhavn 55 design. She has been underway seeking adventure since she was commissioned. A boat like this Nordhavn is not meant to park in a marina, its purpose is to travel and by keeping on the move systems are maintained in good working order, ready and reliable.
Her sellers are the third owners, experienced boaters, who knew ENTERPRISE III was something special when they purchased her and have actively travelled thousands of miles while maintaining her in “ready to go” condition. They have pampered her while actively cruising along the west coast of North America, splitting their time between Alaska and the PNW (all seasons) and Mexico Sea of Cortes. The original buyer had owned many other trawlers and was one of the first to realize the potential of the 55. He made excellent selections in layout out and equipment and traveled thousands of miles before turning her over to the second owners. They too were active cruisers owning her for four years and for the past seven years the current owners/sellers have enjoyed full time cruising aboard this remarkable trawler home.
The interior on ENTERPRISE III features lovely teak. Veneers originate from the same tree for uniform grain and hue. Spending most of the last few years as full-time cruisers, the sellers have made her sparkle and she has been an ideal getaway.
With production halted after (45) Nordhavn 55s were launched, ENTERPRISE III will allow her next owners the pleasure of cruising aboard one of PAE/Nordhavns’ most popular designs. Sistership 55s have crossed the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and they are truly scattered all over the world. The Nordhavn 55 is an ideal platform for adventurous cruisers who seek the benefits of a two-person manageable passage maker.
The demand for 55s has continued well after production ceased. Finding a Nordhavn 55 that is suitable for your ambitions is not an easy task. The market availability is limited, and each hull has evolved over its years of enjoyment to reflect the tastes and priorities of her operators. As the product developed Nordhavn incorporated new features as the building cycle developed but starting with hull number one they really got this design right, a testament to solid engineering and exceptional craftsmanship.
It is not uncommon for 55s to change hands privately through a knowledgeable broker who can match up a buyer and seller, we have done this several times in the last few years, and buyers relying solely on internet MLS announcements have missed out on sales that never became known publicly.
ENTERPRISE III – HULL NUMBER 3
The Nordhavn 55 design is substantial, she measures nearly 61’ overall and her impressive size features a tall freeboard for a dry ride and contains generous headroom throughout. Appropriate ballast keeps her on her on her feet while underway.
ENTERPRISE III has been actively operated and cared for; she is a proven trawler that has delivered on her promises of comfortable cruising to remote and exotic ports of call.
The Nordhavn 55 is a strong, capable offshore cruiser and one of the most successful and popular designs that Nordhavn has built. Her high bow, efficient hull, practical layout, and luxurious amenities make this yacht ideal for ocean passages and coastal cruising.
ENTERPRISE III has a 3,000+mile range at cruise speed (7.5kts). Dedicated ownership with so much time aboard has enabled the sellers to focus on continual improvements, upgrades and maintenance. The generous freeboard allows for a safe and comfortable ride as well as providing spacious interior accommodations.
The current owners (liveaboard for 8 years) have travelled almost 19,000 nautical miles, spending full years in both the PNW (Canada and Alaska) and Mexico (Sea of Cortez). ENTERPRISE III is a full four-season vessel equipped with all the necessary infrastructure for self-sufficient security and comfort in the most extreme of conditions.
The quality of fit and finish has earned Nordhavn a reputation for seaworthiness, comfort, and strong resale values. The Nordhavn 55 model has been the choice of both novice and veteran cruisers and her ocean crossing capability, storage for provisioning and reliable equipment installed make her a mostly self-sufficient vessel for visiting remote locations for long intervals.
ACCOMMODATIONS:
MAIN SALOON
The cockpit opens directly to the main saloon, adding extra living area to already spacious accommodations. The windows are tinted to enhance privacy, reduce glare and sun damage. A large L-shaped settee and gorgeous varnished teak table are located aft to port. Adjacent to the settee there is a custom ordered 7’ sofa to starboard in lieu of the typical chairs many other 55s have. The couch features a small, removable centerline drink/eating table. The saloon features a large oversized permanent teak dinette table with starburst pattern and high gloss varnish surface to port with L-shaped settee (storage beneath the seating). Two bar type pedestal chairs face the pass-through countertop to the galley, which features black granite countertops, full sized home-style appliances, and an abundant amount of storage. The T.V. is located in the aft port corner of the saloon where it can be viewed from all locations, even the galley.
