The Nordhavn 56MS is a unique blend of a motor yacht and a motorsailer, designed for those who seek the thrill of open-water exploration with the comfort and luxury of a high-end vessel. With its semi-displacement hull, the 56MS ensures a smooth and stable ride, even in challenging sea conditions. Its robust construction features a GRP hull, offering both strength and durability. The yacht is powered by a single Lugger L1066T diesel engine, delivering efficient performance and a cruising speed of around 8 knots, with a maximum speed of approximately 10 knots. This powertrain enables long-range travel with a fuel capacity of 3,785 liters, ideal for extended voyages. The interior of the Nordhavn 56MS is crafted with meticulous attention to detail, featuring high-quality finishes that create an inviting and sophisticated atmosphere. Accommodations include a spacious master stateroom and a guest cabin, providing comfortable sleeping arrangements for up to four guests. The main saloon is designed for relaxation and entertainment, equipped with a well-appointed galley and ample seating. Nordhavn’s in-house team, renowned for their expertise in naval architecture and engineering, has designed this vessel to prioritize safety and ease of handling. The Nordhavn 56MS is not just a yacht; it’s a statement of style and adventure, perfect for those who demand both luxury and performance in their maritime endeavors.
Length
17.2M
Beam
5.2M
Draft
1.8M
Day Guests
12
Sleeping
4
Cabin
2
Crew
1
Cruise Speed
8KT
Max Speed
10KT
Fuel
3785L
Range
3000NM
Engine
Lugger L1066T
Naval
Nordhavn Design Team
Exterior
Nordhavn Design Team
Interior
Nordhavn Design Team
New Starting From
€1,300,000
High Price Brokerage
€1,100,000
Low Price Brokerage
€950,000
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She sails as much as she motors, and that changes everything about how she behaves offshore.
The auxiliary rig is not a styling flourish. Raised in a following sea or a stiff beam wind, it steadies her roll and adds genuine forward drive, cutting fuel burn exactly when a long ocean passage needs it most. Under power alone, the single Lugger L1066T diesel settles her into an efficient 8 knot cruise, with 10 knots available when conditions or schedule demand it. That efficiency compounds over distance: at cruising speed and with 3,785 litres of fuel aboard, she is built to cover 3,000 nautical miles between fuel stops, a range that owners of a 56 foot yacht rarely enjoy without a second engine working against them the whole way.
Her profile tells you what she is built for before you read a single specification.
A full displacement hull sits low and settled in the water, and the mast and rigging above it mark her out immediately from the rest of the Nordhavn range. At 5.2 metres of beam on a 17.2 metre length, she carries her weight well, with a 1.8 metre draught shallow enough to open up anchorages a deeper keel would have to avoid. The deck plan keeps clear runs fore and aft for sail handling, while still leaving room for the cockpit life that owners expect from a motor yacht. She does not try to hide what she is. She is a motorsailer built with Nordhavn’s usual seriousness about distance and self sufficiency.
Two cabins, four berths, and a layout built around comfort on a long passage rather than entertaining at the dock.
The accommodation is compact by design: a master stateroom and a guest cabin, both fitted out to withstand weeks at sea rather than a weekend at anchor. Storage runs deep rather than decorative, with sea berths and secure stowage prioritised over open plan styling. It suits a couple or a small family planning real ocean miles rather than a crowd planning a party, and that focus shows in every detail, from handholds in the right places to a galley built for cooking underway rather than just at the marina.
The saloon and galley sit at the centre of a yacht built to be lived in, not just admired.
A single, well equipped galley handles everything from a quick breakfast to a proper meal on a multi day crossing, and the saloon around it is arranged for stability underway as much as comfort at rest. Day capacity for twelve guests means she still works for entertaining close to home, even though her real purpose lies further offshore. It is a sensible balance: sociable enough for a weekend with friends, serious enough for a passage that most 56 footers would not attempt.
The 56MS asks a different question than most yachts her size: not how fast, but how far and how safely.
She measures 17.2 metres with a 5.2 metre beam and a 1.8 metre draught, and at around 36 tonnes she carries enough displacement to stay settled offshore without feeling heavy at anchor. Nordhavn’s own design team handled the naval architecture, exterior and interior, and Nordhavn Engineering the systems beneath, keeping the whole project in house from first sketch to launch. The motorsailer concept found genuine early demand, with seven hulls committed sight unseen before most buyers had ever stepped aboard one, a sign of how much trust the Nordhavn name carries among long range cruisers. For an owner drawn to self sufficiency over speed, the 56MS remains a quietly serious choice.
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