” I have loved the ocean since I was born. Every summer spent on the beaches of Cape Cod Bay and fishing alongside my Dad whenever he had time off. “
A quote from John F. Kennedy stands out in my mind when I think of my love of the ocean and the reason why I keep returning to the place I love most:
We are Tied to the Ocean.
And when we go back to the sea
Whether it is to sailor to watch it,
We are going back to whence we came.
I love the sea! The smell, the movement, the colors. I cannot live anywhere that I cannot see the ocean daily. I would feel like I was being smothered.
Java, Nordhavn 50’
Interview with the Captain – Trish Stasinos
I am the Captain, Navigator, chef and basic maintenance person on board. My husband has suffered 4 strokes so most of the day-to-day maintenance and other duties have been taken over by me, but believe me he gives me lots of advice! My husband Jim’s greatest wish all our lives was to buy a large boat and spend his retirement winters living on board, traveling from Boston-Florida and the Bahamas, I have tried my best to let him enjoy and live that dream.
Our home port is Plymouth, MA. My husband was born and bred there, I grew up in Dorchester, MA though my family had a summer home just south of Plymouth, in Manomet, MA.
About the Boat
Why did you choose to buy a Nordhavn?
Stability and reliability of the brand. The reason we chose a Nordhavn are many, but also specific. We wanted an economic boat, great in whatever weather we may encounter, room for our kids and grandkids to visit, we wanted a flybridge for traveling in the Bahamas where the depths and colors of the water are easy to see from above. We wanted a boat that we could untie and be able to cruise for long amounts of time without stopping for fuel, provisions and water. So, we wanted a big freezer, lots of storage and a watermaker. We wanted a boat that was stabilized, as after 4 strokes my husband has lost his balance, and the stabilizers make it easier for him to move around. I didn’t install anything new right away, I wanted to get out there and really see what I was needed to make my job as Captain, Navigator and chief bottle washer easier.
What other boats have you owned?
From a 14-foot fiberglass Dory to a 53 ft. Hatteras Motor Yacht, and many in between.
How did you come to find/locate her before purchasing (and what’s the boat’s history if you know it)?
My Boat is a 1997 Nordhavn 50 ft flybridge. She is hull number 4 of the Nordhavn 50’s that were built. I believe there were 24 built. Hull number 13 was skipped over. We are the 4th owners of this particular Nordhavn.
5 years ago, my husband and youngest son came back from the Boston Boat Show and announced they had found a boat. Actually, they had found a broker, but not quite the boat yet. They were thinking American Tug at first, I am glad they didn’t buy the first boat they looked at. I was still working on the Steamship Authority going from Woodshole to Martha’s Vineyard many times a day while those two searched for a boat. I didn’t know we had actually found a boat until after a traumatic fall on the Steamship Nantucket, and subsequently losing my memory for over a year, that I had somehow agreed to the purchase of our now Nordhavn 50. I wasn’t able to work any longer but quickly accepted that I’d still be out on the ocean almost every day, I had numerous injuries that left me unable to do the job I had loved. But once my son and I pulled up to the dock in Maine where the boat was docked, and he told me “This is the boat Dad is buying” I too fell in love. The boat was beautiful inside and out. The more I heard about Nordhavn’s and their ability to cross oceans, I was hooked. I was amazed at the stories of Nordys smaller than mine going around the world.
We bought Java in October of 2016 and left for Florida in November. We traveled down to Key West (where we had honeymooned on my father-in-law’s JAVA, 29 years before). We went to Bimini and the Abaco’s and back up to Plymouth that winter. We have now made the trip south on this Java 4 times, each time I love it more!
What features/improvements have you added or do you plan to add?
It’s been almost 5 years and I am just finishing some updates on Java. I have installed a new NavPilot 711 Autopilot in both the Pilot House and the Flybridge with an extra pump on board, in case of failure. 2 new Icom VHF radio’s, camera’s installed in the engine room and on the stern of the boat to make docking from the Pilot House a little easier. I’ve installed a new chart plotter on the bridge with a Furuno TzT3 Screen for multiple applications. Plus 2 new Furuno 16 tzt3 touch in the Pilot house to go with our previous TzT 2 touch screen.
