Vesper, a Nordhavn 68, Cruises to Greenland and Iceland with a Husband and Wife Crew
By Peter A. Janssen
Here’s a view you don’t see very often – the entrance to Prince Christian Sound in Greenland from the helm of a Nordhavn 68. This particular Nordhavn 68, Vesper, was well traveled even before it cruised into Greenland and Iceland. Indeed, Bob and Kathy Valleau, the owners, originally climbed on the boat when it was commissioned at Nordhavn’s headquarters in Dana Point, California, in November, 2015. Then, with a Nordhavn delivery captain, they cruised down to Mexico, the Panama Canal, the Bahamas and finally up the east coast to their home on Cape Cod, Mass. Now they’re cruising on their own.
The name of the boat is a bit unusual, but highly appropriate. Vesper means evening star or evening prayer. Kathy Valleau is chaplain of The Chapel on the Pond in North Truro, on Cape Cod, and she’s also the president of Boathouse Ministries. In 2009, the Valleaus bought an old Catholic Church in North Truro (it was built in 1915 and closed in 2007), and renamed it The Chapel on the Pond as a community sanctuary for rest and renewal with non-denominational Christian services. It was underwritten by Boathouse Ministries, a small public charity that encourages others to seek God and to foster love and the community.
Vesper, the boat, is hull 30 of Nordhavn’s popular 68 series, a single-engine aft-pilothouse boat, and it was highly customized for the Valleaus. Since it would have a husband-and-wife crew, Nordhavn built a custom captain’s cabin with a pull-out queen bed and an en suite head with shower. To make this fit, they had to reduce the size of the pilothouse settee and move the interior stairs to the flybridge from the pilothouse to the aft deck.
The Valleaus also wanted a home-like atmosphere in the interior, with individual pieces of furniture instead of the traditional settee. Vesper has a modern interior with cherry wood, white stone countertops and wave-patterned tile in the galley. The Valleaus also added more outdoor entertaining spaces, with extra seating and a lounge area in the upper aft deck and a custom flybridge with more food storage, a sink, fridge and custom settee and table for five.
As a result, Vesper now is ready for more global cruising. For more: http://nordhavn.com
