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This slightly odd 30-footer, with its wishbone rig and catboat looks, is easily sailed and comfortable.

The Nonsuch 30 is an oddity. She is a fin keeled, spade ruddered boat with an unstayed wishbone cat rig. Weird.

She was built in Canada, whose main boatbuilding export has been C&C sailboats. Come to think of it, all her construction details look very much like those of C&C boats. This isn’t unusual, since George Hinterhoeller, the builder, was formerly the president of C&C, and one of the founders of the three company merger that created C&C Yachts.

When Hinterhoeller left C&C to recreate Hinterhoeller Yachts Ltd., he took with him those characteristics that have given C&C a reputation for quality: good attention to finish detail and high-quality balsa-cored hull construction.

The Nonsuch 30 is the concept of retired ocean racer Gordon Fisher, the design of Mark Ellis, and the created child of Hinterhoeller, who is one of the few production boatbuilders with the legitimate title Master Boatbuilder, earned the hard way through apprenticeship in Europe.

The Nonsuch 30 was originally a Great Lakes phenomenon, which is to be expected considering her origins. She proved quite popular elsewhere, however. This is not surprising considering the amount of boat that has somehow been slipped into an LOA of less than 31′.

Production of the Nonsuch line ceased in 1989.

Construction

George Hinterhoeller’s reputation as a builder is not unearned. His balsa-cored hulls are known for being light and strong. It is probably not an exaggeration to say that he knows as much about cored construction as any boatbuilder around.

Both hull and deck of the Nonsuch 30 are balsa cored. The hull and deck are joined by a through-bolted butyl-bedded joint capped with an aluminum toerail. The butyl tape used for this purpose has no real structural properties, but does create a good watertight seal. A sealant such as 3M 5200 provides equivalent sealant properties with greater structural properties, and we prefer its use in hull-to-deck joints. It is hard to quibble with the Nonsuch’s strongly through-bolted joint, however.

The external lead keel is bolted on with stainless steel bolts. These pass through floor timbers of unidirectional roving, transferring keel loading from the garboard section to a greater area of the hull.

The cockpit seats and coamings contain a surprisingly large number of sharply-radiused turns. Gelcoat cracks are likely to develop here earlier than anywhere else in the hull.

The freestanding mast requires modification of normal construction methods. While no chainplates are required, substantial bulkheading is required in the area of the mast to absorb the considerable forces generated by the unstayed mast. The forward six feet of the hull is strongly bulkheaded for this purpose, and no sign of undue strain could be detected.

Because there is no rigging to hold the mast in the boat should she capsize, alternative means must be found. This is accomplished by lagging a cast aluminum, hexagonally-shaped female mast step to the hull. The butt of the mast is fitted with a hexagonal male counterpart which is strongly joined to the mast step by stainless steel hex-head set screws. The mast is further connected to the hull by a deck-level pin which passes through the mast and the cast aluminum deck collar. Deck hardware is properly backed for load distribution.

There are a few surprising shortcomings. The aluminum rudder quadrant stops have sharp edges which could easily cut into the exhaust line inside the cockpit lockers. This could happen—it had happened on the boat we sailed—if the upper rudder retaining nut is loose, allowing the rudder to drop down slightly. Gate valves are used on most through hull fittings below the waterline, rather than seacocks or ball valves, and no valves at all are fitted on drains and exhaust lines at the bottom of the transom, despite the fact that they could be submerged in a heavily loaded boat.

Despite these deficiencies, construction is generally to very high standards, well above average for the industry.

Handling Under Sail

The Nonsuch 30 is one of the most boring boats we have ever sailed. Tacking requires no yelling, releasing of sheets, cranking, tailing, or trimming. The helmsman simply says “I think we’ll tack” and gives the wheel a quarter turn, being careful not to upset his Mt. Gay and tonic. Nonsuch quietly slides through about 85 degrees and settles on the other tack with a minimum of fuss. Beating up a narrow channel simply requires repeating the above process.

The person who learns to sail on a Nonsuch 30 will receive a rude awakening when switching to a more athletic boat—which means almost any other 30 foot sailboat. The Nonsuch 30 is simply one of the easiest boats to sail we’ve seen.

This doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily easy to sail well. Getting the most out of the boat upwind definitely requires some practice. The aluminum mast is quite flexible, allowing the top of the mast to fall off as the wind increases. The sail’s draft will shift, changing its efficiency. In about 10 knots of breeze, the top of the mast falls to leeward about a foot. This can be a little disconcerting to those used to a fairly rigid stayed mast.

Sail shape is controlled by the “choker,” a line which controls the fore and aft trim of the wishbone and functions as a clew outhaul. Tensioning the choker pulls the wishbone aft, flattening the sail. The sail is slab reefed pretty much the same as a conventional mainsail.

The Nonsuch mainsail is 540 square feet, with a hoist of 45 feet and a foot of 24 feet. By way of comparison the mainsail of the Irwin 52 is 525 square feet, and that of the Cal 31 210 square feet. The sail does not handle like a sail of 540 square feet, fortunately. The wishbone is rigged with permanent lazy jacks which hold the sail as it is dropped.

Furling merely involves putting ties around the neatly cradled sail for the sake of aesthetics. Dousing the main or reefing is easily accomplished by one person, as all of the sail controls lead back to the cockpit.

The Nonsuch does not suffer from “catboat disease”—the tendency to develop monstrous weather helm as the breeze pipes up. She is, rather, remarkably well mannered, with a surprisingly light helm in the light to moderate winds in which we sailed her. Downwind she held course with the wheel brake off and hands off the wheel. Her performance was almost as good upwind at moderate angles of heel.

