nicholson 48 sailboat data

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• Nicholson 48

The Nicholson 48 Sailboat Specs & Key Performance Indicators

The Nicholson 48 is a classic ketch designed by Raymond Wall and built by Halmatic Ltd and Camper & Nicholson in the UK.

It is a heavy displacement cruising boat that offers comfort and seaworthiness for long-distance sailing and has a reputation for being well-built, elegant, and reliable, but also slow and underpowered in light winds.

Published Specification for the Nicholson 48

Underwater Configuration:  Fin keel with skeg-hung rudder

Hull Material:  GRP (Fibreglass)

Length Overall:  47'8" (14.5m)

Waterline Length:  34'4" (10.5m)

Beam:  12'11" (3.9m)

Draft:  7'0" (2.1m)

Rig Type:  Masthead ketch

Displacement:  31,300lb (14,198kg)

Designer:   Camper & Nicholson

Builder:  Halmatic (UK)

Year First Built:  1972

Published Design Ratios for the Nicholson 48

1. Sail Area/Displacement Ratio:  12.1

2. Ballast/Displacement Ratio:  32.0

3. Displacement/Length Ratio:  345

4. Comfort Ratio:  41.5

5. Capsize Screening Formula:   1.6

A Few FAQs...

Based on the published Design Ratios for the Nicholson 48, how would you expect the boat to perform under sail?

The Design Ratios indicate that the Nicholson 48 is a heavy and stable boat that can handle rough seas and strong winds, but also needs a lot of sail area to achieve decent speed. The boat is not very agile or responsive, but rather steady and predictable.

Is the Nicholson 48 still in production and, if not, when did production end and how many of these sailboats were built?

The Nicholson 48 is not in production anymore. Production ended in 1981, after 42 units were built.

How many people can sleep on board a Nicholson 48?

The Nicholson 48 can sleep up to eight people in four cabins: two double cabins aft, one double cabin forward, and one single cabin in the passageway. The boat also has two heads, one with a shower.

How did the sailing press review the Nicholson 48?

The sailing press generally praised the Nicholson 48 for its quality of construction, its classic lines, its spacious and comfortable interior, and its seaworthiness. However, some critics also pointed out its lack of performance in light winds, its high price tag, and its outdated design compared to newer boats.

What do owners of the Nicholson 48 have to say about their boats?

Owners of the Nicholson 48 tend to love their boats for their beauty, their durability, their comfort, and their ability to handle any weather conditions. They also appreciate the boat's versatility, as it can be used for coastal cruising, offshore passages, or even liveaboard lifestyle. Owners also acknowledge the boat's drawbacks, such as its low speed, its high maintenance costs, and its limited availability of spare parts.

What is the history of the builders of the Nicholson 48 and is the company still in business?

The builders of the Nicholson 48 are Halmatic Ltd and Camper & Nicholson. Halmatic Ltd was founded in 1947 as a manufacturer of fiberglass boats and components. It became part of Vosper Thornycroft Group in 1985 and was renamed VT Halmatic Ltd in 2002. It ceased operations in 2010. Camper & Nicholson was founded in 1782 as a shipbuilding company that specialized in yachts. It became one of the most prestigious yacht builders in the world, producing many famous boats such as Endeavour, Shamrock V, Velsheda, Gipsy Moth IV, Drumbeat, and Maltese Falcon. It also diversified into yacht brokerage, chartering, management, and marina development. It went through several changes of ownership and restructuring over the years, and is now part of Lai Sun Development Company Ltd, a Hong Kong-based conglomerate.

Is the mast on the Nicholson 48 deck-stepped or keel-stepped?

The mast on the Nicholson 48 is keel-stepped. This means that the mast is supported by a metal post that extends from the bottom of the hull to the top of the mast. This provides more strength and stability to the mast than a deck-stepped mast, which is supported by a metal plate on the deck. However, a keel-stepped mast also requires more maintenance and inspection, as it can cause leaks or corrosion in the hull.

What is the average cost of a secondhand Nicholson 48?

The average cost of a secondhand Nicholson 48 depends on several factors, such as the year of manufacture, the condition of the boat, the equipment and upgrades installed, and the location of the boat. Based on some recent listings, the average cost of a secondhand Nicholson 48 ranges from $100,000 to $200,000.

How does the Nicholson 48 compare to other sailboats in its class?

The Nicholson 48 is comparable to other sailboats in its class, such as the Amel Maramu 46, the Bowman 46, the Cheoy Lee 48 Offshore Ketch, the Formosa 47 Ketch, the Gulfstar 50 Ketch, the Hans Christian 48T Ketch, the Hinckley Sou'wester 50 Ketch, the Island Trader 46 Ketch, the Morgan Out Island 51 Ketch, the Nauticat 44 Ketch, the Passport 47 Ketch, the Tayana 48 Ketch, and the Westsail 42 Ketch. These boats share similar characteristics, such as their size, their displacement, their rig type, their layout, their design era, and their intended use. However, they also have some differences in terms of their performance, their quality, their features, their price, and their availability.

What other sailboats have been created by the designer of the Nicholson 48?

The designer of the Nicholson 48 is Raymond Wall. He was a naval architect who worked for Camper & Nicholson from 1958 to 1981. He designed many sailboats for Camper & Nicholson and other builders. Some of his most notable designs include:

• The Nicholson 32;
• The Nicholson 36;
• The Nicholson 38;
• The Nicholson 40;
• The Nicholson 43;
• The Nicholson 45;
• The Nicholson 476;
• The Camper & Nicholson CN35;
• The Camper & Nicholson CN39;
• The Camper & Nicholson CN55;
• The Camper & Nicholson CN60;
• The Camper & Nicholson CN65;
• The Camper & Nicholson CN70;
• The Camper & Nicholson CN75;
• The Camper & Nicholson CN80;
• The Camper & Nicholson CN100;
• The Camper & Nicholson Endeavour Class;
• The Camper & Nicholson Lion Class;
• The Camper & Nicholson Ranger Class;
• The Camper & Nicholson Shamrock Class.

