Nicholson 31 Buyer's Guide
The Nicholson 31 is a Camper & Nicholson-built cruiser designed by Raymond Wall as the successor to the Nicholson 32, with roughly 120 completed. She is a serious long-distance cruiser rather than a marina daysailer, and buyers shopping the brokerage market will find a traditional, strongly built 30-foot-7-inch masthead sloop with a long keel and transom-hung rudder.
Layouts on the Used Market
Used Nicholson 31s follow the standard traditional layout: a saloon with centreline settees brought inboard for stowage, a pilot berth to port, a quarter berth aft of a bulkheaded chart table, a port galley, and a heads between saloon and fore cabin with a vee berth forward. She offers up to six berths and excellent headroom, and reviewers describe her as much more spacious below than the older 32 thanks to a foot more beam and higher freeboard. The accommodation is entirely traditional, which suits voyaging but reads dated against modern production interiors.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
On the used market, autopilots and chartplotters are commonly fitted, forming the navigation baseline most buyers will expect. Often-seen upgrades include solar power, bow thrusters, hot water, AIS, and life rafts — clusters that speak to energy independence, close-quarters handling, and offshore readiness rather than cosmetic add-ons. A Hydrovane self-steering gear was a factory option and many boats carry such gear, a point worth checking on any serious cruiser candidate.
What to Inspect
The Nicholson 31 is built with balsa-cored decks and coachroof over hand-laid GRP, so any survey should look closely for moisture that can develop where fastenings or fittings penetrate. The interior is largely moulded modules bonded to the hull allied to stringers and frames, and Yachtsnet noted the quality of mouldings and fit out was to an exceptionally high standard, so compare any candidate against that benchmark. The 65-gallon water tank is part of the keel moulding and the fuel tank of 17 gallons lies under the cockpit sole, placing these out of easy view and worth pressure-testing for integrity.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Typical markets for the Nicholson 31 include the United States, Netherlands, Ireland, United Kingdom, Greece, and Australia. For a buyer, the shortlist is: confirm balsa-cored deck and coachroof condition; verify keel-moulded water tank and under-sole fuel tank integrity; check for self-steering gear and offshore equipment such as AIS and life raft; assess traditional accommodation against your liveaboard needs; and budget for modest light-air sail performance given her underrigged sail plan.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Nicholson 31. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 5 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 25 | 1 | $9,500 | — |
| Sep 25 | 2 | $31,417 | +230.7% |
| Jan 26 | 3 | $28,437 | -9.5% |
| Feb 26 | 1 | $27,766 | -2.4% |
| Jun 26 | 2 | $35,444 | +27.7% |
Where they're listed
Nicholson 31 listings appear across 6 countries. United Kingdom has the most listings with 2 (22.2%), followed by Ireland and Netherlands.
Country view
9 listings · 6 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $31,286 | 2 | 1 | 22.2% |
| Ireland | $28,344 | 2 | 0 | 22.2% |
| Netherlands | $30,415 | 2 | 0 | 22.2% |
| Australia | $27,608 | 1 | 0 | 11.1% |
| Greece | $38,756 | 1 | 1 | 11.1% |
| United States | $9,500 | 1 | 0 | 11.1% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
6 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nicholson 32 | 32' | $ 14,912 | 24 | 5 |
| Westerly Berwick 31 | 31' | $ 12,853 | 20 | 6 |
| Rustler 31 | 31.42' | $ 17,588 | 14 | 0 |
| Nicholson Nicholson 35 | 35.25' | $ 41,441 | 10 | 3 |
| Nicholson 31You are here | — | $ 28,923 | 9 | 2 |
| Nicholson 35-1 | 35.25' | $ 37,881 | 9 | 2 |