The period record presents a deliberately plain offshore cruiser: almost austere on deck, quietly thoughtful below, and engineered more for seakeeping than speed.
Design and Construction
The solid-fiberglass hull has a moderate fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder. This configuration provides reasonable light-air performance despite a modest sailplan.
Lead ballast is dropped into a molded keel cavity and heavily glassed over, concentrating the weight low. The resulting ballast-displacement ratio of 42% makes the boat reasonably stiff by any measure. Some hulls, though not all, were built under Lloyds survey. Nicholsons also used isophthalic polyester resin for the gelcoat.
The shroud chainplates are heavy stainless-steel “hairpins,” bolted just inboard of the low bulwarks where the beam shelf would be in a wooden hull. Lloyds approved the installation. Under sail, the low bulwarks provide an enormous sense of security, while wide side decks and a grab rail on each side of the cabin trunk help the crew move forward.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The simple masthead-sloop rig has double lower shrouds and single airfoil spreaders. Its tapered, anodized Proctor spar is foamed inside to deaden sound. Working sail area is divided almost evenly between the foretriangle and mainsail.
Early boats had roller-reefing booms; later ones adopted slab reefing. Halyard winches are mounted on the mast, and most early examples had winches adequate for hoisting sails but too small to make masthead access easy. Standard jibsheet winches are Lewmar 40s or 43s.
The mainsheet traveler crosses the cockpit just forward of the wheel, so crew must step over it to reach the seats. With a PHRF rating of about 156, the Nicholson is some six seconds per mile slower than an Ericson 35-2 but roughly 20 seconds quicker than some contemporaries. That places it firmly among steady cruisers rather than racers.
Cockpit and Deck
The cockpit is deep and voluminous, offering excellent protection from seas and spray. Its seats, however, are short, with a high vertical coaming that limits comfort.
A molded-in dodger coaming is a standout feature, similar to those found on S&S-designed American boats such as the Tartan 37. The companionway hatch slides on Tufnol runners, and a bridgedeck protects the opening. However, the high coamings could allow the cockpit to fill nearly to the top of the hatch in a severe pooping. Later boats added flapper-protected transom pipe scuppers alongside the large cockpit scuppers.
Exterior wood is kept to a minimum: a teak caprail, grab rails, and plywood cockpit seats. Teak decks were an uncommon option. The molded non-skid is only so-so.
Accommodations
Below, the Nicholson 35-2 has the interior of a serious cruising boat. Lee cloths were standard on every berth, an unusual provision even aboard American boats sold as offshore-capable. Headroom exceeds six feet throughout, and the long main-cabin windows keep the interior bright.
The forward cabin has V-berths with unusual foot room because they don’t taper to a point. Ventilation is poor, however, and many boats have a vertical chain pipe between the berths that limits conversion to a double.
A full-width head separates the forward cabin from the saloon. To starboard is a U-shaped dinette with a permanent drop-leaf table. Early boats used austere-looking white melamine bulkheads, while later boats gained teak veneer. Later tables stand on a heavy tubular-aluminum base bolted to the sole. Many boats had the original straight settee and outboard pilot berth removed to provide wider stowage.
The galley includes a small sink, a five-cubic-foot icebox outboard of it, and a standard gimbaled two-burner Flavel propane stove with an oven. The 10-pound propane supply is meager.
At the port aft quarter, the navigation station came in two layouts. The aft-facing version uses the dinette, deletes the quarterberth in favor of an additional locker, and adds a raised watch seat beside the companionway. The forward-facing arrangement uses the quarterberth.
Engine and Systems
Every Nicholson 35-2 has a diesel engine. Early boats used either a Perkins or Westerbeke 4-107. These installations are recognizable by a propeller shaft that exits the aft end of the keel and is driven through a hydraulic unit rather than a gearbox. The engine faces aft beneath the bridgedeck, with the pump on its back and the hydraulic motor in the bilge aft of the main cabin.
Later boats received a smaller Westerbeke L-25 or marinized Volkswagen Rabbit. These engines were mounted farther aft and connected to a conventional exposed shaft and strut through a V-drive. Access is poor with either arrangement, although V-drive boats with a quarterberth provide front access through the berth.
The diesel tank is a fiberglass molding glassed into the hull after layup. Capacity ranges from 33 to 40 gallons. Early boats carried two 90 amp-hour batteries; later boats were upgraded to two 128 amp-hour batteries and a 60-amp alternator.
A molded water tank beneath the main-cabin sole holds about 70 gallons and vents inside the hull. On early boats, it had to be filled from inside because there was no deck fill.
The Verdict
The Nicholson 35-2 is a thoughtfully engineered medium-displacement cruiser. Its principal strengths are conservative construction, good seakeeping, and an interior genuinely planned for offshore sailing. Its weaknesses center on poor engine access, awkward cockpit ergonomics, and some early systems that a buyer should budget to update.
Pros
- Stiff configuration with lead ballast concentrated low, a 42% ballast-displacement ratio, and a Lloyds-approved chainplate installation
- Deep, protective cockpit with a molded dodger coaming and effective scuppering
- Lee cloths on every berth, more than six feet of headroom, and a bright main cabin
- A choice of early hydraulic-drive or later V-drive diesel installations, both with adequate tankage for coastal cruising
Cons
- Poor engine access in every configuration
- Short, uncomfortable cockpit seats with high coamings
- Poor ventilation in the forward cabin
- Inside-only water filling on early boats
- Meager 10-pound propane supply and a small galley sink