The above answers were drafted by sailboat-cruising.com using GPT-4 (OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model) as a research assistant to develop source material; to the best of our knowledge,  we believe them to be accurate.

Other sailboats in the Nicholson range include:

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• Sailboat Guide

Nicholson 48

Nicholson 48 is a 47 ′ 8 ″ / 14.5 m monohull sailboat designed by Raymond Wall and built by Halmatic Ltd. and Camper & Nicholson starting in 1972.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

Shoal draft vers: 5.5’

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Camper & Nicholson 48

• Thread starter pinna
• Start date 10 Dec 2003
• 10 Dec 2003

I'm looking for information on the Camper & Nicholson 48. As I found only few boats of this model around internet I wonder if this boat is a very special one or she suffered some building problem and not many have been sold. Any further information is welcome if somebody could help! Many thanks from Genoa (Italy), Andrea <hr width=100% size=1>  

Active member

42 were built ... try http://www.kingsyacht.com/kingsyacht/kingsyacht_4.html <hr width=100% size=1>  

• 11 Dec 2003

Ciao Andrea tell me: what do you want to know. We have a Nic 48 since 4 1/2 years now. We live aboard her and are very pleased with her. Are you planning to buy one? if yes, which one? where did you find her and what is her building number? We have seen some Nic's 48 before we bought ours (number 40 of 42 built) One of the reasons there weren't many built is, of course, the fact she was not exactly cheap (to put it mildly). Another reason is certainly the concept: fantastic boat for up to 4-6 people. But she was built with 7-8 berths. The cockpit is simply too small for 7-8. There were diffenent lay-outs built. Some were nicer than others. So do ask anything you wish to know. Meantime: fair winds <hr width=100% size=1>Peter a/b SV Heerenleed, Steenbergen, Netherlands  

Dear Peter, many thanks for your prompt reply already useful. yes, with some friends I'd like to buy one and the typology is exactly what I like (strong boat, for long and safe cruise, 4 people max 6 onboard (I do not like crowded boats!). The only boats I found are two Nic 48 in South France quite nice (specially one) , unfortunately I do not know the serial number but they are built both in 1974. Unfortunately they are asking too much money (Euro 135.000 and Euro 153.000) in my opinion as another one was sold this summer in Spain for USD. 109.000 and apparently another one is for sale in the USA for about the same amount (considering the present USD/Euro difference it is a lot of money! However what is warrying me is that I learned through some internet website that a lot of Camper & Nicholson models suffered more than other boats of blister problems. Did your's suffered this problem? did you made any big repairs? On the other hand I love very much this boat which I would like to buy to cruise the Med sea and , why not, on the east costs of USA and Caribbeans. If you heard about some C&N 48' for sale please let me know. It is a plaesure to have exchanges with people who love sailing therefore many thanks again for your support. Have a nice day!, Ciao Andrea <hr width=100% size=1>  

Nic 48 blisters? Hi again, Our actual Nic has had an osmosis treatment. The only blisters we have seen are on the rudder (always suspect on any GRP boat) and on the 4 square spots the boat had been supported during the treatment. We had another Nic (35) before this one, and had some, but not seriouos blistering. We simply checked every time she was ashore, sanded the blisters away and filled with International Waterproof epoxy filler, and never had serious probs. In the Netherlands, we have a circle of Nicholson owners, I shall ask at our next meeting (february) but have not hear about serious osmosis problems. One of the 48's we viewed before buying ours in Greece was in the S of France. She was moored in (I think) Juan-les-Pins. The double in the aft cabin had been modified into a rreal double bed. We found that the former owner(s) made to many ugly modifications th the interior and her price (FFrs 900.000 in 1999) was on the high side for her age. We finally found ours in Greece: a nicer lay-out and no ugly mods in the interior. I'll PM you the price we paid, if you like. just let me know. When we bought ours, the decks were virtually gone and needed replacement in a not too far away future (done last year). The sails were rubbish (replaced 2001). The prop shaft installation was rather worn (replaced 2000), all seacocks (16 I believe) had seized, replaced them all upon arrival in the Netherlands, and all rubber parts on engine have been replacced 2000. We repainted the hull last september, and we are very very pleased indeed with the result. In short: we have turned the boat inside out and upside down, everything has been looked at and repared/replaced where necessary. Next season we shall have to look at the standing rigging, and, after that, we should be able to go back to a normal maintenance schedule. Much work, but rather rewarding really. She sails well, thought she likes to have some real wind, she is easily handled between the two of us, and, though quite large, she feels like a sailboat and is very predictable. Perhaps not the most beautiful part but a real asset is the fixed roof over the cockpit: in our northern clime a love to look at all the soaked people sailing by where we hardly bother to bring out the oilies. Last (very long and hot) summer, the roof provided us with the most welcome shade. I shall keep a look-out for Nic's 48 for sale <hr width=100% size=1>Peter a/b SV Heerenleed, Steenbergen, Netherlands  

