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1962 — 1981
Designer
Charles A. Nicholson
Builders
Halmatic Ltd.
Camper & Nicholson
Association
Nicholson 32 Association
# Built
369
Hull
Monohull
Keel
Long
Rudder
?
Construction
FG

Dimensions

Length Overall
31 11 / 9.8 m
Waterline Length
24 0 / 7.3 m
Beam
9 3 / 2.8 m
Draft
5 6 / 1.7 m
Displacement
12,200 lb / 5,534 kg
Ballast
6,800 lb / 3,084 kg
Drawing of Nicholson 32

Rig and Sails

Type
Sloop
Reported Sail Area
470′² / 43.7 m²
Total Sail Area
470′² / 43.6 m²
Mainsail
Sail Area
228′² / 21.2 m²
P
33 1 / 10.1 m
E
13 9 / 4.2 m
Air Draft
?
Foresail
Sail Area
241′² / 22.4 m²
I
38 3 / 11.7 m
J
12 7 / 3.8 m
Forestay Length
40 3 / 12.3 m

Auxilary Power

Make
Watermota
Model
Panther
HP
?
Fuel Type
Diesel
Fuel Capacity
20 gal / 76 l

Accomodations

Water Capacity
53 gal / 201 l
Holding Tank Capacity
?
Headroom
?
Cabins
?

Calculations

Hull Speed
6.3 kn
Classic: 6.57 kn

Hull Speed

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Formula

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

A more accurate formula devised by Dave Gerr in The Propeller Handbook replaces the Speed/Length ratio constant of 1.34 with a calculation based on the Displacement/Length ratio.

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio.311
Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

6.31 knots
Classic formula: 6.57 knots
Sail Area/Displacement
14.2
<16: under powered

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

Formula

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64)2/3

  • SA: Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
  • D: Displacement in pounds.
14.19
<16: under powered
16-20: good performance
>20: high performance
Ballast/Displacement
55.7
>40: stiffer, more powerful

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Formula

Ballast / Displacement * 100

55.73
<40: less stiff, less powerful
>40: stiffer, more powerful
Displacement/Length
393.2
>350: ultraheavy

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

Formula

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

  • D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
  • LWL: Waterline length in feet
393.22
<100: ultralight
100-200: light
200-300: moderate
300-400: heavy
>400: very heavy
Comfort Ratio
36.6
30-40: moderate bluewater cruising boat

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Formula

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam1.33)

  • D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
  • LWL: Waterline length in feet
  • LOA: Length overall in feet
  • Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet
36.62
<20: lightweight racing boat
20-30: coastal cruiser
30-40: moderate bluewater cruising boat
40-50: heavy bluewater boat
>50: extremely heavy bluewater boat
Capsize Screening
1.6
<2.0: better suited for ocean passages

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

Formula

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

  • Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet
  • D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
1.61
<2: better suited for ocean passages
>2: better suited for coastal cruising

Notes

One of the most successful yachts built by Camper & Nicholson. Hulls were molded by Halmatic, at the time, sister company under the same corporate umbrella. A number of changes were made to the design during it’s nearly 20 year production run. Beginning around 1968, a number of boats were built under license by Rudder Yachts of Australia. Some of the later boats were sold directly from Halmatic.

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Measurements:

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