Wooden Ships Comments on this 43′ Camper and Nicholson Sloop
Camper and Nicholson sloop designed by Charles E. Nicholson and built by C&N in 1951.
She was the last yacht personally designed by Charles E. Nicholson, one of the foremost British yacht designers, as a favour to his friend Group Captain Teddy Haylock, Editor of ‘Yachting World’.
The vessel’s hull is close-planked in teak, with plank edges de-greased and glued together and fastened to laminated steam-bent English oak frames at 8″ centres. This process was experimental and had not been tried in England before, but resulted in a very strong, durable and rigid hull.
The vessel has sailed to Spain several times, France, Ireland, Germany and the Baltic.
Unlike her later C&N sisters, she is slightly narrower in the beam and with more sheer, making her a very elegant boat with her long counter stern.
In present ownership since 2021 she has had various jobs and refit work carried out to improve and upgrade the boat leaving her now in a good and very smart state, ready for classic regattas and cruising.
Fitted with alloy spars with in- mast furling , she is now a very easily handled boat, often sailing single handed even in stronger winds.
The boat comes with a detailed maintenance log going back to 1995, a well cared for and properly used pedigree classic yacht. May 2022 survey available.
Length on Deck 43’2″
Length Waterline 29′
Beam 9’6″
Draft 7’2″
Thames Tonnage 13 TM
Construction
- Carvel planked in 7/8″ teak fastened with copper nails and roves to laminated oak timbers.
- The planking was fitted tight together with glued seams, a revolutionary method of construction at the time she was built.
- In 2021 the topsides were taken back to bare wood and re-splined.
- Galvanised strap floors across the centreline. Infloor bolts were replaced using galvanised steel and insulating nylon washers.
- External lead ballast keel with iron keel bolts, last drawn in 2014, 4 bolts replaced using black iron.
- Yacht laid teak deck screwed and glued to marine plywood subdeck. She had a canvas sheathed plywood deck when built, and the current owners had the sheathing removed and 14mm teak laid over the ply in 1995.
- Varnished teak coachroof coamings with a raised dog house aft. Chromed bronze port holes and windows. Coachroof deck is painted plywood replaced in 1995. Teak decks repayed in 2021. New teak capping rail 2022.
- Large self draining cockpit with wheel steering on cables. Varnished teak cockpit thwarts and scrubbed teak gratings.
Rig
- Fractional bermudan sloop rig on a keel stepped alloy mast.
- This replacement mast has in-mast furling, fitted by the present owner in 2001 to enable him to sail single handed. The furling system makes for an easily handled mainsail even when sailing alone. The mast has been finished in a paint system carefully specified to give a pleasing traditional wood effect.
- Alloy boom, finished in a similar way to the mast.
- 8mm stainless steel standing rigging, new in 2018, to internal galvanised chain plates. New backstay 2021.
- Beamshelf reinforced with a clamp in way of the rigging
- Harken ESP 2 roller furling headsail system new in October 2018.
- Staysail boom fitted with self-tacking track but rarely used, can be sailed as a cutter with inner forestay set up. It has been found more effective to sail her as a sloop with a 100% foresail as originally designed.
- Single standing back stay. Running backstays on tackles for use when off the wind or inner forestay is being used.
- All new halyards in 2016.
- Pair of Lewmar 2 speed mast winches. 2 pairs of bronze cockpit sheet winches, primary pair are self tailing geared direct and also with 32:1 worm gear handles.
- Mainsail 2018, Jib 2015, older sails include Spinnaker, yankee 2002, storm jib, trysail and ghoster.
Machinery
- Perkins 4108 4cyl 43hp diesel installed in 1976. Fresh water cooled with a heat exchanger.
- TMP mk4 gearbox with single lever controls to a centreline fixed 3 blade bronze propeller gives 7 knots cruising speed, 9 knots max. New cutlass bearing 2021.
- 30 litre alloy fuel tank under the cockpit sole.
- 2 x 12 volt batteries for domestics and engine starting, and third battery fitted in forepeak for the windlass. All charged from engine alternator.
- 1 manual bilge pump and 2 auto electric bilge pumps.
Accommodation
- The interior had a full cosmetic refit in 2021/2022.
- 5 berths including 3 singles and a double. 6’6″ headroom in the saloon.
- Steps down from the cockpit with galley to port and chart desk to starboard. Engine is under the sole with a slightly raised box.
- Chart desk faces outboard with drawers below, all original joinery and fittings including the chromed bronze drawer catches. Large hanging locker forward of chart desk.
- Galley has a gimballed Taylors 2 burner paraffin stove with oven. Twin stainless sinks with pressurised cold water to the taps. 12 volt fridge to starboard.
- Half height bulkhead with vertical grab rail separates off the main saloon. U shaped settee berth to port around a saloon table, Single saloon settee berth to starboard, both with hinged stowage seatbacks above. Bookshelves both sides. Drinks cabinet for bottles and stowage for glasses with serving shelf above flag locker.
- Joinery in main saloon is traditional oak panelling including doors. Gimballed oil lamps on the bulkhead. Taylors Victory paraffin cabin heater.
- Starboard side passageway going forward with heads compartment to port. Jabsco manual sea toilet discharges directly overboard. Hand basin with manually pumped fresh water.
- Forward cabin with original joinery in Honduras cedar. Twin V-berths with storage beneath, and infill panel to Port to form double berth. Central anchor locker under the berths. Twin deep wardrobes with cave stowage Port and Starboard .
- Forward is a large storage locker accessed via the forehatch on deck, and lazarette stowage above counter aft of cockpit with access below helmsman’s seat.
Equipment
- Navigation
- Sestrel steering compass
- Raymarine i70s wind, log and depth instruments (2022)
- Standard Horizon DSC VHF
- Simrad autopilot
- Garmin 120 GPS
- Clock and barometer
- Radar reflector
- Safety
- Plastimo 6 man canister life raft (serviced until June 2024)
- 2 x life buoys
- Flare pack (expired)
- Danbuoy
- Throwing line
- Various fire extinguishers
- Ground Tackle
- 20kg Delta anchor with 55m of 5/16″ chain
- 15kg CQR kedge anchor with 5m chain and 30m of warp
- Quick electric windlass
- Sails
- Mainsail Sanders Sailssqft Excellent condition
- Jib Quay Sailssqft Excellent condition
- Spinnaker 400sqft Fair condition
- Yankee Gowansqft Good condition
- Storm Jib Ratseys 60sqft Fair condition
- Trysail Ratseys 170sqft Fair condition
- Ghoster Ratseys 500sqft Fair condition
- 2 x Lewmar non-self tailing 2 speed mast winches
- 2 x bronze self tailing primary cockpit sheet winches direct acting and with 32:1 worm drive handles.
- 2 x bronze non-self tailing secondary cockpit sheet winches
- Harken ESP2 roller furling headsail system (2018)
- Alloy spinnaker pole stowed on mast
- Spruce self-tacking staysail boom
- Other gear
- Warps
- Fenders
- Cockpit boom tent
- Bunk and berth cushions
- Oil cabin lamps
- Taylors Victory paraffin cabin heater
- Taylors paraffin galley stove
- Folding black ball & triangle
- Jabsco WC
- Teak cockpit table (2022)