Andrea, I also own a Nich built in '78 and she is bullet proof. She is a centre cockpit 39 ketch and has no blister problems what so ever. When I bought her 2 years ago the surveyer stated that the moister readings were zero. She has never been epoxied or treated. I too heard much about osmosis in Nichs and initially was very concerned but it has turned out to be the best buy I have ever made. Bear in mind that all Nichs were extremely expensive when new......the standard model of the '39 cost 55000 pounds in '78. They were built to that price! Intend to live aboard in a couple of years time with my SHMBO and plan a ten year circumnavigation. I'd trust a Nich anytime. Nigel <hr width=100% size=1>  

Many thanks Nigel of your advice and I'll keep you informed ! Let me know if your plan include Italy (Genoa) also ...... maybe at that time I can show you my Nic!, Ciao Andrea <hr width=100% size=1>  

Re: Nic 48 blisters? Hi Peter, indeed it would be of interest to know the price you paid (confidentially you can e-mail directly on my personal address "[email protected]") One of the two C&N we saw was exactly the same and now the asking price is Euro 153.000. I noted they refit the interiors but even if is a nice job the originality of the boat has now prejudiced. The deck apparently has been replaced in 2001 and the general conditions are good. The sails have to be replaced in full. They fit a bowthrust recently and a new windlass anchor has been replaced. Still remain that this price is too high for me. Let's keep in touch. ciao, Andrea <hr width=100% size=1>  

• 17 Oct 2005

Re: Nic 48 blisters? Hello , i'm very interestede in buying a Nicholson 48. Can you give me information concerning her sailing performance. She is 14 tonnes weignt and 1,68m draft. Is she a real sailing boat or better a motor sailer. I'm afraid she is a lazy boat under 15knots of wind. Am i true. have you had strong conditions??? Thank you for your answer. Cédrc from france  

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Nicholson 48 Yacht / Sailboat

Nicholson 48 Yacht

The Nicholson 48 was built by Camper and Nicholson in 1978 and commissioned in 1980. She is great blue water yacht and ideal as a long distance live aboard cruiser. She has a powerful hull with attractive overhangs which provide a gratifying sailing performance combined with an easy to handle rig.

With 4 berths, the yacht can sleep up to 8 people and is therefore considered to be both spacious and comfortable.

Although mainly built in the 70’s there are still a large number of Nicholson 48 ‘s proudly sailing throughout the world.

If anyone has more photos or information about the Nicholson 48 please contact us.

• Specification
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Length : 47ft 8 Beam : 12ft 10 Weight : 31360lbs Sail Area : 1100 sq ft Berths : 4

Review of Nicholson 48

Basic specs..

The boat is typically equipped with a Perkins 4.236 diesel engine at 72.0 hp (53 kW), which gives a max speed about 6.6 knots.

Sailing characteristics

This section covers widely used rules of thumb to describe the sailing characteristics. Please note that even though the calculations are correct, the interpretation of the results might not be valid for extreme boats.

What is Capsize Screening Formula (CSF)?

The capsize screening value for Nicholson 48 is 1.64, indicating that this boat could - if evaluated by this formula alone - be accepted to participate in ocean races.

What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?

The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 7.8 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.

The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level. The immersion rate for Nicholson 48 is about 276 kg/cm, alternatively 1546 lbs/inch. Meaning: if you load 276 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 1546 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.

Sailing statistics

This section is statistical comparison with similar boats of the same category. The basis of the following statistical computations is our unique database with more than 26,000 different boat types and 350,000 data points.

What is Motion Comfort Ratio (MCR)?

What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?

What is Displacement Length Ratio?

What is SA/D (Sail Area Displacement ratio)?

Maintenance

Are your sails worn out? You might find your next sail here: Sails for Sale

If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.

This section shown boat owner's changes, improvements, etc. Here you might find inspiration for your boat.

Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what to look for.

We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for Nicholson 48 it would be a great help.

If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us . Criticism helps us to improve.

BoatNews.com

1972 Camper Nicholson 48: the story of a meticulous refurbishment

Tookana is a 1972 Camper Nicholson 48. This ketch has just been given a new lease of life by Charly. It took a full year to renovate, but the end result is a promise of many fine cruises to come.

Charly enjoyed a 3-month cruise with his wife. And they liked it! So much so, that they set out to find a sailboat to live on. After doing some research on the Internet, the couple settled on one model: the Maramu from Amel . They liked the Super Maramu more, but it was out of their reach.

A visit to test yourself

However, when Charly comes across an advertisement for a Camper Nicholson 48, which resembles the Maramu with its central cockpit and protected wheelhouse, he decides to make an appointment to view it. His aim wasn't to buy it, but rather to use the opportunity to get a feel for sailboat negotiation. This is his first visit to a pre-owned boat, and it will be his last!

Complete, but in its own juice

In fact, the sailboat he discovered on dry land in Sète caught his eye. It's a 1972 model, number 6 in a series of 46, but it's not hiding its age. Indeed, the teak deck is totally worn and numerous leaks inside the cabin have attacked the varnish. On the plus side, however, the Perkins 4.236 engine seems to be in good shape, an anti-osmosis treatment has been applied, a watermaker is on board and the boat underwent an electrical refit less than 10 years ago. The negotiation begins.

The yacht is listed with the broker at 75,000 euros. The broker tells Charly that an offer of 45,000 euros was previously refused by the owner, who bought the boat in 2013 with a view to repatriating it to Réunion, but who has never sailed it. Faced with the yard, Charly isn't backing down. After budgeting for a refit , he makes an offer of 25,000 euros. Which was accepted!

Elbow grease in prospect

He feels he's made a good deal, aware that it's going to take a lot of elbow grease to get this yacht back into shape. He begins by moving the boat , still in the same yard, to position it on a concrete slab. He even built a real wooden staircase to safely reach the stern. Aware that the work would take several months.

