The owner of Serenity, the new Nordhavn 100, made the ultimate shakedown cruise last summer after taking delivery in early June. Capt. Zach Gallagher told Power & Motoryacht that the yacht had journeyed from Dana Point, California, down to Mexico’s Sea of Cortez for its initial sea trials and then returned to California for some modifications and the addition of two jet skis to its toy list, before heading north to tackle Alaska’s Inside Passage.
“We’ve done 5,700 miles in under three months,” said Gallagher, the day before he was preparing to cruise back to California. “Most nights, we’ve been on the hook, often in locations where you wouldn’t see another boat for days.”
The number of explorer yachts around 100 feet has been growing fast in the last five years, as some European builders have jumped into the expedition field. But there are yachts that look like expedition vessels and then there is the real deal.
Nordhavn has been building intrepid, go-anywhere trawlers for more than 40 years, so it understands yachts that wander off the grid in search of adventure. Serenity is one of those yachts. She’s built with watertight bulkheads around the lazarette, crew’s quarters, engine room, guest cabins and a forward collision bulkhead. Ten full-length stringers, in addition to the engine beds and floor stringers, give the yacht its structural integrity, while the twin 600-hp Caterpillar C18s sit on four vibration-absorbing mounts. Four main fuel tanks carry 7,000 gallons of fuel, with a centerline 50-gallon “day tank.”
Serenity’s owner is an avid fisherman who added a fishing/swim platform to the transom, giving her a longer-looking profile than the Nordhavn 96 she is built on. The fishing platform includes a fighting chair, livewells, fishbox freezers, equipment lockers and every other angler’s amenity on a boat where you can fish the world’s most remote locations.
“I’ve been thoroughly impressed by how she handles big seas,” says Gallagher. “We stayed on the Inside Passage on the way up, cruising around Juneau and Glacier Bay and traveling around other glaciers. The currents have been dramatic, ranging from three to 16 knots. The boat has handled everything with no problems.”
Since the owner travels with his large family, he wanted an interior that is a bright, spacious haven—a comfortable counterpoint to Serenity’s rugged exterior. Destry Darr, who has designed Nordhavn’s most elegant interiors, first visited the owner at his home. “It was clear he appreciates modern, clean lines and rich, deep-grained woods that contrast with light accents,” says Darr. “He also likes luxurious finishes and splashes of color.”
Nordhavn reconfigured the interior at the owner’s request, turning the sky lounge into the master suite. The stateroom that was typically the master suite became a second master, used by the owner’s daughters. The galley was also enlarged, so the owner’s family could gather there.
“We were still able to accommodate the 12-person table in the adjoining dining salon,” says Darr. “We also designed whole-family dining and seating up on the flybridge deck so they could gather there. On the master aft deck, we installed a fire pit and seating for the owner and his wife.”
The interior includes a walnut base, with zebrano and maple accents and white fabric wall coverings that contrast nicely with the woods. Derr used stainless-steel accents throughout Serenity. In the heads, she incorporated mosaic tiles, pale gray and blue stones and polished chrome hardware. “The owner demanded uniqueness well beyond Nordhavn’s standard customization,” says Darr. “He wanted a yacht with beautiful aesthetics that is livable. He wanted a home away from his home.”
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