She is a stiff boat. The flexible mast allows a substantial amount of air to be spilled from the main as the wind pipes up, removing much heeling force. We found that the boat went better upwind with a reef in the main even at moderate angles of heel once the upper mast began to fall off. Getting sail off the more flexible upper part of the mast allows better draft control as the wind increases.

Having only one sail can be a real nail-chewer to the uncured racer. Whether it blows five knots or 25, the maximum amount of sail you can have is already up. Some unreconstructed racers have equipped the Nonsuch 30 with a blooper for light air downwind performance.

The Nonsuch 30 is no Cape Cod catboat under the water. She has a moderate aspect ratio fin keel, low wetted surface, and a freestanding semi-balanced spade rudder. These characteristics greatly add to her performance.

With all sail controls led back to the cockpit, she is a natural candidate for singlehanding. We strongly recommend the optional self-tailing winches for all functions if shorthanded sailing is contemplated.

The Nonsuch 30 is not the boat for the hard-core grand prix racer. Her entire sail inventory consists of that one big sail, with perhaps, but not necessarily, a single downwind sail. You will not become the bosom buddy of any racing sailmaker by owning a Nonsuch. Then again, no sailmaker will ever have a second mortgage on your boat, either.

Handling Under Power

The Nonsuch 30 was originally equipped with a 23 horsepower Volvo MD 11C diesel with saildrive. This basically eliminated engine installation and alignment problems for the builder, saving both time and money.

These units have an integral cast zinc to protect the vulnerable aluminum lower unit from galvanic corrosion. A special Volvo-supplied zinc is required—not an item that you can pick up in any boatyard. About hull number 125, this installation was changed to a more conventional engine and shaft arrangement, utilizing a new 27 horsepower Westerbeke diesel.

Either engine will drive the boat to hull speed. We greatly prefer the conventional engine installation, which is understood and can be worked on by most boatyards. It is less vulnerable to corrosion, and runs quietly and smoothly.

Because of her high freeboard the Nonsuch 30 will be susceptible to crosswinds when docking. With most of her windage forward she will have a tendency to blow bow downwind. A good hand on the throttle and gearshift will be a real plus in tight docking situations. Without the complication of wind we found her easy to back down into a slip once a sharp burst of throttle was given to activate the folding prop with which our test boat was equipped.

Deck Layout

Because the Nonsuch 30 has no standing rigging, her side decks are devoid of obstacles. Because she has no headsails there are no sheeting angles to be concerned with.

For cruising the optional bowsprit/anchor roller with hawsepipe to the otherwise unusable forepeak is highly desirable. Otherwise, anchor and rode must be stored in one of the cockpit lockers and dragged forward every time you wish to anchor. We also recommend the installation of a bow pulpit. With no shrouds to hold when forward there is a great feeling of vulnerability on the bow. These things may make the Nonsuch 30 un-catboatlike in appearance, but they will greatly add to the safety and convenience of both sailing and anchoring.

The cockpit of the Nonsuch 30 is large and deep. It is not particularly comfortable, and without four inch or thicker cockpit cushions it is impossible for a person of average height to see forward over the cabin. The helmsman’s position is elevated above that of the other seats, but visibility even from that position is only fair.

With the standard white-on-white gelcoat scheme the cockpit of the Nonsuch 30 is sterile and generates a lot of glare on sunny days. The optional contrasting nonskid and teak cockpit grate alleviates part of this problem.

The large cockpit creates other problems. First, you should never raft up with other boats at anchor. A friendly crowd of eight could easily fit in the cockpit.

There are more serious problems associated with the cockpit design. The Nonsuch 30 is promoted as a “new offshore concept.” We think this is an unfortunate choice of words, because the standard cockpit is not suited to offshore use. There is no bridgedeck. The companionway goes almost to the level of the cockpit sole—about three feet below the level of the lowest point in the cockpit coamings. Coupled with the huge cockpit volume, this creates a situation that cannot in any good conscience be called an offshore configuration. If this boat is to be called an offshore sailboat, we think there should be an optional cockpit arrangement—a large bridgedeck which could incorporate life raft storage, two more large cockpit drains, and perhaps a raised cockpit sole to further reduce the cockpit’s volume.

There are three cockpit lockers; deep port and starboard lockers, and a lazarette propane locker set up to hold two ten-pound gas bottles. The large side locker should incorporate some form of easily-removed retainer system to prevent items there from rolling under the cockpit.

On the boat we sailed the drain line from the propane locker overboard was too long. At the low point in the loop water had collected in the hose, which exits through the transom and is underwater in many sailing conditions. This water prevents any propane leakage from draining overboard as designed. The hose should be shortened to remedy a potentially hazardous situation.

When tacking or jibing it is easy for the helmsman to get caught by the mainsheet as the boom comes over. A better lead would be welcome here, perhaps having the mainsheet system incorporated into the stern rail.

The interior volume of the Nonsuch 30 is an eye opener, even to those used to the modern trend toward maximum interior volume on minimum overall length. To anyone used only to the interior space of an older boat, the interior of the Nonsuch 30 is absolutely stunning.

The waterline and beam of the Nonsuch 30 are about the same as that of a modern 36 foot cruiser-racer, and that beam is carried quite a bit further forward. Coupled with high topsides and a highly-crowned deck house, this yields a boat with tremendous interior volume for her overall length.

The interior layout is unusual but practical. There is no forward cabin in the conventional sense. This isn’t a real drawback. The forward cabin on the typical 30 footer is only useful for sleeping or sail stowage, and frequently has berths which narrow so much forward that an all-night game of footsie for the occupants is a necessity rather than a pleasure.