Interior modifications

With winter just around the corner, he doesn't get involved in exterior work, instead concentrating on renovating the cabin. He will repaint some of the bulkheads whose varnish has been attacked, bringing a little luminosity with white bulkheads in the cabins. The forward cabin is completely dismantled to allow for the installation of a tunnel bow thruster. Finally, the aft cabin layout is revised to enlarge the bed, to create a true double bed. The bed is slightly raised for the occasion, creating additional storage space. Also to facilitate life on board , the navigation berth in the passageway leading to the aft cabin is transformed into a large closet.

No more teak decks

But it's on the deck that most of the work will be done. Using a chisel, Charly removes all the teak slats one by one. A mammoth task! He then sands the entire deck down to a more or less even surface. With the help of MAP Yachting in La Ciotat , he uses Sicomin products for the entire renovation. Charly admits that this support in advising, selecting and explaining products was essential to the success of the project. As a result, the deck was coated, sanded and then painted before receiving an anti-slip coating. Gone is the teak, replaced by an attractive white and beige deck.

The same goes for the hull, which is sanded and finished with Sicomin paint. The result is stunning, even if Charly says he can see imperfections. All visitors see is a beautifully refurbished ketch .

Bending plexis

The main difficulty was the renovation of the deckhouse plexis. These are curved. After taking a template, Charly fitted the first one cold , happy that all was going well as he gradually bent it. But the next morning, the Plexiglas was broken in two! So he went back to work, this time heating the material. And this time it worked!

A skilled handyman

Charly is not a professional, but a conscientious do-it-yourselfer. He doesn't hesitate to search the Internet for solutions. It took him a whole year to refit the yacht, working between 6 and 8 hours a day. The job cost him around 30,000 euros in materials. For the tools , in particular the compressor, he equipped himself to resell at the end of the project.

Happy to sail

After a year of renovation, the yacht is back in the water. Charly admits that she's no war lightning at 18 tons, but she's easy to handle and, above all, very comfortable. However, below 10 knots of wind, the 80 horsepower of the Perkins is often called upon. But today, Tookana's newly rechristened yacht is well within reach of her intended voyage.

1980 Nicholson 48 Technical Specs

General data about nicholson 48, engine and power specs, dimensions and wieght, detailed specifications, features and equipments, other equipments, nicholson 48.

More 48 models

• Nicholson provided us with the latest version of its 48 service repair manual
• Find All mechanical and electrical parts and accessories of Nicholson 48 Sail here

Nicholson 48 competitors

Camper and Nicholson Nicholson 48 Boat for Sale

• accommodation
• mechanical and rigging
• Manufacturer: Camper and Nicholson
• Location: Spain
• LOA: 47'8" (14.53m)
• Beam: 12' 11'' (3.94m)
• ID no.: 04314
• Aircon: Cruisair reverse cycle
• Heating: Eberspacher 5DL
• Watertank Size: 900 Litres
• Engine Make: Perkins M90
• Horsepower: 82hp
• Drive Type: Shaft drive
• Fuel Type: Diesel
• Fuel Tank Size: 380 Litres

Broker Remarks

This Camper Nicholson 48 is a perfect long distance blue water cruiser. Extremely well built and now more importantly extremely well maintained and updated by her present owner of 21 years . Her powerful hull and elegant lines make her a safe, stable, comfortable and fast passage maker and she qualifies as MCA code zero so is a genuine go anywhere vessel. She sleeps 8 in four cabins. Has two heads ,one en-suite from the rear master cabin and a well laid out practical galley with plenty of storage throughout. She has hot and cold water with showers in both heads. When in Northern climes she benefits from warm air heating and when in hotter locals she has air conditioning. Cleopatra Nikita has been updated and thoroughly maintained. In 1994 her teak decks were replaced and in 2009 they were fully sanded and re-caulked . All her standing rigging has been replaced within the last 10 years. Her hull is sound as you would expect of a Camper Nicholson and she was copper coated in  March 2013. Her Borg Warner Velvet gearbox was replaced with a re-conditioned unit in 2009 and a new Auto prop fitted in 2013. She is currently lying in Saint Carles Marina (MDL) in Spain and is ready to go on her next adventure.

Accommodation

The Nicholson 48 provides real comfort for the long-term cruiser. She has all the luxuries needed to keep the most demanding crew happy. Heating and air-conditioning , hot showers in both heads and a deck shower, a great galley with refrigerator, cold box, microwave, cooker and plenty of dry storage. A substantial wet locker for oilies and sea boots. Each cabin has a full length wardrobe with under berth storage to meet the demands of the full time cruiser.Saloon, galley and aft cabin now have LED lighting and she has red lights throughout. She sleeps 8 in total. The forward cabin is large with a twin berth ,the saloon provides a large double . There is a very secure sea berth in the passage cabin midships . The wonderful owners aft cabin has a large double and a single. The double berth has been widened by the current owners and is considerably wider then the standard double shown on the plan.  Both heads have modern toilets, hot showers and vanity units with washbasin The saloon has ample book shelves and cupboard storage and seats 8 comfortably. The dinning table folds in two and has fiddles. The whole interior of Cleopatra Nikita is fitted out in quality teak and this gives her a warm and cosy feeling throughout.

