Hedley Nicol Trimaran Plans

Discussion in 'Multihulls' started by oldsailor7, Mar 12, 2010.

  1. catsketcher
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    catsketcher Senior Member

    I don't know if this is the boat as the pics are not working. The Toroa I knew was a 35 ft Vagabond Mk 1 - she has really short floats and an aft cabin that does not overhang the water. that must have been built in the 60s. I fell in love with it in the 80s as it was moored across from my home and was almost derelict. Then along came a bloke who sailed it away. I saw it cruising in about 2001-2 and it looked much better.

    Look out for delamination (glass coming off the ply) rot and check under the wings for cracks. Toroa did a voyage to New Zealand before the owner I met.

    My guess is that she was built before 1968 so the broker is being a "little" dishonest about the age of the vessel.

    cheers

    Phil
     
  2. cavalier mk2
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    cavalier mk2 Senior Member

    It looks like a Cavalier but could be a Vagabond MK2, if you check out some older postings you can see the difference in sheer height on the drawings I posted. The front of the wing isn't what I've seen on most of the boats which curve underneath instead of the angle. The asking price seems pretty typical of OZ prices for fixer up Nicols of that size, the main thing is to make sure the boat is solid with no rot spots. Check it out paying particular attention to areas behind water tanks etc....I'm biased but I think they make great cruising boats with comfortable motion and good performance when not overloaded. We just returned from a wild weather spring cruise where we left in 30+ knot winds and beat back in 20-25 knots with one squall of 40+ on the nose and the boat handled it fine. In this market it never hurts to itemize the survey and and bargain hard. Some of my photos show our Vagabond's extended wing and pilot house which is great in the NW especially now as we are dodging radioactive rain from Japan! Over here the boats sell for less, I've seen a few on the market for 20,000 -25,000 US if you want to fix one up here to sail home.
     
  3. cavalier mk2
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    cavalier mk2 Senior Member

    Hi Phil, What you are describing is a Wanderer the cruising version of Vagabond 1 of which many were built. Alan Nicol told me only one Vagabond 1 was built, Hedley's first racer. The ama length would be the clue and these look like the longer ones of the Cavalier but there isn't a good profile picture.
     
  4. catsketcher
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    catsketcher Senior Member

    Yes I could be describing the Wanderer. I was told that Toroa was a Vagabond by the owner but I can't see any photos on the link posted to check if this boat is the one I knew.
     
  5. Kutoroka
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    Kutoroka Junior Member

  6. catsketcher
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    catsketcher Senior Member

    That looks like the old girl. When I saw her she was in desperate need of a refit. I thought I could get her for free or almost as she had her port hull half flooded and all her paint missing. I eventually got to meet the owner and he told me she was a Vagabond.

    Interestingly I met another Nicol owner who sailed around the world on his Nicol in the late 60s early 70s - John Murray. The tri was Unbound. Still is moored at Dangar Island in Sydney. He told me that Unbound was a Vagabond Mk1 (he built her too).

    If I ever get to meet John again I will ask him.

    Nice boat for cruising. Won't go fast. The old bloke who had it used to average about 4-5 knots he told me - good shoal draft and wide decks - good for the reef.

    The 1987 date refers to the time that Toroa was sold and the bloke took her away and refitted her. It would fit in with my recollection.

    cheers

    Phil
     
  7. Kutoroka
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    Kutoroka Junior Member

    Thanks very much Phil, that is good info...

    Best regards!
     
  8. cavalier mk2
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    cavalier mk2 Senior Member

    Sounds like they needed to lighten ship, it does look like wanderer length floats but the fins are deeper like a Vagabond. In any case it should go faster, they don't show the prop or shaft, did he use a folding prop? If the bottom of the transom is way underwater there will be some extra drag. Like Piver Nicol didn't like inboards because of the weight.
     
  9. taow
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    taow Junior Member

    Toroa

    g'day all, thought i might help clear up some of the miss informed info on the TOROA, Toroa is 1 of whats believed to be the only 3 built wonderers, it was built in the 60's and floated in 1964, was bought by an old fella from syd in 1987 and id rather say partly rebuilt and maily restored, the old fella was an engineer, and looked after TOROA well in his younger days, the same cant be said for its last few years, the asking price that was stated in the sale of $35,000 is a grossly over price, NOTE! not be cause of the boat, more so for its now condion and many home built items which wouldnt pass inspection if the inspector was blind, the hull and structure is still sound and very solid indeed, this info from a surveyor report taking in 2011, other then the rigging which make not doubt will need to be fully replaced, if she was intended to be insured, other then the rigging and some 1st stage 1st lay signs of rot in one of the amma aresult of 8 + sails neing kept in there blocking most of the ventilation, the rest of the needs are mainly cosmedic work, it was said the tri had 5 onboard water tanks and 2 x 100lt fuel tanks in the aft cabin, there is only 1 onboard water tank of 80lt made of copper, the other 4 so called onboard tanks are nothing more then water jerry cans, S/S pub syrip cans to be direct,
    , shes a nice big boat for a low cost, with lots of deck area, i have lots of info and details on this boat TOROA, real details not some of the miss informed info stated in some of the other post, no offence intended to those that wrote it, but facts are facts
    anyone wishing to know any more true information, feel free to contact me,
    regards
    oh and toroa cruises at roughly 4 to 5kts in a 15kt wind and while on a sea test on returning she managed 9.8kts in what was said to be a 20 to 25kt winds i think more like 25 to 30kts the wind was on the day, swell of 1.5 to 2mts and she ploughed through very stable and handled sailing to windward very well indeed, at around 4kts
    cheers
     
    Last edited: May 29, 2011
  10. cavalier mk2
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    cavalier mk2 Senior Member

    Thanks for the information it explains the float length and ties in with what Alan Nicol, Hedley's son, told me. More than 3 were built, some professionally. In recent years I've seen about 4-6 different examples online at various brokers. The owners I've contacted all liked the boats. Up here in the NW I've found one Islander and 2 Cavaliers plus my Vagabond MK2 so far.
     