The forwardmost six feet of the boat is given over to two huge hanging lockers and a great deal of storage space which has been created by the three transverse and two fore and aft bulkheads that stiffen the hull in the way of the mast. This storage space is not readily accessible, and will probably end up as the boat’s attic, collecting little-used piles of gear until the day when it must be all removed to get at the mast step to remove the mast.

The rest of the boat is basically one large cabin. What would be considered the main cabin occupies the forward third of the interior. At the forward end are the aforementioned hanging lockers and a bureau. There are shelves and bins outboard of the two long settees that face each other at a comfortable distance across the cabin, with a dropleaf table on centerline. Varnished pine ceiling behind the settees is a welcome note in an otherwise dark teak interior.

The galley is to port midships. The cook is out of the traffic flow yet located in the center of activity if there are people both below and topsides. The galley has a gimballed propane stove with oven, a well-insulated icebox with (hurrah!) an insulated, gasketed lid, and a deep sink nearly on centerline which will easily drain on either tack. The icebox melt water is pumped into the galley sink. For the sake of aesthetics the icebox drain should tee into the sink drain below the sink, relieving the cook of the dubious pleasure of watching the things which dribble to the bottom of the icebox flow through the sink.

The head is opposite the galley. Because of the pronounced deckhouse camber, headroom there decreases rapidly as you move outboard.

An unusual option was a demand propane-fired hot water heater. This compact unit mounts on a head bulkhead, and has electric ignition. When a hot water faucet is turned on the heater fires, and will heat steaming hot water as fast as the water pressure system will deliver it. This is much less complicated than the normal engine water heat exchanger/110 volt powered water heaters found on most boats. Since the boat is already plumbed for propane, installation of this heater is straightforward.

There are quarterberths port and starboard aft of the galley and head. The standard berth starboard is a double, with a single to port. An option provides doubles on both sides, although filling all the berths on the boat requires an open mind and no highlydeveloped sense of privacy.

Despite the open interior of the boat, privacy can be attained through another unusual interior option. A hidden slide-up partition can be installed between the galley and the forward/main cabin, and a bifold louvered teak door which folds up against the head bulkhead. When closed, the door and partition divide the boat into two large compartments for sleeping, with reasonable separation between them.

The occupants of the thus-created forward cabin must enter the aft cabin either to go on deck or to use the head, an inconvenience.

Like the cockpit, the huge interior invites company. In the event of a sudden rainstorm, the eight people who previously occupied your cockpit could easily move below to continue their revelry. If there were already eight below—a not unlikely circumstance—you may be in trouble. Sixteen people is too many belowdecks even in the Nonsuch 30.

Ventilation of the interior is excellent, with seven opening ports, two hatches, and two dorade boxes. The propane heater vents overboard through its own exhaust stack.

Conclusions

The Nonsuch 30 is an unusual boat by any standards. The unstayed wishbone cat rig is becoming increasingly popular. It does greatly reduce the cost of sails, spars, and rigging.

The general appearance of the boat is similar to a traditional catboat, although she will never be taken to be a product of the Crosby yard. Her generally catboatlike hull dimensions produce the maximum hull volume on a minimum overall length.

Despite her billing we do not consider her an offshore cruiser with her standard cockpit arrangement. She will make an excellent coastal cruiser for a couple or family with up to three small children or two older children.

Because she is easy to sail and rig, has a big cockpit and a roomy, well-ventilated interior, she should make a good Caribbean charter boat for two couples, although head access is a minor problem from the forward cabin. Surprisingly, none have entered the southern charter business.

The Nonsuch 30 is not a traditionalist’s catboat. She lacks the sweeping sheer, low freeboard, gaff rig, and barndoor rudder of the Cape Cod catboat. She also lacks that boat’s infamous sailing characteristics—ferocious weather helm, inability to go to windward, and a man-killing mainsail.

She is a relatively simple, easily sailed boat for the convivial sailor who doesn’t mind being seen in what many might consider an oddball boat with an oddball interior and an oddball rig, The more you look at it, the less oddball it seems.

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• By Gregg Nestor
• Updated: December 8, 2009

The Nonsuch 30 was the idea of Canadian yachtsman Gordon Fisher. He and yacht designer Mark Ellis approached George Hinterhoeller to build this unique cruising catboat. Introduced in 1978, it gained wide acceptance in Canada and was soon popularized in the United States. Production ceased in 1994, with more than 500 hulls produced.

Ellis modified the traditional catboat hull, giving it a finer entry and carrying the maximum beam farther aft. Underwater, the fin keel and partially balanced spade rudder largely eliminate the considerable weather helm common to most catboats. And while the plumb bow and stern, distinctive sheer, and highly cambered coachroof also characterize the Nonsuch 30, its most prominent feature is the tall, tapered, unstayed mast with a wishbone boom.

Both the hull and deck are fiberglass composites cored with end-grain balsa. The deck lands on an inward-facing flange on the hull. The joint is through-bolted, sealed with butyl tape, and capped with an aluminum toerail. The external lead keel is attached with stainless-steel bolts that pass through floor timbers to distribute the loads throughout the boat’s hull.

Since there’s no mast in the cabin and the nearly 12-foot beam is carried well toward both ends, the Nonsuch 30 has much more interior volume than its length would suggest. For the first five years of the boat’s production, the cabin was laid out with opposing settees forward with a drop-leaf table between, a workable L-shaped galley, a large head compartment with shower, and quarter berths aft; the starboard one is a double. From around 1983, an optional cabin layout, called the “Ultra,” offered a stateroom with a double berth forward. The galley was to port, and the head compartment to starboard and the quarter berths were eliminated.