Mechanical and Rigging

Perkins M90  82hp  ( 1996) Serviced annually Borg Warner Velvet Drive gearbox Reconditioned unit installed in 2009 New 2013 full hull coppercoating New Autoprop 2013 New Shaftlok  2015 Westerbeke generator in SoundShield 5.7 w BTD Shore power and hubble connector, 7 240v outlets 4 x 135ah batteries house use 2 x 75ah batteries for engine start 1 x12v generator start battery New 2013 Mastervolt battery charger New 2013 24v wiring for all charging circuits New 2012 Main switch panel re wired Reconditioned windows 2009 Reconditioned Lewmar Ocean hatches Electric Windlass with hand-held remote control New 2014 100m Anchor chain with 60lb CQR Kedge anchor 45lbs CQR with 90m chain New 2014 Guard wires around deck with side gates amidships and life raft launching gates aft. Tender davits with new 2014 lifting wires. New 2013 sun awning for covering centre of yacht Heavy teak passerelle with hand rails Hot and cold deck shower Mast head LED Tricolour Masthead LED Anchor light Full navigation lights all controlled from helm All through hull fittings replaced along with all new below the waterline pipework in 2006 Teak decks replaced in 1994 and re-sanded and re-caulked 2009. New mizzen mast 2006 Fully battened main (Hood 2004 good condition) Mizzen sail (Hood 2004 good condition) 150 % Genoa (Hood 2004 good condition) New 2004 Harken MK IV jib furling gear Storm jib (never used) Spinnaker by Hood Tri-radial cruising Spinnaker by Hood with twin mast-mounted poles Cruising Chute All main winches have been replaced with Lewmar self tailing 2 speed winches 2 x Lewmar 50ST 2 speed 1 x Lewmar 30ST 2 speed 1 x Lewmar 40st 2 speed 1 x Lewmar 16st 2 speed 2 x spinnaker 40st 2 speed 2 x mainmast halyards 40st 2 speed Bilge pumps x3 Granny bars around main mast 6 x mooring cleats Cockpit cushions Teak boarding /swimming ladder Holding tank

Eberspacher 5DL hot air heating reconditioned 2014. Warm air trunking replaced 2014 Cruisair reverse cycle air conditioning B&G Network with wind/tack/depth/speed/nav and pilot by helm. Also data and GPS by chart table Raymarine RL80 radar/chart plotter by helm. Yeoman Chart plotter Furuno RB2721 DSC VHF x 2  ,at helm and chart table Seastrel compass Pioneer radio/cd/ipod with speakers in saloon and cockpit Fridge with freezer box New 2014 stove with two burners Twin sink with hot and cold water with fitted chopping boards Calor gas alarm Icom hand-held VHF Twin life rings with safety lights and Rorc offshore Danbuoy Life sling in bag Tribuckle MOB recovery device Jackstays fore and aft Strike shield lightning protection on main and mizzen masts Offshore flare pack in date Fire extinguishers x 5 serviced annually CO alarm in saloon and aft cabin. Fireblanket Automatic engine room extinguisher system with cockpit indicator light. Zodiac 4 man liferaft in steel cradle with self-releasing device (in date) Kannad safelink EPIRB Gas BBQ New fenders 2014 Sea anchor with pre- prepared harness By separate negotiation New 2013 Genesis 310 FTL 3.1m Rib 8hp Mariner outboard

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Disclaimer : Breeze Sports Ltd t/a Network Yacht Brokers Lymington offers the details of this vessel for sale but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of the information contained in the specification or warrant the condition of the vessel or equipment. A buyer should instruct his agents, or surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered for sale subject to no prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice.

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• Sailboat Reviews

Nicholson 35

A real-live, serious ocean cruiser. the hard part will be finding one on the used market in the u.s..

Today’s new boat market has fragmented about as far as it can: cruiser/racers, racer/cruisers, cruiser/cruisers, racer/racers. But not so long ago, there were a few boats built as plain-old cruisers, with decent performance (but no racing aspirations), seaworthy construction (without overkill), and design that allowed you to take an out-of-the-box sailboat on a cruise for a week, or a year.

Maybe you have to go to a real old-time boatbuilder to get that kind of quality. How old-time? Will 200 years of yacht building experience do?

If not the oldest yacht builder around, Camper & Nicholsons has to be in the running. Over the years, Nicholsons built every kind of boat imaginable, including pure racers and boats that came precariously close to being sailing houseboats. Nicholsons have never had the type of exquisite joinerwork you find in Far Eastern boats, nor have the looks of most of their boats fallen into the category of classic. But the boats have always been built with a high level of integrity, and a few of the designs are classic not in looks or detailing, but in overall quality.

Just over 200 Nicholson 35s were built over more than a 10-year period, with production tailing off in the early 1980s. Most boats were sold in England, but a number were built for American owners, and still more found their way to the U.S. during the rampage of the dollar against foreign currencies in the mid 1980s.

The Nicholson 35 is a cruising boat, plain and simple. Its proportions are about as common-sense and moderate as you can get. The boat is clean, almost austere in appearance, with very little exterior wood trim. You’ll find a teak caprail, teak grab rails, teak ply cockpit seats, and that’s about it. It is a true medium-displacement boat: heavy by contemporary racer/cruiser standards, but very reasonable for an offshore cruiser with a waterline almost 27′ long.

Sailing Performance

The Nic 35 is no racing boat, but she’s no slug, either. Her PHRF (Performance Handicap Racing Fleet) rating of about 156 is some six seconds per mile slower than the Ericson 35-2, but some 20 seconds per mile faster than a “pure” cruiser such as the Tayana 37 or Crealock 37.

A moderate fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder underbody allows reasonable performance in light air, despite a smallish sailplan. The working sail area is just about evenly divided between the foretriangle and mainsail.