GALLEY:
The galley is set up for preparing meals at rest and underway. Granite countertop and undermounted sink. Installed appliances are primarily GE with stainless steel finish. The cooktop has a safety rail surrounding the burners for securing pots and pans. There is excellent ventilation provided by an opening port light outboard. There are overhead and under counter lockers and drawers for storage.
At the forward end of the saloon/galley you ascend a flight of steps to arrive in the wheelhouse, or you can open a cabin door that leads to the Owner stateroom. Also off the galley is a stairway down that leads to the engine room via the utility room (which boasts a top load freezer and separate front loading clothes washer and clothes dryer and a tool cabinet).
Forward ascending stairway:
Along the starboard side of the saloon is a curved staircase that reaches a landing which allows you to go forward to the guest stateroom or aft to the owner stateroom.
OWNER STATEROOM:
The owner stateroom is located mid-ships with walk around king sized berth (athwartships), two hanging closets, large windows to allow ample natural lighting, and an en-suite head with shower and full sized bathtub. The accommodations on the 55 are all on essentially one-level (steps down to galley and up to guest stateroom, making day to day living very convenient. The owner stateroom door opens from the saloon, and there is a forward door access from the stairway. This allows for privacy when sleeping and easy traffic flow when the stateroom is unoccupied.
There are opening port lights outboard to port and this stateroom is comfortably air-conditioned like the rest of the living spaces. A special opening hatch forward ducts to the Portuguese bridge walk way providing natural light and creating a protected air flow.
OWNER HEAD:
The Owner stateroom is connected to a large, private head to starboard, which includes a bathtub/shower in addition to a medicine cabinet, sink and toilet. There are mirrors, drawers and plenty of room for his and hers toiletries.
GUEST STATEROOM:
The second stateroom is forward of the master, featuring a double bed with adjacent office area, and en-suite head and stall shower. One special feature is a movable partition (hinged centerline bulkhead) between the berth and office area, allowing one to access the office without disturbing off-watch crew. The bed is to port and the office is to starboard. The bed will comfortably sleep two.
GUEST HEAD:
The forward head has an overhead hatch and two cabin doors. A granite counter with sink and a cavernous medicine cabinet is located to starboard. A full height shower stall and a Raritan freshwater toilet plus lockers for storage complete this area.
THE BASEMENT:
Beneath the guest stateroom is huge equipment and storage cellar, referred to as the pump room and best known as the basement. Accessed through a wide floor hatch near the desk, you enter this cavern via a compact stainless ladder. There are four chambers. The bow thruster is located forward along with some plumbing and through hulls. The center section has shelves for storage and holds the forward batteries. The ladder entry has the watermaker installed on a shelf to port. Aft is the fresh water area with hot water tank, fresh water pump, hot and cold water manifolds and air pressure accumulator tank. This area has enough volume to serve as an excellent storage location.
PILOTHOUSE:
The pilothouse is what separates the N55 from the typical motor yacht. The window placement provides a near 360 view which rivals that of a large commercial boat. The Stidd helm chair puts the captain within easy reach of all bridge controls and allows for a commanding view of the surroundings of the vessel. Aft of the helm chair is a raised L-shaped settee and table that accommodates up to five people. The windows and outboard Dutch Doors are all Diamond Sea/Glaze commercial strength.
The main engine, wing engine and generator control panels are positioned for straight forward monitoring as are all of the other key systems’ display heads. There is a practical electric island that extends aft from the starboard side of the dash area and houses all of the DC and AC breakers plus the air conditioning select breakers and more. All of the ship’s electrical distribution panels are hinged for access to wiring.
ENTERPRISE III can be maneuvered by a portable “docking station” which can be plugged in to the Portuguese bridge or the aft deck. The docking station has main engine shift, bow and stern thruster levers plus an autopilot remote controller for steering.