  11. taow
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    taow Junior Member

    Gday to ya cavalier mk2
    yes i also know allan and have talked with him on a number of occasions, and is a wealth of info, the info on TOROA, i know that as i am the new owner of TOROA, sadly the last owner cut a lot of corners as he got on in years, and made some silly mistakes from advice of others, all of which i were not informed of untill after the sale was made, and many more still being told and found in almost every conversation i have with him. although this somewhat annoys me, i find it hard to believe he has deceived me and believe hes more of ,oh just hook that to that and it will work fine, however this maybe ok for him, for me i have children and there safety must come first at all times there fore some work ahead of me to fully bring her back to some form of her original glory, but dew to some unforseen events prior to my young son and myself finishing some of the major jobs to make a safe passage to her new home, i had to leave unexpectedley till i can return to pick her up in the next few weeks now that the motor over heating problem has been solved, being found that he hooked the head and salt water sink lines off the main engine intake cooling water hose, it was found as she reached 2700 to 3000rpm the water would be sucked from these added hose lines till air was being sucked into the engine intake hose stoping the heat exchange system from being able to do its job, special being that the motor is rather new with on 270hrs running time, so taps were added to these hoses at the intake side ,till i can install a new skin fitting to take the place for these hoses, but such is life and im just happy being back on the water again, so ill battle on and learn my lesson (i hope haha) anys cheers nice to join the forum and hoping to find info that i may not know yet and maybe even see a few of you out on the water some time, well those of you on the east coast of oz that is regards to all
     
  12. cavalier mk2
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    cavalier mk2 Senior Member

    Welcome to the forum Taow. I'm up in North America so a sail to Oz will have to wait a while. I know about the things previous owners can do ....Make sure you check the rig and rigging carefully, things aloft and sail handling are a priority. When in doubt throw it out applies to everything, a simple light boat is more fun to sail. If you don't have a folding prop adding one will make a big difference sailing. We are just getting into our "glueing" season here so I'm trying to get some things done before our summer cruise. Next time you talk to Alan Nicol remind him that some of us would like him to publish those plans, they still have the ones for Wanderer. I'd like to pick up the plans for Clipper the 25 ft boat. There are enough of us we should start a Nicol owners registry at some point. Great boats to cruise without spending a fortune.
     
  13. taow
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    taow Junior Member

    cheers to you cavalier mk2
    Cheers for the welcome, I’ll have to get onto the new members page when I get a change and introduces myself correctly,
    and yes I fell in love with her when I first saw her then researched Hedley nicols and was sad to find out what had happen to him, but Allan has been a great help to me, I will pass on your message to Allan, but as he’s a busy man, I can’t answer for him,
    no I don’t have a folding prop but also had been thinking on the upgrading to one to remove the like dragging a bucket prop on her now, but looking forward to getting her home to compete all needed work before our summer comes as well
    cheers
    taow

    ps all rigging, chain plates and all turnbuckles, safety lines, bilge pumps, stove gas lines and more fully replaced sofar ;)
     
    Last edited: May 31, 2011
  14. cavalier mk2
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    cavalier mk2 Senior Member

    I knew you had a fixed prop from your speed figures ;) It looks like your doing the important things for safe sailing.
     

  15. taow
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    taow Junior Member

    Yes having kid’s safety is always first on any list, even without kids this should be on top of all list,
    well my speed could also be that the old fella cut 8ft off the mast cause someone told him if the mast was not longer then his boat that it wouldn’t tip over or capsize, even though I laughed, I wasn’t happy finding this out and thought along with the rigger that the mast looked a little short, sadly the old fella told me all this along with allot of other things after I signed contracts and made full payment, even the broker clams they didn’t know anyone this, something I’m starting to find hard to believe, but as I had already had all the new rigging redone with the right size cabling,
    and to have the extra 8ft of mast sleeved back on would mean full re-rigging again and id just paid $7000+ for the rigging just made, so the re-sleeving was not an option now,
    now 8ft of sail area is a large loss of pulling power, but then the wanderer is a cruiser rather than a racer,, so perhaps the adding of a folding prop may well be a good idea, and I had been thinking on it but with many other more important things needed to take care of at the moment and already being well and I do mean well over budget, with all these extra things found and being told after the sale had been made. Which I think is wrong and that I should have been told all this info before sale, but I spent allot of time finding her and guess falling in love may or must have blinded me to seeing or realizing the things for myself at the time
    but I do love the nicol's design so I’m happy with the boat, not so happy with the broker or old owner, there are so many thing I could tell you that would keep you laughing for days, most of which I’d rather not put on here haha ok well till next time cheers,
    Ps please excuse any spelling or grammar, but then I’m not a teacher and as long as you can read and understand what I’m saying then, that's good enough for me, (this was placed for all those that like to play grammar police lol)
     
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