The rig is a simple masthead sloop, with double lower shrouds and single, airfoil spreaders. The mast is a tapered, anodized Proctor spar, which is filled with foam to deaden sound. Halyard winches are mounted on the mast.

While the sailplan never changed, there were many minor revisions to the rig over the years. Early boats have roller-reefing booms, while late boats have slab reefing. Winch specifications and options changed over the years.

Most early boats have halyard winches that are large enough for hoisting sail, but too small to allow you to easily get a person to the masthead. We wouldn’t want to hoist a 90-pounder up the mast with the standard Lewmar 8C winches. Larger halyard winches were optional—Lewmar 16 or 25. The 25 is as small a winch as we’d want to use to hoist anyone aloft, and even that would be work for most people.

The mainsheet traveler bisects the cockpit just forward of the wheel, so that you have to step over the traveler and onto the cockpit seats to go forward from the steering position. While the mainsheet’s position just forward of the helmsman is reasonable, the driver cannot easily trim the mainsheet, which secures to a cleat on the front of the teak traveler support. It would be a simple matter to replace this awkward arrangement with a modern traveler, with the sheet ending at a cam cleat on top of the traveler car.

The cockpit seats themselves are short and not very comfortable, with a high, nearly vertical fiberglass cockpit coaming. The deep cockpit does give excellent protection from seas and spray. One of the best features of the cockpit is a moldedin dodger coaming, much like you find in this country on S&S-designed boats such as the Tartan 37. When fitted with a good dodger, the entire forward half of the cockpit will be bone-dry in almost any conditions.

Despite the fact that the aft side of the deckhouse slopes forward, the companionway is built out slightly, making it vertical. This allows you to remove the top dropboard in light rain, even with the dodger down. The companionway hatch slides have Tufnol runners, allowing the hatch to move easily. This is typical of the good structural detailing in boats from C&N.

Cockpit volume is huge. A bridgedeck protects the companionway, but the high coamings could allow the cockpit to fill almost to the top of the hatch in a major pooping. Later boats have large flapper-protected pipe scuppers through the transom in addition to big cockpit scuppers. We’d suggest retrofitting these to any older boat to be used for offshore voyaging.

Shroud chainplates are just inboard of the low bulwarks. They consist of heavy stainless steel “hairpins,” and are bolted through what would be the beam shelf on a wooden boat. We had some reservations about this construction when we first looked at it more than a decade ago, but after finding no chainplate damage on a similarly-fitted Nicholson 40 that had been rolled over and dismasted, we can’t argue with the strength of the installation. Lloyds approves it, and they’re notoriously conservative.

Like most boats of the 1970s, Nicholson 35s tend to be under-winched. Standard jib sheet winches are Lewmar 40s or 43s. Larger Lewmars were optional. We’d go for the biggest self-tailing genoa sheet winches that could fit on the coamings, and we’d make it a high priority for shorthanded cruising.

The low bulwarks give an enormous feeling of security under sail. The side decks are wide, and there is a grab rail atop the cabin trunk on each side, although the rail’s flattened shape takes a little getting used to. The molded-in fiberglass non-skid is soso.

Teak decks were an option, but not a commonly chosen one.

In general, sailing performance is what you would look for in a serious cruising boat. The hull shape is uncompromised by any rating rule. The ballast/displacement ratio of 42%, with the lead concentrated quite low in the molded keel, results in a reasonably stiff boat by any standard.

Sailing performance can be improved on any boat by replacing a main and genoa more than a few years old. You’ll never get racing boat performance out of the Nic 35, but you also won’t have to work yourself to death to get acceptable speed, either. That’s not a bad trade-off.

A variety of engines have been used in the Nic 35, all diesels. Early boats have the ubiquitous Perkins or Westerbeke 4-107. Later boats have a smaller Westerbeke L-25 or a marinized Volkswagen Rabbit diesel. Given our druthers, we’d take the Perkins engine. But there’s a complication here. Early boats, recognizable by a prop shaft that emerges from the aft end of the keel, utilize a hydraulic drive rather than a conventional transmission. The engine faces aft under the cockpit bridgedeck, with the hydraulic pump mounted on its back end. The hydraulic motor is in the bilge at the aft end of the main cabin.

Hydraulic drives are a mixed blessing. They allow the engine to be mounted anywhere, but most marine mechanics don’t know how to work on them. However, heavy equipment mechanics anywhere in the world can solve most hydraulic problems. On the downside, a major problem requiring replacement of the hydraulic motor or pump in a non-industrial area could be a real headache.

Later boats have a more conventional exposed shaft and strut. The engine is mounted further aft, under the cockpit, and the shaft is driven through a V-drive. Access to the engine in either installation is poor. On V-drive boats with a quarterberth, you can get to the front of the engine through the quarterberth.

With no quarterberth, it’s a crawl through a cockpit locker. The back of the engine is accessed through removable hatches behind the companionway ladder.

Control when backing is better with the V-drive installation, since the prop is much further aft. Likewise, tight maneuvering ahead is better with the same prop configuration, since you get good prop wash over the rudder.

In all boats, the fuel tank is a fiberglass molding. It is not integral to the hull, but is glassed in after the hull is laid up. We have heard no reports of failures of the tank.

Fuel capacity varies from 33 to 40 gallons—adequate for a cruising boat, but a little on the skimpy side for true long-term independence.

Construction

There’s nothing to fault in the construction of these boats. Some hulls—but not all—were built under Lloyds survey. A Lloyds Hull Moulding Note—which covers the basic layup of the hull, installation of bulkheads, and the deck molding—is fairly common, as it added nothing to the cost of the boat other than a survey. A full-blown Lloyds 100 A-1 certificate is rarer, since it added substantially to the price of the boat.

