We Say: Tugs just look cool, and the split-level layout of pilothouse over cabin with mid-level salon works well for cruising. Aboard the Nordic Tug 44, this layout permits a flybridge helm with a boat deck aft to store a RIB. The extra buoyancy designed into the bottom along the keel of Nordic Tug’s semi-displacement hull provides easy motion at trawler speeds, while hard chines and flat aft sections provide enough lift for speeds in the teens.
Accommodations are generous. An island queen and en-suite head forward serve the owners, with a guest cabin/office and day-head after it. In the salon, a full galley with an island lies forward opposite an L-shaped lounge with a table for dining. Two reading chairs reside aft.
Mount the stairs to the large pilothouse laid out for passage-making, with twin professional-grade chairs and three large electronic displays at the helm. An elevated lounge to port invites others to join you. Bow and stern thrusters and a jump seat by the starboard pilothouse door, within reach of the controls, make docking convenient. Access to the flybridge and boat deck comes via a ladder in the cockpit or a handy staircase and door through the aft pilothouse bulkhead. Attention to detail shines through aboard this new-model Nordic Tug.
Who’d Want One: Cruisers looking for a long-legged, capable and comfortable trawler that can cruise at higher speeds when needed.
Another Choice: Beneteau’s Swift Trawler 44 ($685,490) shares the basic dimensions but is much lighter (24,000 pounds) with smaller tankage (370 gallons of fuel, 169 gallons of fresh water, 23 gallons in the holding tanks). With more horsepower (twin 300 hp Volvo D4s), it can cruise faster.
Bottom Line: $844,688; nordictugs.com
How We Tested
Engine: Single 510 hp Volvo D11 diesel inboard
Prop: Hung Shin 30″ x 30″ LH Nibral 4-blade
Gear Ratio: 2.037:1
Fuel Load: 100 gal.
Water Load: 15 gal.
Crew Weight: 400 lb.
