Searching for a new to me interim boat <30ft.

Apex

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Jun 19, 2013
1,197
C&C 30 Elk Rapids
Spring is nearing, and time for projects. Gotta say I am less enthusiastic for projects than just simply sailing. More often I enjoy projects, but too many other projects in life has me thinking about trading off my projects for something more "finished".

...so still waiting for a larger slip, that relegates me to 30'0"" MAX. Traverse City area, wanting: comfortable for day sailing, but also weekending and perhaps a 5-6day trip mixed in once a season. Would like performance with comfort. Swim Platform good diesel, wheel or tiller steering is fine. Current boat is O'Day 28. Love the wide side decks, performance upwind is decent. Comfortable below though the quarterberth is tight. Perhaps a more modern rig.

What would you recommend? What are you dreaming of in that size range?

Some recent looks on yachtworld
First 30: nice, except the sprit adds 2 ft. Do I really want to spend $130k on a 30footer?
Catalina 28 or 30? Friend has a 28 and it is nice enough. 30's are everywhere, and not a fan of the huuuuge companionway, tight quarterberth.
Cal28, O'Day 290: The 290 got me interested, with a swim platform. Would even consider upgrading the shoal draft to deep fin on the one I see for sale. Looking at the performance figures though, still in 180-200phrf range. Am I asking too much? Like the double spreader rig of the cal, not so much mid side-deck chainplate locations. 290 moves them in but goes to single spreader rig? They are supposedly similar, but don't appear to be???
Oceanis 281 - would prefer traditional v-berth arrangement.
First 29 - again looking at great lakes boats for sale currently, this has potential as a boat, but example I found has a lot of strange mods with stainless hatch slides and instrument cover, and wacky custom ladder...like the transom, double spreader rig, aft head though.

Share what you are looking for, what you are lusting after.
 
May 14, 2019
24
CORONADO 23-2 Home
might look at an S2 9.2C with the aft cabin, not the prettiest boat, but sails decent and has the most room you will get in 30 feet.
If you could go to 32' O'day made a 32' with a walk over aft cabin with better sailing and headroom.
 
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JRT

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Feb 14, 2017
2,037
Catalina 310 211 Lake Guntersville, AL
Cataline 310:) It's only a footish bigger then 30, would they really check or care? Fwd Berth is awesome, it is a great couple boat and not that big.
 

Apex

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Jun 19, 2013
1,197
C&C 30 Elk Rapids
was told 30' and not an inch more....assume they would know by the stickers on 310? Was thinking the same though @JRT ....with a Pearson 31-2. 30'8" overall.
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
The First 29 looks dandy. I'm less a fan of the masthead rig, but the layout and the solid glass hull and smart deck design will last for years. You'll fall in love with the instruments over the companionway. The First 36.7 has that from the factory, and it's one great feature. While I love J/boats, I would never buy a 40 year old cored race boat.
 

Apex

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Jun 19, 2013
1,197
C&C 30 Elk Rapids
thanks @Jackdaw: Looked hard at it too, until I re-read and those pictures are OLD as indicated in the ad. The boat "can be made to look like this again......." :( Great advice re a cored boat, and feedback on the instrument location. I find myself looking at the mast instruments aboard Fishtales, even with instruments right in front of me, so would agree. So can see the benefit in companionway numbers.

the ODay 290, is a rebranded CAL28 design with swimstep. 1 set of winches, and I would have to replace the keel, not to mention a PHRF indicating performance not far from where I am currently.

so WHAT IS EVERYONE ELSE'S DREAMBOAT in this range? What is YOUR primary search criteria?

Indeed @Justin_NSA C310 won't fit my current slip. EVEN THOUGH there is one for sale in my town.
 