The sail is handled from the safety of the large cockpit. Running rigging consists of a main halyard, a mainsheet, and a choker line, which controls the fullness or flatness of the sail by adjusting the fore-and-aft position of the wishbone boom. The mast tends to bend to leeward when the wind freshens, which spills the wind from the sail and keeps the boat from being overpowered. Along with the wide beam and a 39-percent ballast-to-displacement ratio, this makes for a stable and forgiving boat.

The Nonsuch 30 won’t point as well as a sloop, but allowed to fall off a bit, it will make up for that with much greater speed: 7 to 8 knots in 15 to 20 knots of wind. The boat’s best point of sail is a beam to broad reach. Up to about hull number 125, a 23-horsepower Volvo MD11C diesel and saildrive provided auxiliary power. Later hulls received a 27-horsepower Westerbeke diesel and a conventional prop shaft. While both engines deliver adequate power, the later installation runs quieter, smoother, and is less prone to corrosion.

The Nonsuch 30 is a coastal cruiser. The generous cockpit and lack of a proper bridgedeck could cause some concern when a skipper considers extended offshore sailing, but its shallow draft and well-ventilated interior make it an ideal thin-water cruiser.

The rig is very simple, and there are few things to break. In addition to age-related problems typical in older boats, some areas to watch out for include the gate valves used as seacocks and cracks in the aluminum mast fitting where it passes through the deck.

Asking prices for Nonsuch 30s range from $35,000 to $85,000. With one sail, one halyard, and one sheet, it’s one easy boat to sail, especially for a shorthanded crew or a singlehander.

Gregg Nestor, who’s had a lifelong interest in all things aquatic, is the author of three books about sailboats.

LOA 30′ 4″ (9.24 m.) LWL 28′ 9″ (8.76 m.) Beam 11′ 10″ (3.61 m.) Draft 5′ 0″ (1.52 m.) Sail Area (100%) 540 sq. ft. (50.16 sq. m.) Ballast 4,500 lb. (1,372 kg.) Displacement 11,500 lb. (5,215 kg.) Ballast/D .39 D/L 216 SA/D 17.0 Water 80 gal. (302 l.) Fuel 30 gal. (113 l.) Engine 23-hp. Volvo w/ saildrive or 27-hp. Westerbeke Designer Mark Ellis Designer Ted Irwin

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NONSUCH 30: A Modern-Day Catboat With a Wishbone Rig

The Nonsuch 30 was the first and most successful of the Nonsuch line of una-rigged cruising catboats built by Hinterhoeller Yachts of Ontario, Canada, from 1978 to 1994. Designed by Mark Ellis at the instigation of Gordon Fisher, a famous Canadian racing sailor who wanted a fast, easy-to-handle cruising boat for his retirement, this boat in particular and its four siblings (the Nonsuch 22, 26, 33, and 36) are among the most popular alternative-rigged production boats ever built. In all a total of 975 Nonsuchs were launched over the years; of these 522 were 30-footers. The Nonsuch remains a popular cult boat and its very active owners’ organization, the International Nonsuch Association (INA), has over 700 current Nonsuch owners enrolled on its lists.

The most distinctive feature of any Nonsuch is its sail plan. A freestanding tapered aluminum mast, situated all the way forward in the bow of the boat, supports a loose-footed mainsail that is hoisted inside a wishbone boom, the end of which is sheeted to the boat’s transom. The boom, because it is canted downwards, acts as a vang and keeps the clew of the sail from riding up as it is eased.

Sail shape otherwise is controlled with a single line called the “choker,” which when tightened pulls the boom aft in relation to the mast, thus flattening the sail. When eased the choker allows the boom to shift forward, thus increasing draft. The only other controls (aside from the one halyard) are slab-reefing lines for the tack and clew. The reefed portion of the sail (or the entire sail when doused) falls unassisted into a set of permanently rigged lazyjacks hanging under the boom.

The great advantage of this rig is its simplicity. Tacking the boat involves no line-handling whatsoever (just turn the wheel), though jibing is more challenging, as the sail is very large and like a conventional main is unbalanced, with no area forward of the mast to dampen momentum as it swings across the boat. The rig automatically spills air when pressed, as the head of the unstayed mast is flexible. Reportedly, it falls off as much as a foot in just 10 knots of wind. The crew therefore need not work a sheet or traveler to keep the boat on its feet when gusts come barreling through. The lack of shrouds also makes it possible to set the sail square to wind when running off. Not having any standing rigging to worry about is also a big maintenance bonus.

The downside to the rig is there is no headsail slot to improve windward performance. Nor is there any way to increase sail area when running off in light air, though more zealous owners do sometimes try to fly bloopers to help things along.

There may be questions, too, as to the aluminum mast’s structural integrity when sailing in rough conditions. One Nonsuch 36 I was familiar with was twice dismasted during different offshore passages, and I’ve heard other stories secondhand about Nonsuchs losing their rigs. It is worth noting that boats with more contemporary unstayed wishbone rigs, like the much sleeker Wyliecat, have stiffer carbon-fiber masts. There was in fact a carbon-rigged version of the Nonsuch 30, known as the Nonsuch 324, but only a handful were built before Hinterhoeller folded in 1996.

The other distinctive feature of any Nonsuch is its hull form. Like a classic Cape Cod catboat, which it deliberately mimics, a Nonsuch hull is very beamy and carries a lot of extra volume into its ends. The underbody, however, is modern, with a fin keel and a semi-balanced spade rudder right aft. This keeps the boat from developing a heavy helm like a classic catboat and helps windward performance. The boats reportedly can sail just under 45 degrees off the wind when closehauled.