Nicholsons was an early user of isophthalic polyester resin, although it was only used for gelcoat. This made Nicholson 35s more blister-resistant when new, but it probably doesn’t substantially reduce a boat’s tendency to blister if it is left in the water constantly for years. Structural work in these boats is first-class. We’ve never understood why good-quality European boats in the late 70s and early 80s seemed to have much neater glass work than most production American boats of the same period, but they do.

The lead ballast casting is dropped into a molded keel cavity, then heavily glassed over. The outside of the keel molding of any boat with internal ballasting should be carefully examined for grounding damage.

There is a deep bilge sump under the cabin sole just aft of the fiberglass water tank. This will keep bilge water where it belongs until it can be pumped overboard.

Two 90 amp-hour batteries were standard on early boats. They were increased to 128 amp-hours each on later boats, and the alternator size was increased to 60 amps. If you want to go to bigger batteries on an older boat—a must for serious cruising—you’ll need to install a bigger alternator if you don’t want to run your engine all the time.

Many small changes were made to the interior design and decor over the years. In addition, the Nicholson 35 was built to order—you didn’t buy one off some dealer’s lot—so there is a lot of minor interior customizing. This was encouraged by the builder, and the prices for modifications were reasonable. It makes buying a used boat more complicated, however, because the combination of features you’re looking for may be hard to find.

The forward cabin on all boats is pretty much the same. There are the usual V-berths, but unlike a lot of boats, they don’t come to a point at the bow; there’s plenty of foot room. The berths could be converted to a big double, but you won’t find that on most boats.

A chain pipe runs vertically between the berths to the chain locker on many boats, rendering moot any modification to a double berth. The chain locker under the berths does keep the weight of chain low and fairly far aft, if you’re willing to make the tradeoff.

Padded vinyl liners are used on the hull sides, rather than wood ceiling. This looks good when new, but gets tired after a few years. We’d prefer wood. Wood ceilings can be refinished; vinyl can only be cleaned.

The earliest boats have white melamine-finished bulkheads, which lend to the general austerity of older models. Later boats have teak-veneered bulkheads, but the teak used is generally fairly light, so it doesn’t dramatically darken the interior.

Ventilation in the forward cabin is poor. A low profile Tannoy ventilator installed in the aluminum-framed deck hatch was standard, but these don’t move nearly as much air as big cowl vents. Original specs called for cowl vents over the forward cabin, but we’ve never seen them.

Aft of the forward cabin is a full-width head. Camper & Nicholsons used this same basic design on several boats, and it works well. You may not like the idea of walking through the head to get to the forward cabin, but it allows a much larger head than you’ll find on the typical boat of this length built in the 1970s.

There are good touches in the head, such as a stainless steel grab rail in front of the sink, and a mirror that angles upward so you don’t have to bend over to shave. Using the full width of the boat for the head allows its use as a dressing room without undue contortions.

Early boats do not have pressure water, nor do they have hot water for a shower. These creature comforts came later in the production run, but they can be added to older boats without much trouble.

There is very little wood in the head—just trim around locker doors—which makes it easy to keep clean and dry. A single Tannoy vent provides limited ventilation, but there’s plenty of room on deck over the head to add two cowl vents in Dorade boxes.

This would help ventilate the entire boat, and would be high on our priority list.

You’ll find a lot of variations in the main cabin, and which ones are most desirable is really a matter of choice.

All boats have a U-shaped dinette to starboard, with a permanently mounted dropleaf table. On the later boats we’ve looked at, the table is mounted on a heavy tubular aluminum base, securely bolted to the cabin sole. It is one of the sturdiest tables we’ve ever seen. The design allows the table to be reached from both the dinette and the starboard settee, giving lots of elbow room for five for dinner, with elbow-to-elbow seating for seven close friends if a lot of passing of food isn’t required.

There is storage space under the dinette, with lockers and bookshelves behind the seat back.

Starboard side layout varies. As originally designed, there is a straight extension settee, with a pilot berth outboard. The pilot berth was deleted on many boats, increasing storage space but visually narrowing the cabin. On a serious cruising boat, the extra storage would be a plus, since both the dinette and settee can serve as good sea berths. All berths, incidentally, are fitted with lee cloths—something you don’t find as standard on most American boats, even boats sold as serious cruisers.

Ventilation is provided by an aluminum-framed hatch over the middle of the cabin, plus two small water-trap cowl vents at the aft end of the main cabin. For use in the tropics, you really need to add more cowl vents, at the very least.

Minor changes were made in the galley over the years, but they were not earth-shaking. The earliest boats have good locker space, but no cutlery drawer. This was added under the counter on later boats. It would be a simple retrofit.

Nice molded teak counter fiddles on early boats were replaced by functional but tacky aluminum fiddles on later boats. Galley counters are covered with plastic laminate, and some of it is hideous: Godawful speckly-tweedy stuff, sort of in keeping with the interior decor we’ve experienced in unnamed cheap bed and breakfast joints in the UK.

There’s good storage space in the galley, with lockers outboard, a big pantry locker under one counter, a pot locker under the stove well, and another locker under the sink. The sink itself is quite small.

The icebox is outboard of the sink, next to the stove. It’s a good-sixed box—five cubic feet—and insulation is adequate for northern climates. In the tropics, we don’t think it would make the grade.

A gimbaled two-burner Flavel propane stove with oven and broiler is standard equipment. It is painted steel—as are most European galley stoves—and will be a ripe candidate for replacement on older boats. The stove well is narrow, so it may take some searching to find a stove that fits. Force 10 makes a stove that is narrow enough to fit most European stove wells, but you’ll probably have to special-order it, as most American boats take a wider model.

