Nicholson 35: Solid Construction and a Conservative Design

When it comes to boat builders, few companies have been at it longer than the builder of this 35-foot blue water cruiser. I'm talking longevity here in the way unfamiliar to most Americans. Not 50, 75 or even 100 years. Camper Nicholson has been in the business of building yachts for more than 200 years. Think of it this way: when the father of our country, George Washington, died on Dec. 14, 1799, Camper Nicholson was already well on its way to being one of the most respected yacht builders in the United Kingdom. To me, that's pretty impressive.

As you can imagine, in more than 200 years, Camper Nicholson has built yachts of nearly every size and shape, but few of their models have enjoyed the success of the Nicholson 35. A product of Camper Nicholson's in-house design team, the 35 was first introduced in 1971, and more than 200 vessels were built between 1971 and 1985.

The vessel's principal dimensions are 35-feet, 3-inches long, with a waterline length of 26 feet, 9 inches and a 10 foot, 5 inch beam. The displacement is listed between 15,600 pounds and 17,700 pounds, depending upon the source. This is a fairly substantial difference, and comparing the Nicholson 35 to vessels of similar shape and dimensions, I tend to believe the actual displacement is closer to the lower end of this range.

By today's standards, this design is purely a cruising boat, though when originally designed, she would have likely been considered a cruiser/racer. The hull features a low-aspect fin keel with a large, unbalanced spade rudder mounted on a full-length skeg. This provides good tracking and quick response. The rudder is swept forward by about 7 degrees. The 35 has a very attractive sweep to the sheer, nicely balanced overhangs and a low-profile cabin house resulting in a handsome look that, even 30 years later, does not seem dated or old-fashioned.

The hulls of the Nicholson 35 are built of solid laminate fiberglass cloth and plastic resin. Most were built to a Lloyds Hull Molding Note that covers the specifications for the basic hull, deck, and bulkheads. This is a rigorous and conservative specification and generally ensures a strong and well-built vessel, though this should not be confused with a Lloyds 100 1-A certification.

Ballast is 7,300 pounds of lead. This is a healthy 47 percent of the displacement figure. The ballast is totally encapsulated in the fiberglass keel, eliminating the need for keel bolts that are vulnerable to deterioration and failure as vessels age.

Nicholson 35s clearly do not have the interior volume and conveniences many feel are essential for a modern 35-foot cruiser. Her relatively narrow beam and the designer's refusal to push accommodations into the extreme ends of the vessel result in living space that more closely resembles a modern 30-foot cruiser. The forward cabin features port and starboard berths in a V configuration. This area can be converted to a large double berth by adding a filler cushion between the berths. Early models were fit with a vertical chain pipe between the berths, which makes converting to a large double berth impractical. Aft of the forward cabin is a full-width head. The benefits of this installation are a larger head and dressing area with enough room to comfortably change clothes. The downside is that you must pass through the head in order to get to the forward cabin.

The main saloon has a port side U-shaped dinette and a starboard settee. Some models had a pilot berth behind the settee while others utilized the space for additional storage. Further aft along the starboard side is the galley that changed little over the years. The galley is adequate and well laid out for cooking at sea. To the port side there is a navigation station that may seat the navigator facing forward or aft, depending on the model. Later models were also set up with a smallish port side quarter berth. The cockpit is large, but the seats only extend aft to the steering pedestal and are not long enough to lie down on.

A number of auxiliary engines were used over the years, all diesel and ranging from 25 to 37 horsepower. A marinized Volkswagen diesel was used on some models, and finding an experienced marine mechanic to service one can be difficult. Otherwise, all provide sufficient power and dependability when properly maintained.

One unique mechanical feature of early model Nicholson 35s was the use of a hydraulic drive system rather than the standard marine gear. I personally like these systems because they allow the designer to place the engine wherever it's convenient or the weight is desired. However, they can be somewhat more problematic to service than standard marine gears. In either case, the engine is located under the cockpit deck and access for service is not particularly good.

A sail area of 550 square feet results in a sail area displacement ratio of 14.1, not exactly a light-air rocket ship, and I like to see something closer to 16 for offshore cruisers. But British designers have always been more conservative in this area than their American counterparts – likely because their designs have to stand up to the gales of the English Channel and the North Sea. The Nicholson 35 has moderate proportions and her sailing performance matches. The 35 has an easy motion, which is appropriate for an offshore cruiser.

Ferenc Mate included the Nicholson 35 in his 1986 book, "The World's Best Sailboats." This is a handsome, solidly constructed, conservative design capable of sailing the oceans of the world and is worth consideration by any serious blue water cruiser looking for a boat in this size range.

Jack Hornor, NA is the principal surveyor and senior designer for the Annapolis-based Marine Survey & Design Co. Hornor writes for BoatU.S. Magazine and other marine publications.

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