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Nordic Tug 32

The published record on this model and what owners report, with the questions worth asking while a boat is still a listing. This page covers the model. Every boat still needs its own homework.

The published record

Beam11.0 ft

Source: HMY powerboat guide. If a listing disagrees with these numbers, the listing may still be right. Settle the difference before it costs you.

A capable single-diesel Loop tug; engine make varies over the run and the wet-exhaust riser is the item to scope on any candidate.

The Nordic Tug 32 is a single-engine semi-displacement pilothouse tug built from 1986. It was updated as the 32+ in 2002, with a swim platform that lengthens the hull, and got a prop pocket in 2008. From 2013 it has been sold as the 34, and HMY counts over 300 built. Early boats used small diesels of roughly 100 to 120hp; later boats carry a Cummins 6BT or 6BTA of about 220 to 270hp, and a few have Yanmar or Volvo power, so confirm what this hull has. HMY lists 10'6" of clearance without saying what is up or down, and listings disagree, so measure. The most repeatedly documented weak point is the wet-exhaust mixing elbow and riser. Engine access through the pilothouse sole is a real strength.

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On video

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How to read the tags on this page. CLAIMstated by one source, not yet confirmed CONTEXTbackground on how this model is built or used Sources are linked where published.

Systems & access

CONTEXT
Engine access through the pilothouse sole is a genuine strength A hatch/removable panel in the pilothouse floor sits directly over the engine, giving quick, safe access for daily checks and routine maintenance, and making engine removal relatively straightforward. This is a real ownership advantage on a single-engine boat. src: At Ease broker listing; Trawler Forum owner threads

Air draft & bridge clearance

CONTEXT
HMY lists 10'6", and listings run from about 10'4" to 15'3" HMY's guide lists 10'6" of clearance without saying whether the mast is up or down. Broker listings run from about 10'4" to 15'3" across the years, most likely depending on whether the mast, radar and stack are counted. On some boats the stack is a bolt-on that can come off; on later center-companionway boats the hollow stack gives headroom between pilothouse and salon and isn't practical to remove. src: HMY powerboat guide; greatloop.org / Curtis Stokes; Bluewater Yacht Sales; Trawler Forum owner threads
Your move: Measure the actual air draft on the specific hull, and confirm whether the stack/mast/antennas can be lowered and what height remains after doing so.

Fuel & range

CONTEXT
Ignore the marketing "½ gph" figure, which traces to the older NT26 The oft-quoted half-gallon-per-hour economy figure comes from the 1980s NT26, not the 32. Owners of the 32 report meaningfully higher burn (roughly around 1 gph at ~6 knots at the low end, more at cruise), so plan range from real owner numbers rather than the brochure claim. src: Trawler Forum owner threads
CLAIM
One owner's cruise average: 1.89 gph at 7 knots, about 3.7 NM/gal A 2003 Nordic Tug 32 owner with the 270-hp Cummins 5.9 reports a 7-knot cruise at 1,350 rpm and 1.89 gallons per hour averaged over 1,200 nautical miles, about 3.7 nautical miles per gallon. The owner says the average includes some running at higher rpm, under 5% of the miles. src: Trawler Forum, 'Fuel use, NMPG, Personal experience from Members' thread (Oct 2026)

Handling

CLAIM
Fairly high windage for a small trawler Owners describe the 32 as having fairly high windage, which affects low-speed handling and docking in wind. This is a handling characteristic to expect rather than a defect. src: Trawler Forum owner threads

Engines

The engines research is part of the full profile inside the product. It covers factory options, tested performance and the engine-specific questions in our members' dossiers, and it travels with every dossier and survey brief built on this model.

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