All that beam also creates a lot of initial stability and allows for an enormous interior. The Nonsuch 30 certainly has about the roomiest accommodation plan of any boat its size. The so-called “classic” layout, with single and double quarterberths aft and a saloon with two full-length settees all the way forward, can honestly sleep five people if necessary. The more conventional “ultra” layout, offered as an option beginning in 1983, with a Pullman double forward and a large saloon aft, makes a very comfortable long-term liveaboard space for a couple and even includes a head with a separate shower. The great sense of space aboard is accentuated in both layouts by the generous headroom (well over 6 feet) afforded by the crowned coachroof and, in the classic layout, by the lack of bulkheads aft of the forepeak.

To save weight the fiberglass decks and hulls on all Nonsuchs, including much of the area below the waterline, have balsa cores. Both Hinterhoeller and its near-sister firm C&C Yachts were well practiced in this sort of construction–solid laminate, for example, is used around all through-hull fittings–but still the structure of any Nonsuch should be carefully examined for moisture intrusion. The deck joint is an inward flange bedded with non-adhesive butyl sealant and through-bolted at regular intervals; the ballast is external lead hanging on stainless-steel keel bolts. All structural bulkheads are right up forward, running both laterally and transversely, to support the area around the base of the unstayed mast and are well bonded to the hull.

The quality of construction generally on any Nonsuch is very high, as is reflected in the superb interior joinery. The most commonly reported problems–such as poorly designed propane locker drains, slipping rudder quadrants, and gate valves on through-hulls–are relatively minor and easily remedied. There have also been some bigger problems with corroding aluminum water tanks, but it is now possible to buy custom replacement plastic tanks through the INA.

Though Nonsuchs are strong and well built, I hesitate to recommend them as bluewater cruisers. Aside from the mast concerns mentioned above, the cockpits have no bridgedeck and open on to a large companionway with a low sill. If the companionway is not closed, there is little to stop boarding waves from jumping below. I wonder, too, about the motion of a Nonsuch in a seaway, as they are light and very beamy with flat bottoms, a combination that is likely to be uncomfortable in a steep chop. These factors are what give the boat it’s relatively high capsize screening value (over 2).

Nonsuchs do, however, make excellent coastal cruisers, as they are fast, easy to sail, and have extremely comfortable interiors. They are expensive compared to other used boats in their size range, but this reflects both the quality of construction and the fact that interior space is comparable to that seen on much larger vessels.

Specifications

LOA: 30’4″

LWL: 28’9″

Beam: 11’10”

–Standard keel: 5’0″

–Shoal keel: 3’11”

Ballast: 4,500 lbs.

Displacement: 11,500 lbs.

Sail area: 540 sq.ft.

Fuel: 28 gal.

Water: 80 gal.

D/L ratio: 216

SA/D ratio: 16.93

Comfort ratio: 22.47

Capsize screening: 2.09

Nominal hull speed: 8.3 knots

Typical asking prices: $45K – $80K

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This indicates cored deck and partially cored hull, both possible problems for moisture entrapment

another attempt

In reply almost a year later, HOW RIGHT YOU WERE, soft sides and decks have been a major issue for anyone who bought w/o a survey.

Hey I bought something that someone was selling and did zero inspection and now I am mad that I bought a POS, lol what a fucking moron

I have a 26 and the hull has no core, only the deck.

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Posted by Robert Neches | Boat Reviews , Monohull , Reviews

A fast, Big Catboat Whose Watchword is Simplicity.

W endy and Frank Glanznig were beating up Lake Huron’s Georgian Bay in a CS30 sloop, tacking hard upwind with rails under, when they saw another boat driving to weather behind them and easily gaining. It was a Nonsuch 30, and as it passed them, they saw “a little old lady by herself in the cockpit,” tucked within a full enclosure. “She was holding a china teacup,” Wendy says, “looking nice and warm, tacking, tacking, tacking, and kicking our behind! Right then, I said, ‘We gotta get one of those!’ ”

And so they did, though they went bigger and purchased hull #1 of the Nonsuch 36, the iteration of this popular, innovative design that many deem the queen of the fleet. Conceived by Mark Ellis as a boat whose essence is simplicity, making it easy for people to get out there and go sailing, the Nonsuch’s signature feature— its unstayed, wishbone rig carrying a single, huge sail —appeals to those willing to experiment and learn, and those with sufficient experience to recognize its advantages.

Designed by Ellis, and mostly built by Hinterhoeller Yachts of Ontario, Canada, these boats’ hallmark characteristics are the towering, unstayed mast in the bow, a windsurfer-like wishbone boom, a traditional New England-looking topsides, and a modern and efficient underbody. Nearly 1,000 of the boats between 22 to 36 feet have hit the water since the early 1980s.

Roughly 70 Nonsuch 36s were built from 1983 to 1990. Express Yachts built the first two and called them Nighthawks; when Express Yachts went bankrupt, Hinterhoeller built the rest. The late George Hinterhoeller, a master builder from Austria who emigrated to Canada in 1952, was a founding partner in C&C Yachts in 1969. He left C&C in 1975 and began building under the name Hinterhoeller Yachts in 1977, introducing the first Nonsuch, a 30, in 1978. The 36 followed in 1983.

One reason these boats remain so popular is the strength and support of the owners’ group, the International Nonsuch Association. Although the last boats were built three decades ago and the factory is long gone, about two-thirds of current owners are members of the association. Their discussion forum is exceptionally helpful and above average in civility. The Nonsuch.org website also has digitized copies of owner’s manuals, brochures, factory and owner-contributed maintenance recommendations, and sailing guidance.

