Nicholson 44 Buyer's Guide
The Nicholson 44 is a low-production offshore cruiser from the mid-1970s, designed by Camper & Nicholson and built by Camper & Nicholson Ltd. in solid fiberglass with a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder. With only a few completed, any used Nicholson 44 is a scarce find, and the buyer is effectively evaluating a rare heavy cruiser rather than a familiar production name. The 43.25-foot hull carries 22,400 pounds of displacement on a 12.17-foot beam, and the loaded draft runs from about 5.51 to 5.81 feet depending on what she is carrying.
What to Inspect
The available material on the Nicholson 44 is thin on defects, but the design's own numbers dictate where a careful survey should focus. The immersion rate of about 1,237 pounds per inch and the 387-square-foot wetted surface mean the hull carries load deeply and the bottom must be sound and fair; a surveyor should sound the solid fiberglass hull for delamination or osmotic softening, since a heavy cruiser with compromised laminate loses her core selling point. The fin keel and skeg-hung rudder are period structures — inspect the keel sump and rudderpost skeg union for stress cracking or water ingress, as these are the loaded joints on a 22,400-pound boat. The masthead rig's sheets run long (mainsheet about 108 feet, genoa sheet about 43 feet at 5/8 inch), so check winches, blocks, and deck leads for wear consistent with that line length and the SA/D of 18.06, which implies steady, sustained trimming loads rather than occasional snaps. Confirm the lead ballast is intact and the skeg-hung rudder turns freely without play at the post.
Buyer's Takeaway
- Survey the solid hull laminate for delamination or osmosis given the heavy immersion rate
- Inspect fin keel sump and skeg-hung rudderpost for cracking or water entry
- Check long masthead sheet runs and winches for wear at 5/8-inch diameters
- Confirm lead ballast integrity and 5.5-foot draft behavior under load
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
3 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swan 44 | 44' | $ 172,080 | 23 | 6 |
| Nicholson Nicholson 35 | 35.25' | $ 41,437 | 10 | 2 |
| Nicholson 35-1 | 35.25' | $ 37,874 | 9 | 2 |