Christi and Jan van Heek are long-time visitors to Down East Maine’s postcard harbors, having cruised the coast many times aboard their J/46 sailboat. A year ago they moved from Marblehead, Massachusetts, to Rackliff Island just south of Rockland, and their two adult daughters and their families followed. “We’re all Mainers now,” Christi says.
On a late October morning, I pull into a spot at Safe Harbor Rockland Marina to meet the van Heeks. The sun is bright but the air is cold enough for a parka — not typical summer boating weather. Still, the reason for this outing is simple: the couple have just returned from Holland and need to pick up their Goldendoodle, Maggie, from their daughter’s home on Isleboro, about 25 miles away. While the J/46 could make the run, the van Heeks prefer the faster, weather-ready Nimbus C11 for this trip.
Nimbus markets the C11 as a “year-round commuter,” and the design supports that claim. The pilothouse features multiple roof hatches, large side windows and doors at the helm and stern so you can fully open the boat in fair weather or close it up and run heat or air-conditioning when conditions demand. With twin 300-hp Mercury Verado outboards and a comfortable helm, the C11 is both practical and enjoyable to drive — especially when you can cruise in the high 20s to low 30s in speed.
After quick introductions on the dock I step aboard. The twin Mercury Verados are visible at the stern, and boarding from the dock requires a bit of agility, but once aboard the boat feels secure: high gunwales and sturdy stainless handholds flank the cockpit. A two-foot opening in the starboard rail accommodates a faux-teak boarding plank beside the mid-deck cleat, which makes tying off and stepping aboard easier for the operator — you can straddle it or lower yourself onto it to climb aboard.
Joining us is Bob Chase, sales director for Yachting Solutions in Rockport, Maine, who sold the boat to the van Heeks. The couple — who affectionately call themselves “crazy people” — also own a Grand Banks Eastbay 55 kept in South Florida. They are snowbirds: summering in New England from May through early November and migrating south for the winter. At the Rockland Boat Show they were hunting for a fast, versatile boat that could suit “either two people or 14,” as Christi put it. They looked at an Axopar 37 but were won over by the C11.
Both tall — Jan is 6-foot-3 and Christi 6-foot-4 — they checked the forward berth to ensure they could lie down comfortably, and that confirmed the sale. They took delivery about two weeks before my visit and had already logged nearly 40 engine hours.
Jan uses the Mercury joystick to ease the C11 away from the dock. The couple settle into the Grammer suspension helm seats while Chase and I stand in the well-proportioned salon. With the long breakwater and its lone lighthouse astern, we open it up. With Zipwake interceptors engaged, the throttles come up. The twins find their sweet spot just under 30 knots, a speed that the van Heeks say gives a published range around 161 miles. With fewer aboard, they’ve seen the C11 reach about 40 knots.
The sea state is short and choppy, but the C11 cuts through the waves smoothly. The ride feels balanced whether you’re standing or seated, and the pilothouse shelter keeps the wind off the crew. Christi calls son-in-law Greg to warn that we might arrive ahead of schedule.
Nimbus Boats, built in Sweden for more than 30 years, have a devoted following; owners have included celebrated athletes and members of European high society. When Chase mentioned he was representing Nimbus in the Northeast, a relative from Sweden was impressed. “Oh, you’re selling Nimbus?” she said. “Those are the best. That’s what everybody wants.”
Recently introduced to the U.S. market, Nimbus has begun shipping models stateside. Chase noted that 22 Nimbus models had been sold in the U.S. and that the company had ordered additional boats for delivery. The trend has been toward outfitting the C11 with outboard power rather than the optional Volvo Penta inboard.
One of the C11’s standout qualities is how it feels both substantial and surprisingly nimble. The beam measures 11 feet 4 inches, yet the expansive sightlines and an array of windshield wipers — two of them on the side windows — create the sense of commanding a smaller craft. The salon layout is flexible, converting from a C-shaped dining set to two forward-facing bench seats. Generous sidedecks and two standard berths enhance the feeling of space and make the boat practical for guests and overnighting.
When we tie up at Isleboro’s public dock, Greg is waiting with Maggie. The Goldendoodle explodes with joy at the sight of her owners: she greets Christi on the dock and then, in a blur of enthusiasm, launches herself over the gunwale as Jan helps lift her hindquarters aboard. “She’s a good boat dog,” Jan says with a smile.
With Maggie onboard we head back toward the mainland. Outside the pilothouse the wind is brisk, but inside it’s calm and comfortable. The van Heeks plan to haul the boat in early November and head to Florida for the winter, but the C11’s performance is already making them rethink the schedule. Earlier, Christi had said extending the New England season wasn’t a priority, but after enjoying the C11 at higher speeds and in cooler weather, she pauses when asked if they will still haul it so soon.
“I’d probably push it even later,” she admits.
This article was originally published in the July 2022 issue.