Gone are the instruments that are outdated, and now updated.
This winter I have taught myself a few useful things to make maintaining our boat easier. I have stripped, sanded and put 5 coats of Ephiphanes on my teak cap rail, I have learned to change fluids in each of my engines. A main-Lugger, a Northern Lights Generator and a Yanmar wing engine. I have flushed the coolant from the Lugger and the Northern Lights, changed the raw water pump impeller and cleaned the heat exchanger. I am very proud and sure that my Dad would be proud of the fact that I am still learning and am able to do this work myself. Every day is a learning experience when you own a boat.
Next on my list is updating the interior. I know most women would want to do that first, but I’m more interested in the best technology and a sound mechanical boat.
Who first introduced you to boating/sailing?
My dad. He gave me my love of the ocean and my love of fishing. I have loved the ocean since I was born. Every summer spent on the beaches of Cape Cod Bay and fishing alongside my Dad whenever he had time off. He was a Boston Police officer so he worked a lot. The time I spent on the boat with him was my time and I loved it… I am the youngest of 6 children by almost 10 years,
On my 12th birthday my Dad bought me my first boat. A 14ft, Fiberglass skiff with a 20 hp outboard ,25 lobster traps and a student lobster license to go with it. I had to pull that boat down to the water every morning to go out and check and bait my traps. Most 12-year-old girls would have hated the smell of the bait and the backbreaking work, but I loved it. Loved being on the water by myself. Earning money every day. Days off I spent fishing or waterskiing off our little beach. Unfortunately, I lost both my parents my freshman year of college, but having been accepted as a basketball recruit gave me a great education with the benefit of traveling the east coast during the season. Each summer was spent back at my home in Manomet, on the beach and on the water.
I met my husband while I was strolling down the beach in Plymouth and connected by our love of boats and the ocean. I learned his family owned a 1978 53ft Hatteras MY. My first trip on their boat My Java was enlightening, and I fell in love with the big boat. His Dad was an ex-Navy vet and so knowledgeable about everything boats, seas, engines. He taught me to chart courses on paper charts, to read weather charts, to take into account wind and current. I spent 6 winters living and traveling with my father-in-law on that Java down in Ft. Lauderdale in the winter and traveling the Northeast in the summer. The Hatteras was the 6th Java his family had owned. I soon started a family and Java was sold. My husband and I have 5 sons. Our twins attended SUNY Maritime and have worked in the boating industry since they were legally able to work at 13. They now own their own Tugboat Company – Stasinos Marine out of Boston, MA. My youngest is entering into his senior year at Massachusetts Maritime Academy, with a major in Marine Transportation. I have passed my love of the ocean onto all my boys.
Do you belong to a yacht club or other boating/sailing organizations?
We did for many years, but just don’t find the need or the time to now.
What is the biggest challenge you have in servicing your boat?
First of all, my physical injuries from my accident make it hard to do some maintenance, but I have learned so much from the Nordhavn Owner’s Group (a forum filled with any question and answer that has been asked over the last 25 years about Nordhavn’s) and YouTube video’s (not ones that are just for entertainment, but video’s that teach you step by step how to accomplish fixing or maintaining your boat).
Do you have any advice for those looking to buy a Nordhavn like yours?
First, if you can do it, do it as soon as you can. Doesn’t have to be a new Nordhavn or a huge Nordhavn. Don’t let age scare you away. These boats are built to travel across oceans for many years to come if they are properly maintained. Get a trustworthy surveyor.
Any recent purchases you are enjoying?
Yes!!! My autopilot died on my trip south to Key West and I never realized how tedious hand steering for hours upon hours is. It just takes a bit of the fun out of my much-loved long runs. I also am loving the new blue deck lights my husband has installed.
CHECK IT OUT
Click the gallery below for more photos and information about Java!
