Hedley Nicol Trimaran Plans

Clipper

Here is the Clipper brochure study plan pdf. I'd really like to see the Nicols make these plans available again as it is a great alternative in this size range.

 

Here is the Cavalier pdf. This shows the dinette option. They show 6 places but 4 is more like it unless you're hosting hobbits. The ten inches more freeboard gives more room over the bunks and makes the passage under the cockpit less of a squeeze. The conventional layout is much the same as the Wanderer. The Wanderer shown earlier is the one using the Cavalier amas, not the original short ones.

 

Here is the Vagabond Mk 2 pdf. This shows the dinette layout and again set for six but it is 40" wide! It is hard to see any difference between the Cavalier but everything is squeezed a little closer. The conventional layout is again similar to Wanderer. The print quality isn't great, the outboard is in the same location as the other boats. The interiors shown were suggestions along with cabin width and height as they expected owners to personalize their boats. The keel depth on Vagabond Mk2 and Cavalier is identical.

 

There are 3 other boats in the Nicol range, Islander at 29', Buccaneer at 40', and Voyager at 45' which turned out to be a very successful charter model. I've got layouts of varying quality I'll get scanned.

 

Hi Cav, I've never heard of or seen a Nicol Buccaneer 40, do you have a layout/sail plan for the Buccaneer? I'd be very interested to check it out, is it more cruisy or racy design?

Cheers, DAVE

 

I was Hedleys Nth American agent up until the time he was lost at sea.
I never heard of any Nicol Buccaneer 40 Either. :?:

 

You guys should get Val Haig's book "Chasing the Dream" it chronicles their adventures building and sailing the prototype. I said the same thing when I first talked to Ernest Haig over the phone, he set me straight after saying "You haven't read the book yet , have you?" The challenge was that Hedley sent them the hull plans and took the rest of the drawings with him to finish on that last voyage.......this is why you didn't get copies old sailor. The people at Nicol's sent the Haig's Cavalier plans to make up the difference. The Buccaneer layout was also shown in a AYRS publication way back when. I'll copy the layout and sail plan and post them.
It was a more cruisy design Dave. It looked liked a Cavalier or Vagabond MK2 rigged as a ketch with the extra length being used for an inboard under the cockpit, and wider beam. That basic hull configuration worked well at sea.
Alan Nicol told me of more racing designs Hedley was working on, the evolutionary trend showing in Clipper. Unfortunately for history Hedley was somewhat secretive when working up his designs and didn't show any one the drawings in progress. It is interesting to compare Vagabond with Newick's then contemporary Trice design. There are similarities in configuration and curved decks but a different approach to hulls. I think Vagabond Mk 2 probably had more top speed. Both were the fastest multihulls in their parts of the world, it would have been great to see where Hedley's boats went. He seemed very comfortable turning out boats for racing or cruising, realizing how most people used their boats, most are detuned family boats for comfort and safety but also a turn of speed.

 

Thanks Cav, great mini history lesson, I reckon your definately the Nicol Guru on this site (web maybe)
I agree it would have been great to see where Nicols designs went if his voyage to America went differently, he certainly knew how to draw nice looking boats (to my eyes anyway) and their race record in their day was pretty impressive (could be wrong but I dont think Hedley was ever beaten on Vagabond or Privateer) then there was Renegades Brisbane to Gladstone run of victories.
Its a tragedy his designs are pretty much relegated to history, imagine a new lightweight foam Vagabond mk2 with modern rig, brilliant cruising yacht that would embarrass many new cats. End dream

DAVE

Some pics just for fun

 

Great pictures Dave, I've always liked Chili's rag top. The removable roof hardtop (cabrio?) on my boat doesn't look quite as good but that thing is strong. When the mast dropped after a bad forestay fitting let go that thing caught it with hardly a whimper....The drawings don't do them justice because the curves don't show up.
Another Nicol did well in the Brisbane Gladstone on handicap in the 80's or 90's, I'll try to look it up again. Alan Nicol had the foam layup dream too, I think they'd need to be wider to make up for the lost weight. As is we have caught a few...of course loaded for a long cruise I expect to be passed in light air by kids in daysailors.
For movie fans there is a Nicol anchored of the beach in the final scenes of Bill Murry's spy spoof from 1997 "The Man Who Knew Too Little"
Race boats, movie stars, fast cruising, versatile designs...and affordable! The dream continues

 

Hey Cav, Chilli has just been relaunched after a extensive refit (many moons) skipper is very happy to be afloat after months of sanding/glassing/sanding/glassing/sanding/painting/sanding... you get the drift. I'm still waiting on pics and I'll post when I can. Transport from the shed too the water was... interesting shall we say. 1 franna (mobile crane truck) with a sling around the main hull forward of the wing deck, 1 franna with a sling around the main hull aft of the wing deck driving in unison between sheds (with VERY minimal clearance) to the water. I'll try to get a copy of the video to post. Very stable with only the main hull in the slings tho, and surprise surprise the floats didn't fall off (cant be that weak afterall flying throught the air with NO support)

Anyway back to my original reason for this post, Chillis dodger aka rag top was considered for replacing for a hard solid built one, but eventually decided against because the current on just looks soooo good When I first met Chilli she had no dodger and I thought the dodger would spoil the sleek looks but it really didnt at all, much better than some you see aka Piver boxes (no disrespect to the great man Piver, but to some of the crazies who build skyscrapers on top) I like your hardtop Cav, it fits in with the shape/style of the cabin well.

Regarding the Brisbane to Gladstone Handicap winners, Vagabond 2, Privateer 1, and Renegade 2 were the only Hedley Nicol handicap winners that I know of, Escapade won a hat trick (3) of handicap honours in the early or mid 80's but she was a Lex Nicol design I believe (could be mistaken tho)

DAVE

 

I know the refit feeling, our building season is just starting up again-have to wait for temp and humidity windows but parts for the interior got fabricated indoors over our winter to minimize the down time. That boat move sounds interesting alright, I'd like to see that one, hadn't thought of two trucks, the coordination sounds tricky.

We were in a squall in BC's Straights of Georgia and the seas built up steep, very close together over a shoal, the main hull would get suspended for a moment in the trough while the amas carried the whole boat riding the peaks....a very good test of structure!

You may be right about Escapade, I'll check into it. Lex Nicol's boats certainly carried on the family tradition.

 

Here is a plan view of the 45' Voyager, not great quality. I'll scan a layout from Nobby Clark's book later. .

 

Here is the racing version of Clipper.

 

Here are some views of the 29' Islander, again not very good quality.

 

And here is the elusive 40' Buccaneer as built by the Haigh family. 39' 3" L, 20' 4" BOL, 24" draft designed-29" as used. The windvane transom mounted rudder isn't shown here. I'll look for the AYRS published one as well. Essentially it is a bigger Cavalier or Vagabond MK2 with the extra length going into the inboard installation. The main hull is a little wider for more load and the scantlings are a bit heavier.