CAPTAIN’S CABIN:
Along the aft port section of the wheelhouse is a small, dedicated cabin with a bed, drawers and lockers. This is an ideal location for a captain and for the off watch crew to take a nap. Windows allow in light and the door closes for privacy.
PILOTHOUSE DAY HEAD:
One of the great features that helped launch the success of the Nordhavn 55 is the incorporation of a private head and sink on the bridge deck. This “day head” is aft to starboard and is a great use of space to provide this essential convenience. The location is ideal if you are on watch in the pilothouse and is a quick few step away from the action in the saloon.
INTERIOR FEATURES EQUIPMENT:
WORKING AREAS:
UTILITY ROOM:
The inboard stairway from the galley takes you down to the Utility room landing. A top load freezer is forward and it is surrounded on either side by the separate clothes washer and clothes dryer for laundry. A large storage locker is available to port. There are drawers and access lockers. Under the port cabinetry is the actuator for the active fin stabilizer. Access to the starboard active fin actuator is under the removable stairs. This area is an ideal prep location before entering the engine room.
ENGINE ROOM:
The engine room is fronted by a thick gasketed Diamond Sea Glaze door with inspection window. The large John Deere primary engine is on centerline. Immediately to starboard upon entry is the gravity fed supply tank which receives fuel from the four main fuel tanks and distributes to the main engine, generator and the hydronic heating diesel boiler (note: the wing engine has its own diesel supply tank).
On the starboard fuel tank bulkhead the plumbing manifolds for fuel return and fuel transfer are neatly arranged. There is also an oil change system installed. The port outboard bulkhead comprises the mounting location for the extensive hydraulics package. The engine room also includes a Sea Fire fire suppression system. There is a proprietary dual inlet seachest located on centerline beneath the main engine shaft which provides cooling water for the wing engine, generator, air conditioning, etc.
Aft on the starboard side is the Lugger 984 wing engine and its 10-gallon isolated supply tank. This tank cannot be filled from the dock, only from one of the four main tanks; meaning that all fuel reaching the wing engine has been filtered by the Racor filter incorporated in the fuel transfer system. This filter can contain a 30, 10 or 2 micron element. So if poor fuel has compromised main engine operation, the likelihood of it compromising the wing also is significantly reduced by this default filtering.
Aft to port is the Northern Lights 20kW generator. The floor panels are designed with removable lids in key areas for access to service and inspection. All the way aft is a door to the lazarette which is a great feature since it provides underway access to the steering, inverter and batteries without having to go on deck.
The spaciousness in the engine room for getting around and observing provides the crew with areas to stand and/or sit making this vital area of the boat extraordinarily inviting.
LAZARETTE:
Located beneath the aft deck cockpit, the lazarette is accessed via a massive fiberglass deck hatch. The dual hydraulic steering is located aft and there is also an emergency tiller available. There are several through hulls – all easy to get to. Xantrex Trace inverter/battery charger, Lifeline batteries, stern thruster, air conditioning and davit control motor are all neatly installed for secure operation. Also installed in the lazarette is the Olympia 105 hydronic heating diesel boiler plus the Bauer JRII dive compressor. This important space is protected by a built in Sea Fire system. This lazarette is a working space that is easy to get around in for routine maintenance and inspection.
EXTERIOR:
SWIM PLATFORM:
ENTERPRISE III has the extended swim platform which makes swimming, diving and dinghy access much more convenient. There are four removable U-rail stainless steel safety bars. There is a hot/cold freshwater cockpit shower for convenient washing off.
COCKPIT and STARBOARD SIDE DECK:
The cockpit allows an area for relaxing and also incorporates a curved stairway up to the boat deck. Forward there is a fiberglass console with a sink and locker. A removable awning provides extra shade as needed. Access to the lazarette is provided by a huge hatch and you can also walk forward on the covered starboard side deck all the way to the foredeck. There is an anchor flopper stopper mounted to port. There is a boarding door aft and also one amidships on the starboard side for easy dock traffic mobility.
FOREDECK:
The Foredeck is accessed from the centerline of the Portuguese bridge via a beautifully engineered hinged door. You have shore power connections and a collection of deck hatches which provide natural airflow into the forward stateroom and head below. Fresh water hose bib in the foredeck entry way door steps. The ground tackle arrangement allows for two anchors and includes an electric windlass, secondary deck pipe for anchor two and a cavernous chain locker secured by a commercial grade Freeman hatch.