Phil

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Feb 11, 2017
279
Morris Annie Haleiwa, HI
Apex,

I have my dreamboat in that size range - Morris Annie 29'. The Morris Leigh 30' and Linda 28' were both close contenders, but the right Annie was on the market when my shopping turned serious. My search criteria were - ~34' or smaller, capable of crossing oceans in a reasonable amount of comfort, beautiful design, & outstanding craftsmanship. Boat location and price were also considerations.

Other boats that I were on the market and under consideration when I was shopping were in no particular order Bristol Channel Cutter 28, Shannon 28, Victoria 30 & 34, Hallberg-Rassy, and Hinckley.
 
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Phil

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Feb 11, 2017
279
Morris Annie Haleiwa, HI
beauty of a boat @Phil , and in Hawaii to boot. :thumbup:
Not in Hawaii yet. Kolibri is still in Redwood City, CA until ~late May of 2022. I'm spending a fair amount of time in the SF Bay area for work. My daughter and I will be sailing to Hawaii next year.
 
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Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Hmmm... He said he was looking for performance. 90% of the boats mentioned so far have a hard time getting out of their own way.

If I was not knee deep in boats now, I would strike at this:


Jodi's not a fan of the limited head room; but she loves the speed......
 
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Phil

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Feb 11, 2017
279
Morris Annie Haleiwa, HI
Hmmm... He said he was looking for performance. 90% of the boats mentioned so far have a hard time getting out of their own way.

If I was not knee deep in boats now, I would strike at this:


Jodi's not a fan of the limited head room; but she loves the speed......
Actually he said "performance" and "comfort"...then he went on to mention a swim platform and 30' maximum.

Everything he mentioned is relative. If you want full on performance and a swim platform buy a Hobie 16. You are practically in the freakin water, but it's not comfortable. I know, I've sailed many. Throw in some J boats and you get range of performance / comfort mix from the J24 up to the J160...also sailed a bunch of those.

Point is...performance and comfort are all relative...as is the swim platform. My swim platform is a SUP slung along side my boarding ladder.

Cheers
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Actually he said "performance" and "comfort"...then he went on to mention a swim platform and 30' maximum.

Everything he mentioned is relative. If you want full on performance and a swim platform buy a Hobie 16. You are practically in the freakin water, but it's not comfortable. I know, I've sailed many. Throw in some J boats and you get range of performance / comfort mix from the J24 up to the J160...also sailed a bunch of those.

Point is...performance and comfort are all relative...as is the swim platform. My swim platform is a SUP slung along side my boarding ladder.

Cheers
LOL. Didn't mean to strike a nerve. Move on. Enjoy your boat.
 
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Phil

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Feb 11, 2017
279
Morris Annie Haleiwa, HI
LOL. Didn't mean to strike a nerve. Move on. Enjoy your boat.
No nerve struck. Only pointing out that the OP had a wide range of requirements with "performance" being just one of them.
 

Apex

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Jun 19, 2013
1,197
C&C 30 Elk Rapids
:beer:Happy Friday.

@Jackdaw @Phil I would tend to agree with BOTH, that the boats are leaning heavily towards the cruiser side of racer cruiser. That is just what I found thus far on YachtWorld. With a current PHRF of 201 we are hardly getting out of our own way...therein lies the relative "raciness". A marked step up in performance AND adding better access to the water would be justification for moving into a new boat while maintaining similar size. Ultimately I was hoping to get into the 32-34ft (stretching to 36, but staying beneath my storage space constraint of 37'2"). That is not currently possible due to current slip. That is unfortunate, as longer waterlines makes more speed easier. So wanting to stay away from lots of projects type of boats, the next 5 years keeps me in the sub-30 realm. The girlfriend is not a fan of all plastic spartan interiors. So creature comforts at the current level are likely the minimum allowable, while adding refrigeration and hot water are next on her want list.

I am also able to get my speed fix on Melges and the big boats each Wednesday and on some weekends at the GTYC. So being able to stay on the cruiser'ier :huh: side with my personal boat is less painful to all parties involved.
 
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