The propane supply is a paltry 10 pounds, so you may well end up looking for ways to expand that. A Marine Energy Systems two-tank molded gas locker should fit in the starboard cockpit locker if you don’t mind giving up some storage space.

All in all, the galley is very good for a 35′ cruising boat; exceptional when you compare it to most American boats of the early 1970s.

Although all boats have a nav station at the port after quarter, the layout varies tremendously.

There are two basic configurations: an aft-facing nav station, which uses the dinette for a seat; and a forward-facing station, using the quarterberth head as a seat.

With the aft-facing station, there is no quarterberth; you get an extra cockpit locker. You also get a real curiosity: a belowdecks watch seat next to the companionway, elevated high enough so you can see out both the companionway and the cabin trunk windows.

This is a real seagoing feature, but will be wasted space on boats that are only used for coastal cruising. Offshore, with the boat running under autopilot or steering vane, the watch seat allows you to sit below, out of the weather, while still keeping a reasonable watch unless you’re in crowded shipping lanes.

On some boats, the watch seat was deleted, and replaced with a big hanging locker. This would be a feasible and desirable modification on boats not used for serious cruising.

Both nav station layouts have a big chart table, good bulkhead space for mounting electronics, and space for navigation books and tools. It’s a tough call as to which arrangement is better.

The quarterberth would make an excellent sea berth. We’d rather sleep in a quarterberth than a pilot berth, particularly in a warm climate. At the same time, a wave down the companionway can douse you in big-time fashion in the quarterberth. We’d take our chances, opting for the quarterberth and forward-facing nav station.

Headroom is over 6′ throughout. The long windows of the main cabin make for a well-lighted interior.

A molded fiberglass water tank holding about 70 gallons fits under the sole in the main cabin, smack on top of the boat’s longitudinal center of flotation, where it belongs. This is marginal water capacity for long-distance cruising—we’d like to see at least 100 gallons, even for a couple—but it would be simple enough to install auxiliary tanks under both the dinette and settee. A second tank is a good idea on any boat, in case of a leaky tank or a contaminated water supply.

On early boats, the tank is filled from inside the boat—no deck fill. This avoids any chance of salt water contamination from a leaking filler cap, but it complicates tanking up: you have to drag hoses or jerry cans belowdecks.

The tank vents properly, inside the boat rather than outside. Most American boats have water tank vents on deck, many of them in the side of the hull. To put it bluntly, this is really dumb. If a boat spends a lot of time on one tack with the vent submerged, salt water will siphon back into the tank. Heavy water on deck can even get into vents mounted on the side of the cabin.

With the exception of the aluminum galley fiddles, most of the interior changes over the years are a distinct improvement. Storage is excellent for long-term cruising.

Conclusions

This is a real-live, serious ocean cruiser. It’s not pointy at both ends, doesn’t have a full-length keel, isn’t shippy looking, and doesn’t have oodles of nicely-fitted exterior teak to drive you wild with pleasure at the boat show, delirious from endless maintenance when you have to live with it.

The cockpit is uncomfortable, but can be improved with seat cushions and back cushions. It’s a shame the cockpit seats aren’t long enough to lie down on.

The interior is roomy and comfortable for cruising, lacking only a permanent double berth—a shortcoming that can be remedied, albeit with some work. The interior lacks the space and privacy of current 35-footers best suited for marina living or coastal cruising, but is functional for offshore sailing, particularly for a couple.

We wouldn’t hesitate to sail this boat anywhere, with virtually no changes. It demonstrates commonsense design and high-grade construction, even though it’s not fancy, and there’s not a gimmick to be found: no microwave, no stall shower, no recessed lights, none of the things that some people think they need for comfortable cruising.

The hard part, of course, is finding one. English boating magazines have a lot of Nicholson 35s for sale, but there are not too many on this side of the pond. Actually, that might be an advantage.

Buying a boat overseas is relatively painless, and you save yourself the trouble of sailing across the ocean before you can cruise Europe. Buy a boat in England, cruise there for a couple of summers, laying the boat up over the winters. Then, when you retire or get that long-awaited sabbatical, you can do some “real” cruising. You could do a lot worse.

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Well kind of found this after the event !! Just bought a Nic 35 – I’m not a sailor ( bit of Dinghy sailing in my teens ) but have a friend who is so it will be a fast learning curve . Did some research before buying but hadn’t come across this before today , has just strengthened my reason for going for a Nic 35 instead of my other options . Looking for any other information and advice ( Is there an owners group ? ) I’m based in France and the boat will be on the Med for the foreseeable future .

Congratulations on your new ownership – great choice of boat! There is an active and informative Nic 35 owners association on Facebook.

Hi Raymond,

I keep the register for the Nic 35s and have owned Argonaut of Rhu for 20 plus years. Which Nic did you buy and where are you located? There is an active group of us who used to be on yahoo but now we are on groups.io. If you send me your email address I can give you more info. I do not use facebook or any other social media. [email protected] is my email address.

The dining table is on the port side of our Nic 35 (Hull 78), launched ’73.

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Nicholson 38

The nicholson 38 is a 37.83ft masthead sloop designed by john alden & assoc. and built in fiberglass by halmatic ltd. between 1966 and 1975., 134 units have been built..

The Nicholson 38 is a heavy sailboat which is a reasonably good performer. It is not stiff and has an excellent righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a bluewater cruising boat.

Nicholson 38 for sale elsewhere on the web:

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