Camper & Nicholsons Nicholson 35 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used brokerage market for a Nicholson 35 means considering a Camper & Nicholson cruiser built in meaningful numbers through the early 1980s, most originally sold in England but well represented abroad. She is a long-fin-keeled heavy-displacement yacht whose steadfast behavior in adverse seas is her calling card, and the example you view will reflect one of several equipment and layout generations.
Layouts on the Used Market
Two principal interior navigational layouts appear: an aft-facing nav station that deletes the quarterberth for an extra cockpit locker and adds a raised companionway watch seat, and a forward-facing station using the quarterberth. Later boats more often offer that quarterberth, useful on passage but typically pressed into stowage. The forward cabin is not large, while the saloon is roomier but requires nightly berth-making. A full-width head sits aft of the forecabin, and the galley is of workable size with a small sink and a five-cubic-foot icebox often converted to separate fridge and freezer. Headroom is generous throughout.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Commonly fitted gear on offered boats includes radar, chartplotter, cabin heating, autopilot, and life raft. A spinnaker is often seen. Less common owner upgrades range from inverter and wind generator to electric winches, dodger, teak decks, and AIS. For the buyer, the robust original deck gear—winches, tracks, and cars—means low recurring maintenance, but the early reverse-mount engine with hydraulic drive is the weak point: spares grow scarce, so a later V-drive example with conventional shaft is preferable. Battery banks grew on later boats to 128 Ah each with a 60-amp alternator, relevant if you value independent power.
What to Inspect
The early hydraulic-drive installation and its reverse-mount engine are increasingly difficult to source parts for, and the prop at the keel's aft end makes maneuvering at close quarters hard, particularly astern anchor. Engine access is poor in either layout, though V-drive boats with a quarterberth allow front access through the berth. Check the forward cabin's weak ventilation and the low-profile Tannoy hatch ventilator's limited airflow. Later transom pipe scuppers with flappers are a flooding-mitigation plus; early boats lack deck water fills and rely on inside filling of the molded tank.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These yachts typically appear in the United Kingdom, United States, Netherlands, Poland, and Australia. For a buyer, the short checklist is: prefer a later V-drive over early hydraulic for spares peace of mind; confirm quarterberth layout matches your stowage versus locker needs; inspect chainplate bonding and cockpit drainage; and treat teak decks as a rare optional upgrade rather than standard.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Camper & Nicholsons Nicholson 35. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 8 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 25 | 2 | $28,000 | — |
| Aug 25 | 1 | $45,000 | +60.7% |
| Dec 25 | 1 | $33,979 | -24.5% |
| Jan 26 | 2 | $59,524 | +75.2% |
| Apr 26 | 3 | $33,979 | -42.9% |
| May 26 | 2 | $78,967 | +132.4% |
| Jun 26 | 1 | $18,356 | -76.8% |
| Aug 26 | 1 | $40,794 | +122.2% |
Where they're listed
Camper & Nicholsons Nicholson 35 listings appear across 5 countries. United Kingdom has the most listings with 6 (60.0%), followed by Australia and France.
Country view
10 listings · 5 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $33,979 | 6 | 1 | 60.0% |
| Australia | $63,915 | 1 | 0 | 10.0% |
| France | $40,794 | 1 | 1 | 10.0% |
| Netherlands | $55,134 | 1 | 0 | 10.0% |
| Poland | $54,665 | 1 | 0 | 10.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
8 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dufour 35 | 35.25' | $ 30,000 | 26 | 1 |
| Nicholson 32 | 32' | $ 14,963 | 24 | 2 |
| Tradewind 35 | 35.01' | $ 61,179 | 21 | 3 |
| Nauticat 35 | 34.92' | $ 105,265 | 18 | 2 |
| Nicholson 36 | 36.25' | $ 29,000 | 16 | 1 |
| Hinterhoeller Niagara 35 | 35' | $ 25,000 | 14 | 4 |
| Nicholson Nicholson 35You are here | — | $ 39,429 | 10 | 2 |
| Nicholson 35-1 | 35.25' | $ 41,131 | 10 | 3 |