Design and Construction

The factory brochure described Nonsuches as, “Greyhounds masquerading as catboats.” To get a sense of what this means, look at a Catalina 36 of the same era. The Nonsuch 36 has 8 inches more beam, 3 feet 6 inches more waterline length, 188 square feet more sail area, a full ton more displacement, and a mast a dozen feet taller. Its theoretical hull speed, 7.78 knots, is .4 knots faster than the Catalina. On the outside, it’s easy to mistake for a 40-footer. On the inside, it’s easy to mistake for a 42-footer.

The Nonsuch concept was a collaboration between Ellis, Hinterhoeller, and the boat’s first customer, Gordon Fisher, who wanted a shorthanded one-design racer for himself and fellow Toronto sailors. Ellis says his design inspirations were the Laser, Finn, and International 14 racing dinghies that he sailed extensively on the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes. His approach for each of the Nonsuch models was to treat it as a racing dinghy but add enough buoyancy above the waterline in the bow to keep it from burying its nose. Next, he refined the design to add balance and avoid weather helm through a combination of hull shape, keel structure, and rudder design. The wishbone rig to manage sail shape was inspired by the rigs of windsurfing boards (Ellis was an avid boardsailor) but proven for big boats by Garry Hoyt’s Freedom line as well as 19th-century Herreshoff designs.

People don’t expect the boat to perform well upwind. This surprises Ellis. Lasers and Finns do extremely well upwind, he points out; there’s no reason a larger boat inspired by them wouldn’t.

The boats were heavily built and generally well constructed. Deck and hull are fiberglass over balsa core, with reinforcements as needed in the deck. The keel is an external lead casting.

Chocks are incorporated in the deck bulwarks running all the way around. These are bolted to the hull through a stainless steel cap rail with a vinyl insert. This is one source of deck leaks in some boats, although the boats are generally regarded as tight.

The most expensive risk factors lie in and around the unstayed, keel-stepped mast in the bow. The mast drops through a large hole in the deck. Surrounded by an aluminum collar, it is wedged in place with a set of chocks and covered with a mast boot. Below, it sits on a heavily reinforced aluminum base that is firmly attached to the keel. This usually works well, but these are key areas to check for water intrusion damage. Several factory notices discuss mast attachment, reinforcement, and crack avoidance. Potential buyers should carefully check the mast and its supporting system. Also, drilling holes in the mast can lead to cracking and should be avoided.

The original engines were 52-horsepower Westerbeke diesels. Owners consider OEM replacement parts spectacularly overpriced. Phil LeVine co-owns Nonsuch 36 hull #3, MeSays , with his wife, Sheri Ross. He recently repowered with what Westerbeke advertises as a drop-in replacement; he reports that this was nowhere near the case.

Original tankage was 49 gallons of diesel fuel, 112 gallons of fresh water, and 45 gallons of waste. The owners’ group has negotiated group rates for 3/8-inch-thick, roto-molded replacement water and waste tanks of the same volume. Many owners have upgraded to these over the years, and/or added additional tanks.

It’s perhaps a good thing that the boat needs little crew. The cockpit is relatively small—comfortable for four, maybe six, but increasingly crowded above that. Deep coamings surround it, making seating comfortable and safe.

The cabintop runs over half the length of the boat. It’s highly crowned and stops just short of the mast in the bow. This doesn’t allow for much seating outside the cockpit. The sidedecks are comfortably wide, though, so moving forward is easy (especially with no shrouds to work around). Heavy cleats are at the bow, amidships, and stern on both sides.

Despite the racing pedigree, Ellis had the vision to design the Nonsuch 36 for long-range coastal cruisers and live-aboards, and the boats remain ideal for that purpose.

The companionway drops almost to the cabin sole, with a four-step ladder down to the huge interior. A large engine room behind the ladder runs underneath the cockpit sole almost to the stern. There’s a spacious lazarette, wet locker, and navigation table to port, and a commodious quarter berth to starboard. A standing-headroom head with separate shower area is next to port, with an aft-facing U-shaped galley to starboard. Next comes an open saloon with U-shaped seating around a table for six to port and a long settee to starboard.

The stateroom forward has a double berth to port, counter and sink to starboard, and numerous lockers throughout that include access to the bow (where the anchor chain/rode locker and mast reside). In addition to roomy accommodations, the Nonsuch 36 is notable for huge amounts of storage space and well-thought-out access to maintenance items.

You could easily entertain eight people in the saloon, serving gourmet food from the galley. But I’d want to kick half of them off the boat before sailing.

LeVine adds that, “The boat is fabulously ventilated—10 opening portlights by Atkins and Hoyle and four large hatches. Also, four Dorade vents and two solar fans make the boat very dry and well ventilated when a breeze inside is needed.”

I went for several sails on LeVine’s Nonsuch 36. On a pleasant Southern California February afternoon, midway between San Pedro Harbor and Catalina Island, MeSays made an impressive 5.7 knots upwind in 13 knots apparent at a wind angle under 30 degrees. Returning through the harbor entrance on a close reach in 19 knots apparent, the GPS recorded 7.46 knots. LeVine has hit 9.1 on a beam reach in 17 knots apparent.

Sailing year-round in the ocean channel between mainland Southern California and Catalina Island, LeVine often encounters afternoon winds in the high teens to low 20s. The wind can approach 30 knots before he considers a first reef.

The single, enormous sail provides a great deal of power, making electric winches for the halyard and mainsheet pretty much mandatory. To take the work out of raising and lowering the sail, owners prefer either more slippery bronze sail slides or retrofitting a low-friction sail track system such as those made by Tides Marine.

