Bebbo
New Member
Hi just purchased a Nicholson 26 in Falmouth. Sailing her to Conwy north wales. Any advice on common faults for this lady welcome.
Nicholson 26
- Thread starter Bebbo
- Start date
alant
Well-Known Member
Think its another of the Folkboat derivatives & built like a brick outhouse.
Porthandbuoy
Well-Known Member
Great little boats, but of course I’m biased.
As with the majority of long-keepers, going astern can be character forming. Very heavy, by modern standards, they hold their way well punching through the chop, with no slamming thanks to that lovely cutaway knifelike forefoot. She’ll tack through 90 degrees in flat water; sail her a bit freer in a chop. There will be days when you’re out there with a couple of reefs in thinking to yourself “This is great. Why is no-one else out here?”
Watch for water getting down past the chain plates and stanchion bases. Easily remedied by rebedding them using butyl tape.
Check for play in the rudder bearings. Mine has a little, but it hasn’t got worse in 7 years.
Blake’s seacocks. They’ll be fine, but the bolts through the hull probably won’t be.
On mine, the stern tube has inboard and outboard white metal bearings. It’s important to use the stern gland greaser every half-hour or so when motoring. As the aft end of the shaft is rigid it is essential engine alignment is good and a flexible coupling fitted.
Don’t drop anything down the bilge! (Unless it’s mild steel and you have a magnet)
Check the compression post foot under the cabin sole for corrosion.
When you hit just over six knots, or the toerail is getting wet, it’s usually time to take a reef in.
As with the majority of long-keepers, going astern can be character forming. Very heavy, by modern standards, they hold their way well punching through the chop, with no slamming thanks to that lovely cutaway knifelike forefoot. She’ll tack through 90 degrees in flat water; sail her a bit freer in a chop. There will be days when you’re out there with a couple of reefs in thinking to yourself “This is great. Why is no-one else out here?”
Watch for water getting down past the chain plates and stanchion bases. Easily remedied by rebedding them using butyl tape.
Check for play in the rudder bearings. Mine has a little, but it hasn’t got worse in 7 years.
Blake’s seacocks. They’ll be fine, but the bolts through the hull probably won’t be.
On mine, the stern tube has inboard and outboard white metal bearings. It’s important to use the stern gland greaser every half-hour or so when motoring. As the aft end of the shaft is rigid it is essential engine alignment is good and a flexible coupling fitted.
Don’t drop anything down the bilge! (Unless it’s mild steel and you have a magnet)
Check the compression post foot under the cabin sole for corrosion.
When you hit just over six knots, or the toerail is getting wet, it’s usually time to take a reef in.
aslabend
Well-Known Member
Congrats on your purchase. As with Porthandbuoy I am also biased.
No major problems to report in 10 yrs of ownership, they are (like me) solid and simple.
When I had a new engine installed the engineer noted the white metal bearing was very slack and with
the help of Niel Young from h4marine (who is active on this forum) I fitted new bearing material supplied by him.
Siri is slow in light winds (especially if the hull is claggy) but the flip side is much fun when the wind gets up.
I'll second PHB note about the joys of going astern but it can also focus the mind on what you're planning to do when you know that you cannot go backwards if things go awry.
No major problems to report in 10 yrs of ownership, they are (like me) solid and simple.
When I had a new engine installed the engineer noted the white metal bearing was very slack and with
the help of Niel Young from h4marine (who is active on this forum) I fitted new bearing material supplied by him.
Siri is slow in light winds (especially if the hull is claggy) but the flip side is much fun when the wind gets up.
I'll second PHB note about the joys of going astern but it can also focus the mind on what you're planning to do when you know that you cannot go backwards if things go awry.
Bebbo
New Member
Hi thanks for the info. She has just had new standing rigging and a new compression post so ok there. The hull skin fittings were replaced in 2017 so another bonus. I noticed slight play in rudder bearings but not to much to worry me. However I did notice a fair bit of play in shaft on stern tube. I am hoping with plenty of grease pumped in this will survive the trip to North Wales. Love your description of these boats.
Bebbo
New Member
Your reply regarding white metal bearings is interesting because this is where I may have a problem. The guy I bought her from told me he had no vibration or water ingress but the lateral movement is more than any other boat I have owned. Hoping ample grease will see her through till next lift out.
Topcat47
Well-Known Member
Welcome to the cognoscenti.
Regarding going astern, In still air, the prop walk will determine the direction the boat moves more than the rudder initially. Once you have some way established it is possible to correct this. In a cross wind, the wind will take the bow to leeward, overpowering the rudder. There's not a lot you can do about this. Mind you if someone out there has a solution, I"m all for trying it.
The foot of the keel isn't long and as a result the boat has a tendency to balance around the curve of the keel adopting a head down attitude.
The other thing to be aware of is that the keel masks the prop and this means it doesn't stop very well. I find approaching pontoons best done slowly. Picking up a buoy has to be done head to wind.
They do sail very well to windward, not that gentleman ever do.
Regarding going astern, In still air, the prop walk will determine the direction the boat moves more than the rudder initially. Once you have some way established it is possible to correct this. In a cross wind, the wind will take the bow to leeward, overpowering the rudder. There's not a lot you can do about this. Mind you if someone out there has a solution, I"m all for trying it.
The foot of the keel isn't long and as a result the boat has a tendency to balance around the curve of the keel adopting a head down attitude.
The other thing to be aware of is that the keel masks the prop and this means it doesn't stop very well. I find approaching pontoons best done slowly. Picking up a buoy has to be done head to wind.
They do sail very well to windward, not that gentleman ever do.
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Topcat47
Well-Known Member
Not it's not. The only thing it has in common is it's length.
alant
Well-Known Member
I was thinking of a Bowman 26, similar, but half weight.
LittleSister
Well-Known Member
There's a copy of an old Yachting World review of the Nic 26, along with various forumite opinions/experience, on the following thread, if you haven't already found it:
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?263490-Nic-26-experience-opinions-please
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?263490-Nic-26-experience-opinions-please
Topcat47
Well-Known Member
I see what you mean. All the folk boats I've sailed in, and there were't that many, were fractionally rigged. I had a swift look at the Mariholm version, which had a masthead rig, but they have a much shallower draft than the Nich (Indeed I've yet to come across one that draws as much).
Bebbo
New Member
Thanks for the info LittleSister, I can,t wait to get this old girl sailing again.
Pcmh78
New Member
You own Siri? My dad used to own Siri in the late 70s/early 80s! My first experience of sailing was on her. My Dad found her unusually good in light winds for a heavy long keeled boat. He raced her with the local sailing club and won quite a bit with her. Lovely boat, hope she takes care of you and visa versa! I’m delighted she’s still going.
V1701
Well-Known Member
Welcome to the forum, the above post is from december 2018 so you might not get a reply.
I am able to confirm that the Bowman 26 is a very fine craft indeed, she's very similar but about half the weight of the Nic...
fisherman
Well-Known Member
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