Nicholson 32
Description
The Camper & Nicholsons 32 (commonly known as the Nicholson 32 or Nic 32) is one of the most iconic and successful early fiberglass production cruising sailboats, built from 1962 to 1981 by Camper & Nicholsons (Gosport, UK), with hulls molded by sister company Halmatic Ltd. A total of around 369 hulls were produced across multiple marks (Mk I through Mk XI), making it a true classic with a legendary reputation for seaworthiness, robust construction, and "go-anywhere" capability. This long-keeled masthead sloop pioneered monocoque GRP (fiberglass) construction—hull, deck, ballast, bulkheads, and furniture all bonded for exceptional strength and rigidity. It was designed as an affordable, easily handled offshore cruiser (originally priced around £4,900 in 1963) that could double as a coastal racer, drawing from earlier successful wooden designs like the South Coast One Design (SCOD). Many have completed ocean passages, circumnavigations, or served as reliable family cruisers, thanks to its sea-kindly motion, stiffness, and predictable handling—even in rough conditions.
Construction Details
| Designer | Charles A. Nicholson |
|---|---|
| Builder | Camper and Nicholsons |
| Length | 32.000 ft |
| LOA | 26.580 ft |
| LWL | 24.000 ft |
| Beam | 7.750 ft |
| Displacement | 13693 lb |
| Ballast | 6834 lb |
| Max Draft | 5.670 ft |
| Year Built | 1962 |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 37 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 11.50 ft |
| p | 34 ft |
| e | 16 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37 ft | 11.50 ft | 34 ft | 16 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Nicholson 32 - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 34 ft - (10363 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 16 ft - (4877 mm) |
| Leech | * 36.85 ft - (11232 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 87.97 ° |
| Diagonal | * 37.06 ft - (11296 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | 271.66 ft² |
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Nicholson 32 - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 31 ft - (9449 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 15.16 ft - (4621 mm) |
| Leech | * 27.04 ft - (8242 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 13.23 ft - (4033 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | 204.96 ft² |
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Nicholson 32 - GENOA
| Luff | * 36.81 ft - (11220 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 18.51 ft - (5642 mm) |
| Leech | * 34.69 ft - (10574 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 17.25 ft - (5258 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | 317.48 ft² |
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Nicholson 32 - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 36.81 ft - (11220 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 20.7 ft - (6309 mm) |
| Foot | * 20.7 ft - (6309 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | 647.67 ft² |
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Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.
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