Nicholson 42 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a used Nicholson 42 means chasing a scarce mid-seventies Camper & Nicholson design with only a few examples afloat. Built by the British yard as a fibreglass hull with lead fin keel and masthead rig, the boat presents as an ultra heavy cruiser by specification rather than a voluminous production cruiser, and any purchase decision rests on the individual boat's condition rather than a deep class knowledge base.
Layouts on the Used Market
The sourced material does not document the interior plan of the Nicholson 42, so no fixed layout variation can be confirmed across used examples. What is established is the external envelope: a 41.83-foot length overall, 12.17-foot beam, and 22,400-pound displacement with 8,818 pounds of lead ballast. Those dimensions frame whatever accommodation a given boat carries, and buyers should inspect each vessel individually rather than expect a standardised layout across the small built cohort.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
On the used market, used Nicholson 42s often carry an inverter, hot water, autopilot, and a life raft as fitted equipment. These appear with regularity among available boats but are not universal, and the record notes no other equipment tier as commonly fitted. The rig itself specifies 14 mm sheet diameters across jib, genoa, mainsheet, and spinnaker sheets, with the mainsheet estimated at 31.9 metres and the spinnaker sheet at 28.1 metres — useful to verify when assessing running rigging replacement status on a particular boat.
What to Inspect
No documented structural defects or known issues are recorded for the Nicholson 42 in the authoritative material, so there is no verified failure mode to target during survey. The wetted surface of about 36 square metres (387 square feet) and the fibreglass hull with lead keel are flat facts of construction rather than flagged concerns. A buyer should still commission a standard marine survey, but the model carries no documented caution in the sources consulted.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Typical markets for the Nicholson 42 are the United States, France, and Italy. Given the few boats built, patience is required to locate a candidate, and the low production means class-wide guidance is thin.
- Confirm the 14 mm sheet diameters and estimated lengths on the masthead rig before negotiating
- Verify the lead fin keel and fibreglass hull condition through survey
- Expect often-seen equipment: inverter, hot water, autopilot, life raft — but treat absence as possible
- Search the United States, France, and Italy as the typical available regions
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Nicholson 42. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 4 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 26 | 1 | $ 64,010 | — |
| Apr 26 | 2 | $ 25,000 | -60.9% |
| May 26 | 1 | $ 30,000 | +20.0% |
| Jun 26 | 1 | $ 30,000 | 0.0% |
Where they're listed
Nicholson 42 listings appear across 2 countries. United States has the most listings with 4 (80.0%), followed by France.
Country view
5 listings · 2 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $ 30,000 | 4 | 4 | 80.0% |
| France | $ 64,010 | 1 | 0 | 20.0% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pilothouse 42 | 42.65' | $ 263,118 | 21 | 2 |
| Whitby Yachts 42 | 42' | $ 65,000 | 19 | 4 |
| Moody 42 | 41.79' | $ 64,410 | 14 | 2 |
| Nicholson Nicholson 35 | 35.25' | $ 41,329 | 10 | 3 |
| Rustler 42 | 42' | $ 470,042 | 8 | 1 |
| Camper & Nicholsons 42You are here | — | $ 30,000 | 5 | 4 |