One advantage of the unstayed mast is that its highly tapered top section flexes to spill air when the wind picks up. This helps make the large sail more manageable than appearances would suggest. That feature combines with 6,500 pounds of lead ballast to control excessive heeling. Consequently, the boats sail remarkably flat. Ellis recommends using rudder feel rather than heel or weather helm to guide reefing. “Reef when you feel the rudder dragging,” he says.

Nonsuch 36s move well, with a seakindly motion. This point was driven home on another sail, from Redondo Beach to San Pedro. A submarine trench comes to a point just off Redondo Harbor, exacerbating the waves formed as ocean depths recede from several thousand feet to less than 60 feet within a few miles. If you want to test how a boat does in steep seas and confused chop, this is a good place to go.

Steering is light. The boat is responsive and will pick up speed quickly when well trimmed. But, being forgiving, it will not draw attention to itself. If you’re admiring the blue skies and watching the dolphins jump, it’s easy to drift 20 to 30 degrees off course before realizing you’ve slowed down and aren’t heading where you thought you were.

The sail controls and rigging are simple, although unusual. The wishbone boom is held up by a topping lift aft, angling upwards at about 20 degrees forward and held up at the mast by a pair of fixed lines. Five jacklines, each hanging from one side of the boom to the other, form a cradle holding the loose-footed sail when dropped. The natural tendency of the boom is to pull down and forward. The downward force eliminates the need for a boom vang. The forward force is counteracted by a single line called a choker that pulls the wishbone aft, flattening the sail.

Gung-ho and racing Nonsuch sailors tweak the topping lift and choker as frequently as other sailors play travelers, adjust vangs, tension halyards, and tweak sheets. However, many Nonsuch owners simply set their sail shape for the general conditions and then just sail for the rest of the day. The only control that requires some attention is the 100-foot mainsheet, which runs through two-part blocks and a turning block to a cockpit winch near the helm.

No jib, no jib sheets. Consequently, no complexities coming about. When it’s time to tack, you just give the wheel a quarter turn. No muss, no fuss.

Jibing, however, must be done with full consideration of all the power captured by a 742-square-foot sail. Some owners sheet in and release the sail back out after carefully crossing the wind. Others simply perform a surprisingly effective 270-degree tack. Still others jibe in a hard-to-explain S-curve maneuver. This last looks great when executed well. It’s a different story if mistakes are made and that 100 feet of mainsheet catches the skipper or an innocent bystander while whipping across the cockpit.

At age 79, LeVine says the main reason he asks others to help sail the boat is just to keep them from feeling left out. It’s that easy to sail. This is why they’re so popular with shorthanded sailors, and why so many owners keep going well after others their age have been forced to retire from sailing.

The Nonsuch 36 is exceptionally easy to handle. Although built to enable long-range coastal cruising, the simple rig and good performance make it easy for owners to take them out as daysailers and go in whatever direction provides the best sailing. Racing them is also popular.

The boats may have a reputation as being for geriatric sailors, but the age of the ownership is probably far more due to unwillingness to let go of a great boat than anything else. Easy to handle, yes. Comfortable, yes. Sedate? Not unless you want it to be.

The Nonsuch 36 is what I would call a “serious” boat. They are substantial in size, and one would do well to remember Ferenc Máté’s enjoinder in Shipshape: The Art of Sailboat Maintenance : “If you think your boat’s too small, try doing the bottom yourself.” Likewise, sliding multiple 20-plus-foot-long full battens back into the pockets of a Nonsuch 36 sail is a similarly infrequent but illuminating experience.

The Nonsuch 36 is not hard to maintain, but when you’re getting a lot of boat for its size, you’re also getting a lot of boat to maintain. Nonsuch owners who want reduced maintenance prefer later boats in which stainless steel replaced teak for handrails. Some have made extensive replacements of wood with faux teak products such as Plasteak.

Many are quite well-equipped, with lots of systems to maintain. LeVine’s, for example, has a watermaker, radar, chartplotter, forward-facing sonar, two radios, HVAC, inverter, power windlass, Harken electric winches, and so on. The rig is very sturdy, but unusual enough that riggers who understand and can maintain it are rare and valuable.

As of this writing, there were three 36s for sale at prices ranging from $68,000 to $70,000. Prices usually vary more, depending on condition, equipment, and location. They offer a lot of boat for the money.

As a retired engineer, I see creative ideas as good. Things that work are better. Creatively combining things that work is best. That’s what makes the Nonsuch 36 a best old boat.

Comments from owners

My wife and I purchased hull #6 Nonsuch new in 1983. We raced Random Wind extensively for the first seven years.

In 1984, during a 150-mile upwind beat, we noticed the mast rotating in the direction of the sail each time we tacked. As it turned out, all 24 1/4-20 bolts securing the mast tube to the base casting had sheared off, which allowed the mast to rotate. Mark Ellis was immediately notified, and he arranged for a crew to unstep the mast and install a much more robust system of attachment.

In 1989 we participated in a 360-nautical-mile ocean race from Boston to Halifax, Nova Scotia. We are proud to say we won our class and the IMS division.

In 2007, while conducting a mast inspection, I discovered a horizontal crack roughly 10 inches down from the deck collar radiating out from a hole created for the purpose of exiting the wire from the mast. In checking into this issue, I learned that a Nonsuch 36 had been dismasted in the Caribbean as a result of a crack in the same location. We decided to have a carbon-fiber mast built. This arrived in 2008 and we have enjoyed the extra confidence that comes with a new mast.

