Camper & Nicholson 42

[sailorjg]

Hi Janna
Thanks for the link. I hadn't seen this one listed.

[sailorjg]

Thanks to all that contributed to this mini-forum. I have just received confirmation that my offer has been accepted on the Camper & Nicholson 42. We are going to San Diego in early December to see it and get it surveyed. If all goes well we'll be plying the waters of the Pacific in the New Year in Gigi (to be renamed to her original moniker - Gosling)
Cheers, J-G

[Celestialsailor]

You asked about the Morgan Out Island 41. A delivery friend of mine from Santa Cruz.Ca. sailed them a few times and nick named them Morgan Outhouse 41. He was not impressed with the way they sailed or lack of.

[saint]

Hello, Just got a C. Nicholson 44 CC 1977 I heard that the 44 is the same as the 42 litlle biger , but they handle the same. Is my first sail boat so I have some to catch up

Originally Posted by sailorjg

I am looking for information on the sailing characteristics of a Camper & Nicholson 42.
Thanks.

[sailorjg]

I can give you quite a bit of info when I can get to a dependable e-mail site. I am vacationing in Puerto Vallarta at the moment and using a hotel e-mail connection.
I did buy the 42 and will be going to pick her up in San Diego in mid-Feb. I have a super source of info in the UK on all C&N boats but it is on my laptop.
I´ll contact you again soon. J-G

[saint]

hello, congrats ! you got the 42 that would be great if you can share some info , maybe they have the same equip. Have a great vacation and hope to hear from you soon.
saint

Originally Posted by sailorjg

I can give you quite a bit of info when I can get to a dependable e-mail site. I am vacationing in Puerto Vallarta at the moment and using a hotel e-mail connection.
I did buy the 42 and will be going to pick her up in San Diego in mid-Feb. I have a super source of info in the UK on all C&N boats but it is on my laptop.
I´ll contact you again soon. J-G

[sailorjg]

Hi
Are you still looking for info on your C&N 44? We have sailed our 42 from San Diegeo to Guaymas, Mexico where she is on the hard now until November when we will start another season of cruising.
Needless to say I have now had lots of time to get into the nitty gritty of the boat so I am in a better position to discuss.
Let me know.
Cheers, Sailorjg
SV Gosling

Originally Posted by saint

hello, congrats ! you got the 42 that would be great if you can share some info , maybe they have the same equip. Have a great vacation and hope to hear from you soon.
saint

[sailorjg]

Hi carl
Just reading back on this site and thought to give you an update. We bought the 42 and have sailed it from San Diego to Mexico where we have just completed putting her on the hard for the summer. We'll be back cruising in late November.
We are very pleased with her so far and have found some very interesting sources of information including an archivist at Camper and Nicholsons that has a file on all C&N boats, including ours. She also has the "battleship" qualities of her sister designs.
I met a chap from Plymouth who was buying a boat in San Diego to ship back to the UK. In discussions the RN boat "Sabre" came up. I had sailed in company with her in a tall ships event in 1984. I didn't realize that she was a C&N 48.
Cheers, J-G

Originally Posted by CARL

The 32 35 and 40 are little battle ships the royal navy use or did use 48 s as training yachts I personaly prefer aft cockpit so have not paid to much attention to the 42 you mentioned.A friend with whome i sail with has his 35 in Porta Santos waiting to cross the pond they are exellent boats, as for the dreaded OS sure some will have it , as with most yachts, but its really not the problem a lot of people still believe it is .Which ever you chose if you do you wont go far wrong ,good hunting Carl.

[theavi]

Originally Posted by sailorjg

Hi carl
Just reading back on this site and thought to give you an update. We bought the 42 and have sailed it from San Diego to Mexico where we have just completed putting her on the hard for the summer. We'll be back cruising in late November.
We are very pleased with her so far and have found some very interesting sources of information including an archivist at Camper and Nicholsons that has a file on all C&N boats, including ours. She also has the "battleship" qualities of her sister designs.
I met a chap from Plymouth who was buying a boat in San Diego to ship back to the UK. In discussions the RN boat "Sabre" came up. I had sailed in company with her in a tall ships event in 1984. I didn't realize that she was a C&N 48.
Cheers, J-G

Could you share your knowledge about the Nicholson 42 Ketch? I am looking at one online and I am curious how they perform and just how your general experience with the boat was.
Thank you very much!

[sailorjg]

Absolutely, but there is too much to pass on using this forum.contact me at jgnadeau@hotmail.com and I'll fill you in on my experience with the 42.

[NevilleCat]

Originally Posted by sailorjg

Absolutely, but there is too much to pass on using this forum.contact me at jgnadeau@hotmail.com and I'll fill you in on my experience with the 42.

Ha!
That's great. 12 years later and you're still here and still have the boat!
I assume it's so good you wouldn't sell it. (rather than; so bad you are still trying to sell it?)

[sailorjg]

Actually,we sold her in 2015 after 8 wonderful years of cruising in her. It was one of the hardest things I ever did. That old saying of the best days in a sailor's life is the buying and selling did not apply on the selling day. Iam still in contact with the new owner and follow his adventures.
We wrote a blog for all those years. Google Flights of theGosling if you need some bed-time reading.

[Lucas1983]

how do you like your camper nicholson?

[sailorjg]

Absolutely loved it. Best boat we ever had. If you are looking at one let me know. I can give you lots of info. I see that you are here in BC. I doubt there are any 42's close. I am in Victoria.

[barnakiel]

I helped replace cutlas bearing then we sailed out and back to test the job done. Not more than maybe 5 miles out then back in. Rough open water (Canary Islands).



I love how she is built (very very beafy materials) BUT I hated how she sailed (for the size) - very long deck over very short waterline, errrr .... not my preference. It was as if I were on a 42 footer that behaved like a 25 footer, of sorts.



Another shortcoming - she reacted to steering quite indifferently. I wondered if because of bad linkage (bad wires? too thin?) or maybe too small rudder? Or maybe because the rudder is fully unbalanced (barn door?). Or perhaps she has too much volume forward? I have only ever experienced this behaviour on this boat and on some H&P boats.



This would not then be my choice for extended offshore sailing. BUT otherwise I loved that boat - pretty, easy to board, safe cockpit and pretty if tight interior.


I have also sailed another Nicholson (actually two, 32 and 35) and while 32 was about average, the 35 model was an absolute stunner, with great layout down below, finish on par with other Nicholsons and she sailed 'as if on rails'. Then again 35 was tiller boat hence there is no fair comparison of the two.


Would I buy one for what we do? Hell, no.


Would I buy one for less offshore kinds of sailing, errr - ;-) if I only had that kind of money.


barnakiel