PORTUGUESE BRIDGE:
This is a popular Nordhavn feature, an outside walkway with tall sides, in front of the pilothouse providing a protected walkway behind the foredeck. There is a clever hinged door in the center that grants access to the foredeck. In the doorway are gray and black water deck plates. The Portuguese bridge has large storage lockers for gear.
BOAT DECK:
The boat deck on Enterprise III can convert to a spacious place for relaxing. With kayaks and the compact Porta-Bote tender mounted outboard this area can become a wide-open gathering place. There are teak recliners with cushions. A custom tent sized awning has been developed using a halyard hoist and stainless uprights to cover this area for shade. The Aritex crane is painted white. The access opening that connects the boat deck with the cockpit has a clear cover to shield the aft deck from rain. The life raft is mounted forward to starboard.
FLYBRIDGE:
The view from the flybridge is spectacular. In all but adverse weather conditions this is the preferred location for operating Enterprise III while underway. At rest, this is a popular hangout for drinking and dining. The layout has the dash with instruments forward behind the Venturi wind screen. Two upgraded Crown helm chairs are mounted side by side so the skipper can have company. Navigation and communications displays are in reach and this tall vantage makes it easier to dodge through shallow waters and for maneuvering in a marina to dock. Behind the helm chairs is a white fiberglass table backed by a wide bench seat with cushions and storage underneath. There is a stainless steel canvas wrapped Bimini top to keep the sun and rain away. The storage area underneath the forward coaming (referred to as the Attic) is huge and large enough for access to the mounted equipment on the dash.
Fiberglass stack with mounting wings
CLIMATE CONTROL:
ENTERTAINMENT:
SAFETY EQUIPMENT:
HULL, DECK, COCKPIT & FLYBRIDGE ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT:
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:
ENTERPRISE III is an Australian flagged vessel. When she was originally imported US duty was paid and it has been preserved through her two successive owners. The hull and topsides have been cleaned and waxed on a regular basis and the underwater hull paint is scrubbed of growth. She has been actively cruised by her full-time owners and all systems and equipment are regularly put to use. The Nordhavn 55 model is one of the most popular trawlers on the market and one of the best values in a long-range passage maker. We invite you to contact us to arrange your own personal viewing by appointment
Brokerage: JMYS is a US based (licensed and bonded yacht brokerage in California, Florida and Washington) with an international emphasis specializing in ocean capable trawlers and recreational tugs. Our brokers are experienced boaters, most are trawler owner/operators with thousands of hours and miles at sea. We treat our clients with respect; we are responsive and not pushy. Our focus is to become your loyal advocate, always looking out for your best interests. The team at JMYS has extensive trawler and motor yacht product knowledge and our skills are available for coaching after the sale has concluded.
Co-Brokerage: Fellow yacht broker association members: Enterprise III is available for Co-Brokerage.
*Listing broker. Jeff Merrill, CPYB (Certified Professional Yacht Broker) has extensive product knowledge of the trawler market plus intimate knowledge of the Nordhavn 55. He helped clients build several new 55s during his 14 years with PAE and continues to be active in the Nordhavn brokerage market selling all models of Nordhavns including several 55s since starting JMYS. Jeff is a familiar face to YouTube viewers, is a regular presenter at TrawlerFest and is one of the instructors for Boaters University online courses.
This listing specification has been approved by the sellers for accuracy. The photos, images and descriptive content are copyrighted by JMYS and may not be copied or used without specific written permission. All inspections are by appointment only. Please contact listing broker, Jeff Merrill, CPYB by phone, text or email for additional information or to schedule your personal showing. Jeff is always available via Mobile (949) 355-4950 (call or text). You can send a detailed Email to: Jeff@JMYS.com.
If you would like to step aboard please contact Jeff to make an appointment and see for yourself why Enterprise is such an extraordinary Nordhavn 55.
Jeff Merrill – Mobile: +1 949.355.4950 Email: Jeff.Merrill@JMYS.com.
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