NDC
New Member
We are trying to locate the remaining Nicholson 26's not on the register. If you own a Nic 26 please send a PM to NDC with contact details.
Nicholson 26 Owners Ass
- Thread starter NDC
- Start date
Windjoy
New Member
I didn’t think there was a register. Are you sure there is a Nic 26 Association? I’ll join if there is!
Topcat47
Well-Known Member
No, there isn't one. We tried to get something going but I think I managed to get about twelve owners to respond. Many of them have disposed of their craft in the meantime. PM Me if you have any questions about them, I've owned Snark for over 20 years and have a bit of experience keeping it going.
niallw70
Active Member
Hi, yes, I've owned Ceana (original full name "Ceana of Clyde") for 11 years now. We bought her from a guy living in Skye, we sailed for 3 years on the West Coast, then my wife fell pregnant, the boat hasn't been in the water since, but I'm now planning to get afloat this season.
She has needed a lot of work to get her up to scratch, engine rebuilt, running rigging replaced. I still waiting on some nice weather to paint, varnish etc. The reason I'm replying now to your request about Nic 26 owners, I was online searching for a method to repair/ replace my leaky foredeck hatch. It's meant to be screwed onto hinges at the foremost edge, but even predrilling screwholes into the hatch moulding, I can tell it would crack upon first use if not when I try to screw into it. Looking at pictures of other Nic26's on the web, mine does seem to be an original design. With advances of modern materials, is there not a better, lighter, more robust, alternative to this very heavy moulding?
I did try to register as a Nicolson 26 owner back in 2010, but I can't even remember if I even got any acknowledgment of my initial inquiry. Even so I certainly haven't received anything from this association over the years since. Btw I didn't see an option to PM, otherwise I would have given you my contact number/email.
Topcat47
Well-Known Member
The OEM fore hatch is a problem, I have one too. On the underside of the hatch is a groove which corresponds to the lip on the coaming. This is filled with rubber strip. I get mine from Technix in Botley, near Southampton, just down the road from me. They're a helpful bunch. It has double sided adhesive tape on one side. I buy the 1" stuff by the roll as it's useful for cockpit sealing and under the washboard of the main hatch. I have had to cut about 1/16" off the width to do the fore hatch. The screws for the hinges are always working loose. it's not helped by the hatch folding back on itself and balancing on the hinges and the dorade box. Some owners replace this with a modern flat dorade. I've drilled out the holes in both the hatch and the coaming and epoxied teak plugs into the hole to get a better purchase on the screws but you need to be prepared to do this every two or three years if you do. I had no success filling with epoxy putty when I tried that.
The hinges themselves are also problematic but I've not found suitable replacements so sometimes you have to take them off and straighten them in a vice. There are more difficult jobs on the boat. so it's not a huge problem. Fitting a modern Lewmar hatch or similar involves fitting a wooden frame around the existing coaming. "Pinkaloo" had that modification when I last saw her but sh's changed hands at least once since then and I've lost track of her so have no way of finding out how successful that was.
If you click on my icon on the left, you should get the opportunity to send a PM. I'll endeavour to answer any queries you have and swap e-mails/phone numbers using that medium. This is an open Forum and not the best place to do that.
The hinges themselves are also problematic but I've not found suitable replacements so sometimes you have to take them off and straighten them in a vice. There are more difficult jobs on the boat. so it's not a huge problem. Fitting a modern Lewmar hatch or similar involves fitting a wooden frame around the existing coaming. "Pinkaloo" had that modification when I last saw her but sh's changed hands at least once since then and I've lost track of her so have no way of finding out how successful that was.
If you click on my icon on the left, you should get the opportunity to send a PM. I'll endeavour to answer any queries you have and swap e-mails/phone numbers using that medium. This is an open Forum and not the best place to do that.
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Topcat47
Well-Known Member
BTW I notice that PMs are currently listed as "conversations" hope this helps you.
sunyata
New Member
Hi to any Nicholson 26 owners on here. I just bought a Nic 26 by the name of Hesione from Falmouth. She had been gathering lichen and sea life for a while, but after a good clean up most of the boat looks to be in great condition. Biggest problems are a Sabb with a cracked head and the genoa tracks have gone all wobbly.
aslabend
Well-Known Member
Hi Sunyata - I've got Siri who was originally registered in Falmouth but now resides in Portsmouth.
She originally came with a Sabb but I took it out and sold it to a Cornish fisherman so not much advice I can give on that (I much prefer the beta she has now)
The wobbly genoa tracks might be a sign that salt water has got into and corroded the aluminium strip embedded in the side-deck. The residue swells and can heave the deck up.
I did one side last winter as one area had got particularly bad but a little bit of unevenness is not a problem for me but I'll probably pull the other track and reseal next winter.
Good luck Hesione , hopefully someone knowledgeable will be along in a min to help you with the cracked Sabb head
She originally came with a Sabb but I took it out and sold it to a Cornish fisherman so not much advice I can give on that (I much prefer the beta she has now)
The wobbly genoa tracks might be a sign that salt water has got into and corroded the aluminium strip embedded in the side-deck. The residue swells and can heave the deck up.
I did one side last winter as one area had got particularly bad but a little bit of unevenness is not a problem for me but I'll probably pull the other track and reseal next winter.
