A yacht owner at last

[jonjo]

After 13 months and many miles travelled I am a yacht owner once more. Caol Rona is a 1973 Nicholson 38 ketch currently ashore in South Holland. She has been sitting on the brokers display stand for 1+ year and effectively abandoned for 3 years. As can be imagined I am talking a “project boat” so standby for many questions folks.

The partial wheelhouse made a road delivery problematic so I am now doing the essential jobs for a d.i.y. sea delivery.

Having never sailed east of Honfleur I am looking for some advice on a route back to the Solent. The first priority is to get to a ferry port so I can avoid the extortionate cost of taking a car across the north sea, the charge is 3 to 4 times greater than an equivalent channel crossing at this time of year.

Current plan is to take an inland route to Flushing in order to test out the engine in benign sea conditions, then across the Westerschelde to Breskens and on to Zeebrugge. After that I am hoping 4 days will get me back to the Solent during mid March.

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[Ohdrat]

Good luck and well done... now get yourself a shrink and a financial wizz kid adviser..

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[Twister_Ken]

No

>.a financial wizz kid adviser<

They're the ones that got us into this mess.

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[claymore]

Congratulations

I think the 38 is a really beautiful boat.
You mentioned the ferry crossing being expensive. I've just received some P&O North Sea Ferry blurb which is offering some really cheap crossings that you might take advantage of
Good luck with the new boat

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Claymore
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[jonjo]

Re: Congratulations

> I think the 38 is a really beautiful boat.

I find most pure yachties struggle to find diplomatic words when giving me an opinion on the new boat. For me the Nich 38 was a logical choice rather than an inspirational buy, the Ohlson 38 and Excalibur 36 look better.

There is an unfortunate brochure shot that probably lost C&N many sales, it makes the Nich 38 look like a canal barge with 2 sticks. From other angles the easily driven sailing hull shows its true form, I think of the design as a true sailing yacht that just happens to have a snug deep centre cockpit with a roof.



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[ponapay]

Fair winds

and following seas.

I have an original "Owners handbook" for the Nich 38 which I will happily copy for you if you need it (or it did not come with your boat). It explains simple matters like how to rig the mizzen staysail and gives all the useful blurb about sizes and weights etc.

Good luck with the return to UK.

I will bring my Nich 38 back to UK next year from the Baltic and am dreading the increase in berthing and other costs, but have to do so for some deep maintenance - hull and rigging.

New autopilot going in this spring after much deliberation, fitting Raytheon computer to existing motor and drive. Thanks for your help.


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[jonjo]

Re: Fair winds

Ian hello again.

> original "Owners handbook" for the Nich 38

A lot of documentation came with the boat including the original handbook and "docking plan". 30 years on some of it raises a smile e.g.

Camper's service manager will visit for an extra £5 daily travel charge and in a magazine review Bob Fisher says Fanny Cradock would be impressed with the galley.

> fitting Raytheon computer to existing motor and drive.

My Neco is no longer aboard instead there is an Autohelm 3000 belt to wheel drive but I think this unit is a little under powered.

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[Caronia]

Congratulations .. A Nicholson 38 is truly a thing of beauty. I have now owned mine for nearly six months and am surprised every day by the underlying quality of the boat.



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