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Nimble Wanderer

Tom Neale reviews this 32-foot cruiser.
Nimble Boats

A result of the most recent collaboration between Nimble’s Gerry Koch and designer Ted Brewer, the Nimble Wanderer is available with or without a mast. It offers distinct meaning to the term “motorsailer.”

Pushed by a standard 50-horsepower diesel engine, it is designed to cruise at 10 knots. The rig is tabernacle-stepped — relatively easy to lower for bridges, for ducking under trees in backwater haunts or for power cruising. Draft of 2’10″ allows entry into most gunkholes. Waterline length of 29’3″ contributes to speed and sea-keeping potential, while highway-friendly beam of 8’6″ is carried well forward to optimize stability and interior volume. The underbody sports a long, straight keel of encapsulated cast iron.

The vessel has cozy inside steering at the forward starboard bulkhead in the main saloon, an area that doubles as a dining zone. Large windows all around provide the sense of openness you’d expect and enjoy aboard a trawler. The galley, forward and down to port, is L-shaped and served by an overhead hatch for ventilation and light. Standard equipment includes a two-burner stove and 12-volt DC refrigeration. An enclosed head with its own separate shower compartment sits opposite the galley. And all the way forward, a stateroom in the bow harbors a large berth and provides private access to the head.

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The cockpit aft features the high sides of a powerboat fantail and benefits from the windbreak furnished by the cabin. The foredeck is deeply recessed at the bow and open at the stem.

The deck and hull are sealed and then bolted with stainless fasteners. A 17-foot rub rail and six stainless cleats add to the rugged appearance. The hull is cored with foam and vacuum bagged. The motor is tucked into the bilge area between the main cabin deck and the hull.

At 10 to 12 knots, burning 3/4 to one gallon per hour, this little home afloat can take you on a great escape along any inland or coastal waterway, or you can put her on a trailer behind your Suburban and hit that perfect faraway lake or lagoon.

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Nimble Wanderer Specifications:
* LOD: 32’5″
* LWL: 29’3″
* Beam: 8’6″
* Draft: 2’10”
* Disp: 8,800 lbs.
* Sail area: (100%) 216 sq.ft.
* Mast above water: 29’7″
* Designer: Ted Brewer
* Base price: $89,950

Nimble Boats Inc.
6135 142nd Ave North
Clearwater, FL 34620
Phone: (813) 539-6444

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