Nordhavn was founded in 1974, when coworkers and friends Jim Leishman, Dan Street and Joe Meglen founded what would become Pacific Asian Enterprises (PAC), the parent company of Nordhavn. The group had met while working at a yacht brokerage and formed their own company after the dealership they were employed with quit its operations. The company they founded initially operated as a brokerage and an import company, initially importing boats from Taiwan.

In 1988, as sailboats were becoming less popular and motor yachts were becoming favored among baby boomers who were growing tired of the effort and skill required to operate sailing yachts, the owners decided to take a big leap. Instead of importing motor yachts, the company decided to produce an in-house designed yacht. The result was a trawler yacht that reminded the owners of fishing vessels used in the North Sea in Norway. The name Nordhavn is a combination of Nord havn, which means North harbor in Norwegian.

Since the decision to build their own yacht, their knowledge of building fine trawlers and expedition yachts has only grown. Anyone in the market for a yacht built for exploration and long-distance travel should consider a Nordhavn yacht.