Jerry Husted 1928 - 2024

Jerry Husted the Nordic Tugs founder died at 96 years old on second January 2024.  A pioneer of cruising tugs, Jerry Husted introduced the 26-foot Nordic Tug at the 1980 Seattle Boat Show, the origin boat of the cruising tugboat genre. During the energy crisis of the 1970s Husted concluded that powerboaters needed a vessel that wouldn’t cost a fortune to buy and operate, what was the company introductory statement. He built a 26-foot boat with a traditional workboat profile and introduced it as the Nordic Tug at the 1980 Seattle Boat Show. Powered by a 3-cylinder, 36-hp Volvo diesel, the boat had a range of 600 miles at 6.5 knots. The price was $29,900.  By the end of the 10-day show, Husted had sold 33 boats; by the end of the month following the event, he had orders for a total of 54 even though the price had increased to $39,900 after the show.  Nordic Tugs has since built more than 900 boats from 26 to 54 feet. Husted gave up the helm of Nordic Tugs in December 2007, although he remained with the company until three days before his eightieth birthday, in 2012. Known as a hands-on executive, he sea-trialed all but a handful of Nordic Tug models.