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The Boat

is a Nicholson 48, built in 1979 by the famous Yard of Camper & Nicholson’s in Gosport.
The Nicholson 48 is a typical traditional English heavyweight. In total, 43 were built. Heerenleed is building number 40. The Nic 48 was a very clear choice we made, because we wanted am boat that has a seakindly motion. Our previous boat was a Nicholson 35, so we knew what we could expect and we were familiar with her construction characteristics. She has a proper S-shaped hull with encapsulated lead ballast.
The yacht has a ketch rig with a relatively large mizzen. This is less efficiënt when pointing high, as the mizzen will be in the main’s turbulence, but it is a rig that can be easily handled with a small crew. A proper ketch comes into her own on all courses from a close to a broad reach. Heerenleed is no speed monster, but with the right sail configuration she keeps her pace very well. Even in light airs she keeps going, provided that you invest in light weather sails. For us, that is an asymmetric spinnaker the size of a tennis court, a light weather genoa and a mizzen stays’l. The latter is really easy to handle. We use it very often on a beam or a broad reach. Move your mouse over the rig for details about the sails we use.


Heerenleed’s interior is very comfortable. Going from bows to stern we have the guests cabin, then the galley to starboard with heads-and-shower compartment opposite to port, further aft comes the spacious saloon, then the centre cockpit, which has a shelter (what a luxury, shade in hot weather and cover in the rain), then finallly the aft cabin which we have annexed ourselves, and which has a double bunk, a single sea bunk and another heads with shower. Ideal for when we have guests, when everyone has his own heads. Move your mouse ovfer the floor plan and click for a picture of that section.
Under the cockpit lives the engine, an 80 HP Perkins 4236. Under the starboard cockpit seat there is a walkthrough that connects the saloon with the aft cabin. There used to be another bunk there, which we transformed into a hanging locker and a locker that houses the microwave and the dishwasher (a small single rack Bosch).

The cockpit can be closed completely with canvas with large windows. Ideal for winter. BNot only does it make a perfect air lock, it also provides an extra living spave with ample daylight and a view all around. In winter, the cockpit has its own dedicated paraffin heater.

Below, the boat is heated with a Kabola B8, a hot water system which we installed with convecting radiators and a separate heat exchanger in the engine room for extra hot air. The Kabola is the only brand available at that time, desigbned for permanent use. Nevertheless, it gave us a lot of problems, that seem to be solved by now.
Hot water is provided by a 45 litre calorifier.

We use LPG for cooking, on an expensive but beautiful Force 10 4-burner cooker with oven and grill.