Nonsuch 22

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

The Nonsuch 22 is the smallest boat in the Nonsuch family. It’s a Canadian trailerable sailboat designed by Mark Ellis and first built in 1984. About 58 were made by Hinterhoeller Yachts in St. Catharines, Ontario, until production ended around 1990.

This is a small recreational keelboat, mostly built of fiberglass. It uses a catboat rig with an unstayed mast and a distinctive wishbone boom. The bow is plumb, the stern square, and the rudder is an internally mounted spade type controlled by a wheel. It has a fixed fin keel. The boat weighs about 5,000 pounds and carries 1,800 pounds of ballast. Its draft is 3.67 feet.

Sailing details include a total sail area of 306 square feet. The rig is cat rigged, and the hull speed is about 6.07 knots. Fuel capacity is 15 gallons and fresh water capacity is 23 gallons. Power comes from either an 8 hp Westerbeke diesel or a 10 hp outboard for docking and maneuvering.

Inside, the Nonsuch 22 offers a surprisingly large cabin for a 22-foot boat, including an enclosed head and a small galley. During its life it was redesigned to fix issues that came from scaling down the original Nonsuch 30, especially to improve headroom and overall height. The boat has a PHRF racing average of 240, with a typical range from 225 to 252.

The Nonsuch 22 is praised for its simple, easy handling. The standout feature is the wishbone rig, which helps keep sail shape downwind and provides extra headroom. Its fin keel and spade rudder give quick helm response and good maneuverability, though some owners felt the design may not be ideal for those seeking a traditional look. Overall, it’s described as an easy daysailer or cruiser for two, with strong interior space for its size. The Nonsuch 22 was later viewed as a useful, well-thought-out evolution of the original concept, scaled to a smaller, still capable package.