— Jim Hartling , Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia

Construction is top notch by 1970s and ’80s standards, very heavily built with good fit and finish. Accommodations are spectacular. We have been summer liveaboards for 36 years and have never felt cramped. This particular boat, 1986, has some spider webbing on radiused curves around the cockpit and cabin sides. That is the only structural deficiency that I notice. A previous Nonsuch, one of my 30s, had some deck delamination, but the 36 is still solid. Sailing characteristics take some getting used to. Foot speed is excellent on all points of sail, but you have to get used to not pinching upwind. In PHRF racing I find that we are about 5 degrees off most sloops upwind, worsening as the wind diminishes. Off the wind these boats are very fast. In a blow the 36 just rolls on like a tank, very stiff. Sailhandling and reefing are a snap. My wife, 73, still takes her friends out sans men. The electric winch is a must.

— Jay Burke, Barrington, Rhode Island

My wife loved the lack of anything around the mast she could trip on or get tangled in. She also loved the ease of sailing it. I looked at a 36 owned by a man and his wife who had lived on it for years and were accomplished sailors. He said to me, “Do you want to spend all of your time changing sails or just enjoying sailing?” The only downside I have found to sailing it is that one has to be very careful jibing or avoid that entirely and do a 270-degree tack.

— John Waldhauser , Port Madison, Bainbridge Island, Washington

I advise that the mast be thoroughly inspected inch by inch, including behind the mast boot and down on the keel. Boats that come out of the water annually have those inspections, but if the boat is in the water all year, an annual inspection is warranted by a rigger. My insurance with Geico depreciated the very expensive mast ($30,000 plus) 20 percent per year after 20 years and then 20 percent payout. A rider for $60 per year insures the mast for its full value. A good idea.

— Phil LeVine , San Pedro Harbor, California

About The Author

Robert Neches

Robert Neches is a retired R&D manager. Sailing year-round in Southern California, he has owned and maintained one boat or another continuously since 1984. His personal motto is, "Sailing boats, plus working on them—two hobbies for the price of three."

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I am interested in getting more information on Nonsuch sailboats, particularly in their performance. Any input or experience would be most welcome. Our sailing area is on the Chesapeake but would like a boat that would be capable of cruising along the east coast maybe with a little island hopping for good measure. Also, we are approaching retirement so any boat that we are considering must be able to be handled easily by two people. We currently own a 41 and feel that in future years this might be a little more boat than we need. (there''s a lot to be said for simplification ;-) Thank you.  

I chartered a Nonsuch 30 several years ago. I found the boat to be very well made. The interior was spacious and very functional. The cockpit was comfortable. Under power and under sail the boat was on rails - it really tracked and handled nicely. What I did not like was handling that huge sail. I found it difficult to hoist and if on a broad reach or a run it took forever to bring it in if you you wanted to head up or come about. The charter company said don''t jibe it. I like to be able to jibe especially in mob situations when appropriate. We had a hob (hat over board) situation that called for a jibe, but by the time we could come about, the hat was long gone.  

kb7176: If you check back under previous postings in this thread you will find other discussions regarding Nonsuch boats. I can’t help as I haven’t any personal experience with them. You can use the search function or go back about one year (there may be additional earlier postings).  

I own a Nonsuch 30 which I keep in Marblehead. These are pretty much perfect cruising boats. They are simple to sail and extremely comfortable; the cabin on a 30 is as large as the cabin you''ll find on a 38 foot sloop. (After all, the NS30 has a 12-foot beam). They have a very good website, which has a ton of information about handling the sail. There has been, in fact, much recent discussion about an upgrade on the mast which they say greatly facilitates raising and lowering the sail. I should also point out that the ownership of the Nonsuch skews to an older demographic. Most seem to be either retirees or close to it.  

How are they to weather? I think not that well.  

I bought a NS 30 last year after I sold my Seidelmann 30T. The Nonsuch goes to weather better than my Seidelmann 30 ever did. It's also much faster due to the long LWL. On a reach and off the wind not much can touch them w/o a spinnaker.  

One problem with the cat-rig on the Nonsuch is that reefing it is much more important than it was on a traditional sloop, since you only have the one sail.  

Nonsuch 26 mast. I recently purchased a Nonsuch 26 and need to take the mast down. Can anyone tell me the weight of the the mast and how best to remove the mast wedges ?  

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NONSUCH 26 Detailed Review

If you are a boat enthusiast looking to get more information on specs, built, make, etc. of different boats, then here is a complete review of NONSUCH 26. Built by Hinterhoeller Yachts Ltd. and designed by Mark Ellis, the boat was first built in 1981. It has a hull type of Fin w/spade rudder and LOA is 7.92. Its sail area/displacement ratio 16.19. Its auxiliary power tank, manufactured by Westerbeke, runs on Diesel.

NONSUCH 26 has retained its value as a result of superior building, a solid reputation, and a devoted owner base. Read on to find out more about NONSUCH 26 and decide if it is a fit for your boating needs.

Boat Information

Boat specifications, sail boat calculation, rig and sail specs, auxillary power tank, accomodations, contributions, who designed the nonsuch 26.

NONSUCH 26 was designed by Mark Ellis.

Who builds NONSUCH 26?

NONSUCH 26 is built by Hinterhoeller Yachts Ltd..

When was NONSUCH 26 first built?

NONSUCH 26 was first built in 1981.

How long is NONSUCH 26?

NONSUCH 26 is 7.43 m in length.

What is mast height on NONSUCH 26?

NONSUCH 26 has a mast height of 12.5 m.

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• Sailboat Guide

Nonsuch 26 is a 25 ′ 11 ″ / 7.9 m monohull sailboat designed by Mark Ellis and built by Hinterhoeller Yachts Ltd. between 1982 and 1988.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

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