BoatsNicholson 36

Nicholson 36

Masthead Sloop · Fin Keel · First built 1960

The first fibreglass hull from Camper & Nicholson, reinforced with alloy frames for structural integrity

Designed by Charles A. Nicholson & Peter Nicholson, built by Camper.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Hull type
Fin Keel

See her sail

The Nicholson 36, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from 59° North Sailing

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her heavy displacement on a narrow beam gives 45 — a heavy, notably soft motion offshore.

Comfort ratio 45
CoastalBluewater

At 1.48 she sits well under the 2.0 line — a solidly ocean-capable hull for her size.

Capsize screening 1.48
LightHeavy

428 — very heavy for her waterline, a serious load-carrying cruiser.

Displacement / length 428
EasygoingPowered-up

13.8 — modest power for her weight; easygoing rather than lively, and happier with a breeze.

Sail area / displacement 13.8

Built heavy and sea-kindly — a boat made to cross oceans and forgive a rough night.

  • Narrower than ~88% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2959 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Nicholson 36, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Nicholson 36 is a masthead sloop sailboat, designed by Charles A. Nicholson and Peter Nicholson, and built by Camper & Nicholson from 1960 to the present.1:54 It was the first fiberglass-hulled boat built by Camper & Nicholson, incorporating alloy frames due to initial uncertainty about fiberglass's structural integrity.1:50 The design, influenced by the JOLINA 35, features a fin keel, measures 11.1 m LOA, has a 2.9 m beam, a 1.8 m draft, and displaces 7643 kg.1:49

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model for sale, and the asking prices that came with it.

1seen for sale
US$29,000Median asking

From the fleet's own footage — our observed signal, not broker listings.

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
13.8
Displacement / length
428.0
Comfort ratio
44.6
Capsize screening
1.48
Hull speed
6.8 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
883
Hull
Hull type
Fin Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
First built 1960
Units built
26
Designer
Charles A. Nicholson, Peter Nicholson
Builder
Camper, Nicholson, Nicholsons

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Cruising Consultants Crealock 3711.25 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA William Crealock-designed masthead sloop with a skeg-hung rudder, built for offshore stability and heavy-weather comfort
SPLASHED AT LAST!!! We're FINALLY floating! | Crealock 37 | Ep 40:29from Sailboat Magazine
Swan 3711.13 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthAn IOR 1-ton racer also marketed as the Palmer Johnson 37, featuring a masthead rig and a skeg-mounted rudder
27 Year Old Female Captain (I’m Crew)from Untide
S2 Yachts 11.0 C10.97 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA centre-cockpit cruiser by Arthur Edmunds, designed for stability and comfort with a skeg-mounted rudder
WHAT?? Our boat Sold in 2 DAYS! 😱 (Learning By Doing Ep211)8:00from Sailing Learning By Doing
Pearson Yachts 36511.10 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA William Shaw-designed masthead sloop built for comfortable cruising with a stable, heavy-displacement hull
Top 5 Classic Cruising Sailboats — Pearson 365, Westsail 32, Alberg 37, Valiant 40, & Hinckley 40from Practical Sailor
Moody 36S10.97 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthAn aft-cockpit variation of the Moody 36, featuring a fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder for balanced coastal cruising
Sell up and sail17:59from Sailing Gently
Islander Yachts 3611.00 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthAn Alan Gurney-designed masthead sloop with a 15-year production run and nearly 800 hulls launched
SUPER LOW BUDGET CRUSIING - Ep 236 - Lady K Sailing7:23from Lady K Sailing

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Nicholson 32A long-running production classic with a 55% ballast ratio, built over two decades for steady offshore passage makingNicholson 45A 13-metre masthead sloop featuring a skeg-mounted rudder and a deep 2.15-metre draft for offshore stabilityNicholson 26A heavy-displacement long-keeler with a high comfort ratio, built by Nicholson for steady, stable cruisingNicholson 43A Raymond Wall-designed masthead sloop with a high ballast ratio, built for offshore stability and performance

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Nicholson 36, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

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