Good luck Hesione , hopefully someone knowledgeable will be along in a min to help you with the cracked Sabb head
Porthandbuoy
Well-Known Member
I owned Ladybird of Rhu for 12 years before selling her last year. Some details of her here
niallw70
Active Member
Hi Aslabend, like Hesione the area of deck along genoa track has swollen with some bumps. However the actual track seems solid. In my ownership I think there has always been some swelling. I'm not sure if it's got much worse during this time, but it has made me wonder about the cause and if its something I need to be concerned with.Hi Sunyata - I've got Siri who was originally registered in Falmouth but now resides in Portsmouth.
She originally came with a Sabb but I took it out and sold it to a Cornish fisherman so not much advice I can give on that (I much prefer the beta she has now)
The wobbly genoa tracks might be a sign that salt water has got into and corroded the aluminium strip embedded in the side-deck. The residue swells and can heave the deck up.
I did one side last winter as one area had got particularly bad but a little bit of unevenness is not a problem for me but I'll probably pull the other track and reseal next winter.
Good luck Hesione , hopefully someone knowledgeable will be along in a min to help you with the cracked Sabb head
Porthandbuoy
Well-Known Member
Ladybird’s genoa tracks were always a bit uneven, but solid. I put it down to over enthusiastic tightening up of the bolts sometime in the past. There were never any drips.
niallw70
Active Member
Ok I think mine are fine, but something else to keep an eye on to spot problem early.
Caranova_of_Dale
New Member
Hi, I bought a Nicholson 26 last year called Caranova, I kept her in Lawrenny, Pembrokeshire last year, here's a photo of her, I've replaced the standing rigging and engine (the old wasn't even old but was ruined) with a new Beta, lots more jobs to do but she sails very nicely. I sailed to Skomer island, south haven this weekend and anchored overnight amongst the puffins and guillemots, it was magical. I do get a lot of rainwater coming through under the engine, I have sealed where I think its coming from but its still a problem, any thoughts?
niallw70
Active Member
Hi Caranova, your leak could be from several different sources, in no particular order, check following cockpit hatch, stern gland, impeller housing. Water/coolant pipe connections on the engine between hull fitting, water strainer, thermostat and exhaust elbow.
The cockpit hatch is probably the trickiest part to seal. After 10 years of ownership, I've resigned myself to just bailing out the water that collects under the engine. If your stern gland and other possible sources have been eliminated then this should be freshwater from that which collects in the cockpit. I've tried various rubber and foam strips glued down on the lip of my hatch, I've reduced maybe by half the amount of water leaking through the hatch. If other members have better suggestions, I'd be keen to hear of them.
The cockpit hatch is probably the trickiest part to seal. After 10 years of ownership, I've resigned myself to just bailing out the water that collects under the engine. If your stern gland and other possible sources have been eliminated then this should be freshwater from that which collects in the cockpit. I've tried various rubber and foam strips glued down on the lip of my hatch, I've reduced maybe by half the amount of water leaking through the hatch. If other members have better suggestions, I'd be keen to hear of them.
Caranova_of_Dale
New Member
Thanks niallw70, there's some good suggestions to follow up on, I'm pretty sure its not the stern gland or impeller housing but the others could be involved, it is only when it rains, and it rains a lot in Wales, although if you've spent 10 years looking for the leak, it may take me a while.
aslabend
Well-Known Member
Caranova, I had water coming in through the cockpit locker as someone had changed it so it was all one big wet locker with two scuppers out the transom to drain the cockpit . This meant they could dispense with cockpit drain sea-cocks but they didn't do it very well and water was getting around the old locker molding and hull and draining down to the under engine sump. Took me a while to find it and seal it up. They also didn't seal up the old drains in the cockpit floor very well but that's another story. If someone's been making modifications on yours, they might not have sealed every pathway for water to get below.
edit, been looking for a photo to explain better but don't have one, sorry.
Caranova_of_Dale
New Member
Thanks Aslabend, there have been modifications as you'd expect in over 50 years and not all of them good, I've got two small cockpit lockers in the aft of the cockpit, both of which had floors that had rotted through, I did think this was where the rain was coming in so I've ripped out the old rotten wood and replaced it and glassed it in, it should be watertight now, although I'm not 100% sure. The cockpit drains are very small and do get easily blocked, that's another project for next winter.
SpinningGill
New Member
Hello We've just bought a Nicholson 26 called Kyina. Now to get to know her. 
We're trying to identify the engine and gear box amongst other things. The engine is a pre1997(?) Beta Marine, with a Hurth gearbox. We've found a few possible serial numbers on the engine, so I intend to contact Beta Marine to see if they can help identify it (It could be a Beta 10 or 14). We think the gearbox is a Hurth 50, but need to investigate that a bit more.
We're trying to identify the engine and gear box amongst other things. The engine is a pre1997(?) Beta Marine, with a Hurth gearbox. We've found a few possible serial numbers on the engine, so I intend to contact Beta Marine to see if they can help identify it (It could be a Beta 10 or 14). We think the gearbox is a Hurth 50, but need to investigate that a bit more.
SpinningGill
New Member
Thanks for the link. We downloaded that a few weeks ago.
The reality of trying to find the number in situ is more like this:
We're pretty certain that the lower stamped number is the Kubota number, but whether the upper number (and I do have better shots of that) is the Beta number or not, we're not sure. I'm waiting to hear back from the Beta people to see if it's one of their numbers - or just a part number!
The reality of trying to find the number in situ is more like this:
We're pretty certain that the lower stamped number is the Kubota number, but whether the upper number (and I do have better shots of that) is the Beta number or not, we're not sure. I'm waiting to hear back from the Beta people to see if it's one of their numbers - or just a part number!
