Its defining feature is the unstayed cat rig: no headsail, no running backstays, and no foredeck dance. At 26 feet overall, with a 10 foot 6 inch beam, the Nonsuch 26 is a beamy, moderately heavy little cruiser. It displaces 8,500 lbs and carries 2,750 lbs of ballast.
Design and Construction
Hinterhoeller began building the class in 1981. The 26 was an early member of Mark Ellis’s nine-model Nonsuch lineage, which began with the Nonsuch 30 in 1978.
Both the hull and deck use balsa-cored laminate construction. This sandwich technique keeps weight down while preserving panel stiffness. The boat has a 24 foot 4 inch waterline.
The standard keel is a 4 foot 6 inch fin, while a 3 foot 9 inch shallow-draft option was also available. It is paired with a large freestanding rudder that test sailors found easy to control in close quarters.
The masthead stands 49 feet above the waterline, and the rig carries 420 square feet of sail. The mast is stepped right in the bow, forward of the accommodation and separated from it by a bulkhead, so it doesn’t intrude into the cabin.
Rig and Handling
There’s no headsail to tack and no sheets crossing the cockpit. That makes the Nonsuch 26 unusually forgiving for a crew of non-sailors and simple to singlehand.
Despite the unconventional rig, the sail runs on a track like an ordinary mainsail; the Nonsuch doesn’t use a sleeve sail. A wishbone boom is positioned by adjusting control lines rather than by wrestling with the end of a conventional boom. Owners report that lazy jacks hold the mainsail, allowing them to stow it without leaving the cockpit.
The freestanding mast absorbs gusts more than a traditional stayed rig, softening heel. Canadian Boating’s testers tacked easily within 80 degrees. The boat does require a different approach from a sloop when sailing to weather, but the learning curve lies in sail trim rather than muscle.
Accommodations
With the mast forward of the cabin, the Nonsuch 26 doesn’t have to devote the bow to a dark, cramped V-berth. Instead, a light panel slides up and locks into place, closing off the forward cabin from the aft end for sleeping.
The head is unusually large for a 26-foot boat. It sits at the widest part of the beam, where it benefits from maximum headroom, and is positioned opposite the galley. The head allows an optional pressurized hot-water system.
Two 30-gallon water tanks provide 60 gallons in total—a generous allowance for a boat of this size and an indication that the layout was intended for real cruising rather than daysailing.
Models and Ownership Notes
The Nonsuch 26 was offered with two generations of interior, known as the Classic and Ultra. Writing in Sailing for the Gentle Sailor, one longtime owner described a 1988 Nonsuch 26 Ultra named Sailavee. The boat was purchased out of Niagara-on-the-Lake, coincidentally Hinterhoeller’s former home. The owner noted that the Ultra matched a CS 30’s general scale and use, apart from lacking the aft berth.
During Canadian Boating’s time aboard, a propane heater was fired up, reflecting the boat’s cold-weather Lake Ontario brief.
The Verdict
The Nonsuch 26 is a purpose-built cruising catboat that trades the athleticism of a sloop for simplicity and a genuinely roomy interior within a 26-foot footprint. Its unstayed rig and uncluttered cockpit make it a rare boat that non-sailors can handle, while the beamy hull and balsa-cored construction provide more living space than its length might suggest.
The shallow-draft option, large rudder, and easy tacking help make the boat manageable in confined water. Going upwind, however, the cat rig demands its own sense of trim.
Pros
- Unstayed cat rig with no headsail or sheets crossing the cockpit; easily singlehanded
- Forward mast and bulkhead leave the bow available for a bright, panel-enclosed sleeping space
- Oversized head at the widest part of the beam, with optional hot water
- Two 30-gallon tanks provide 60 gallons of water capacity
- Balsa-cored hull and deck construction
- Shallow-draft option and easy 80-degree tacking
Cons
- The cat rig handles differently to weather than a sloop and presents a distinct learning curve
- Only 103 had been built by the time Canadian Boating surveyed the design
- The Ultra generation lacks the aft berth found in comparable sloops
