LOA: 26’4”

BEAM: 8’5”

DRAFT: 4’6”

YEAR: 1981

BUILDER: Designed and built by Philip Nichols

HULL NUMBER: FSS 225

DOCUMENTATION NUMBER: 642473

ENGINE: Volva Penta Diesel three-cylinder 28 HP.

DSP: 5 tons

Price:  $12, 500.00

This beautiful friendship sloop shares the name of her builder, Philip Nichols.  Mr. Nichols built many of these traditional yachts as a vocation rather than a profession.  Each boat took about ten years to build.  The donor of this boat has owned two of them.   She was built using traditional plank-on-frame (carvel) Cedar over Oak construction, with galvanized clinch nail fastenings.   Looking at the pictures one will note that most of her hull has continuous strakes.  She has received constant and loving care.  She is in over all very good condition, but needs some cosmetic repair, as well as a new cap rail.  We have a recent copy of her very informative appraisal for viewing.  

Layout:

There is enough room in her cockpit for six to settle in to a fun day of sailing. Her decks and foredeck are also spacious with room to work one’s way around the boat easily. The cockpit was overhauled in 06.

Below is simple, traditional, and bright.  There are two bunks, and enough space to store everything one may need to head out for a weekend excursion.

Hull/Decks:

Her decks were overhauled in 2001 as was her cabin housing.  Her decks are made with two layers of ½” marine ply, glassed over with Epoxy.

Her hull is in great shape but needs paint and a few minor projects.

Sails & Rigging:

Sails:

Main built in the mid 90’s

New in 04:  Topsail, working jib, flying jib, staysail.

Rigging:

Her rigging all appears to be in great shape.  All rigging has been stored inside, and is well preserved.  All ropes and stainless wire rigging, as well as all sheets are in excellent condition.

Traditional gaff rig with topmast secured by deadeyes and lanyards

Bowsprit, gaff and topmast replaced in 2001

Hollow mast.

Boom crutch of oak and pipe.

Traditional dead-eyes.

Wyckham-Martin furling gear

New support beams below decks for forward traveler

Chain plaits, and all other mast attachments are in good shape.

Engine:

Volva Penta three-cylinder Model 2003 #2300046244

28 HP diesel.  732 hours.

Electrical:

Two 12 V batteries run via an isolator switch to a fused panel.  The basic system runs all lights, and electronics.  The batteries are charged by the engine. All wiring is marine grade.

Electronics:

Standard Horizon depth sounder.

Recent improvements:

New cockpit: 06

New topsail, working Jib, flying jib, and staysail: 04

New main mid 90s.

New Edson rack and pinion: 03

New  Bow Sprit, gaff, and topmast: 01

Mast replaced in 90s (checking on date)

New (with 500 hrs) engine 01(?)

New prop, and shaft: 01

New decks: 01

New Transom: 99

Some extra equipment:

Danforth 45 lb anchor with chain and rope rode.

Swim ladder

Rule 500 bilge pump, as well as cockpit mounted hand pump

Kerosene shroud mounted running lights.

New Sunbrella awning

Recommended projects:

This section is taken directly from Mr. Jon Moore’s appraisal.

1. Replace entire cap rail [Cap rail was made out of marine ply, we are not sure why- this is incongruous with the high quality materials used in the rest of the boat.  It has become delaminated]– when old cap rail is removed, examine discolored areas

of toe rail to see if they are sound – if not, scarf in “Dutchman” before installing

cap rail.

2. The fact that the fastenings are galvanized may raise a red flag with some people

and, indeed, there are issues with some of the fastenings starting to bleed.

However, the rust that appeared at the heads of the few fastenings that were

bleeding when further examined was found to be mostly superficial. This

surveyor has owned several vessels that have been fastened in this manner and it

is my experience that this is one of the strongest ways that you can put a boat

together. I must state here that I found that the fastenings were still doing their

job after twenty-eight years on this vessel and I have seen this method last for

over half a century. If, down the road, someone deems it necessary to re-fasten

this vessel, then, given the great difficulty of removing this type of fastening, it is

typical to just drive screws adjacent to the present fastenings. In the case of the

heels of the garboards, which are standing slightly proud (Note: this may be just a

consequence of the vessel sitting on the hard), normal re-fastening or bolting

through may be appropriate. I would recommend that, wherever rusted nail heads

and/or chain plates, bolts, etc. are showing rust, they be treated with phosphoric

acid solution and then painted and puttied with a rust-proof paint – I have found

that this retards the spread of the rust considerably.

3. The vessel is presently at a point where the hull needs to be wooded, i.e. all paint

Removed – there is an excessive build-up of bottom paint and the topsides paint is

no longer providing any protection. After wooding the hull, all seams where the

putty has come out or where it is no longer functioning should be reefed and reputtied,

then the topsides paint built back up with proper primers and the bottom

red-leaded (Note: One could get by without wooding but I think at this juncture in

the life of this vessel that would mean chasing problems from year to year and in

the long run be more labor-intensive and problematic).

4. Replace nut on bowsprit.

5. Replace hatch gaskets where needed.

6. Service through-hulls and sea-cocks as part of routine maintenance.

7. Adjust worm gear after launch