60 best Boats 30' and under

Ted · Dec 31, 2023

Worthy of what? Racing, coastal cruising, crossing oceans? What is your intended use?

DArcy · Dec 31, 2023

You have the C&C 30 but not the 27. You don't indicate which Mk# of the 30 either, there is a significant difference between the Mk I and Mk II. The Mk II is a much more modern boat. The MK I is a scaled up version of the C&C 27 Mk I - IV. By most counts the C&C 27 Mk I through IV is a better boat than the C&C 30 Mk I. The 27 Mk V is a different boat. I owned a C&C 27 Mk II for almost 20 years, cruising and racing. It was a fantastic blend of performance and comfort in a 1970s 27 footer. There is a very good reason close to 1000 boats were produced - the boat sails very well (even compared to today's similar sized cruiser/racers) and is comfortable for a family of 4 for an extended weekend cruise. If you are looking at the C&C 27 see if you can find a Mk III or Mk IV, they added a couple of feet to the mast and stretched the water line out which improved performance with no negative impacts.

The nicest boat under 30' I have been on was a Mirage 29. What a great layout and decent sailing. If you are looking for a good performing, comfortable cruising boat under 30', the Mirage 29 should be at the top of the list to check out.

The Pearson 30 Flyer is a very different beast. If you want the best bang for the buck in performance this would be a good choice, but not a comfortable cruising boat.

You have an extremely diverse set of boats in that list. Comparing a Frers 30 to a Morgan Out Island 28 would be ridiculous. Narrowing down you criteria before going any further would be a good idea. Sailboatdata.com has a refine search feature where you could play with values like SA/D and Disp/Length. If you want stability look for a low Capsize Ratio (under 2), if you want more performance look for higher SA/D.

FastOlson · Dec 31, 2023

As others point out, you need to ID your criteria better.
Based on quality of design and build, I would want the Yamaha 30, Ericson 30-2, Ericson 30+, and the smaller sizes like the Ericson 28, E-27, and E-29. Also and for sure the Olson 911-S.
But if you add boats without knowing their design and construction particulars , you will end up comparing apples to walnuts..... or worse.

marcham · Dec 31, 2023

Club racing? Cruising? Day sailing? Trailer or no trailer?

Budget??
30' waterline length or overall length?
Year?

dlochner · Jan 1, 2024

Project_Mayhem said:
How is it that a boat with a longer longer waterline (and more wetted surface) has better performance?

Read about displacement hulls, which is what most sailboats have. Then read about hull form and wave parting. Long skinny boats are generally faster than short stubby boats. Sport boats and boats designed to plane are a different kettle of fish.

Rather than rely on the numbers, understand what the designer/builder was trying to achieve. Also have some understanding of the racing handicaps of an era, even boats designed as racer/cruisers or family sailors were influenced by handicapping rules. Some rules, like IOR produced funky designs. Other boats were built to be price competitive. Some boats were built to appeal to a non sailing spouse and are designed around creature comforts first, sailing characteristics second.

The trouble with using numbers to describe something as complex in function as a sailboat is they lead to misinterpretation and exaggeration, is a boat with a comfort rating of 1.9 really that much more uncomfortable than a boat with a 2.1 ratio? Is a boat with a PHRF handicap of 172 really much slower than one with a 166? Numbers give us a false sense of confidence in our knowledge of that factor.

Since you like bashing about in Great Lakes waves, the first consideration should be build quality. What is builder's reputation for quality? Eliminate any boats that were, as the sayings go, "built to price" or "a lot boat for the money."

Obsessiion · Jan 1, 2024

The Mariner 28 was well built and pretty comfortable.

shemandr · Jan 1, 2024

It's an interesting list for a couple of reasons. Foremost to me is that there is hardly a boat on it that is still in production. Has the industry abandoned the 30' performance cruiser market? You can find 30' sport boats but I'm having trouble thinking of a performance cruiser.
You would be hard pressed to find a way to spend 30 K on many of those. If the OP wants inward power he should probably budget for a re-power right off the bat for many of the boats of that vintage.
The best boat I ever went out bashing waves in is the C&C 27 Mark 1(Although I'm not sure it was called the Mark 1). The owner and I went out on a crappy day in our foulies, a more than adequate supply of beer, and slammed into waves for hours longer than made any sense. The boat didn't mind a bit. And it was fun.

Scott T-Bird · Jan 1, 2024

If your boat is for heavy weather on Lake Michigan, I would eliminate all boats on your list under 30' unless they are full keel and comfort factor over 20. If you like performance and single-handing, then expand the list and eliminate the ones that are built more for comfort. Your list seems to be indiscriminate and scattered across a broad range of priorities. I'll suggest that you should not dismiss Starwind 27 (masthead rig) or Precision 27 or 28 (fractional rigs). These boats have a very good design pedigree and I would choose them over many of the similar-sized boats on your list. But reality dictates that you will be limited to the models that are conveniently located for sale and, of course, condition, condition, condition usually dictates the best purchase opportunities.

DArcy · Jan 1, 2024

shemandr said:
The best boat I ever went out bashing waves in is the C&C 27 Mark 1(Although I'm not sure it was called the Mark 1). The owner and I went out on a crappy day in our foulies, a more than adequate supply of beer, and slammed into waves for hours longer than made any sense. The boat didn't mind a bit. And it was fun.

I will second that. I woke up one morning on my C&C 27 to a building wind. I was waiting for the wind to settle down, having my coffee, but it kept building. By the time I pulled up anchor the wind was in the high 40 knot range with regular gusts over 50. And, of course, I had to sail into it to get home. I double reefed the main and hunkered down. The boat was happy and just kept sailing the 9 miles home.

A couple years later I decided to head out by myself for a day sail. The wind was in the mid 20s and I set off on a reach. I averaged over 7 knots out and back covering about 25 miles in a few hours.

mermike · Jan 1, 2024

I'm biased, but you could add the Yamaha 30 to your list. They're not common, but owners love them.

Alan Gomes · Jan 1, 2024

Project_Mayhem said:
Anything over 2-2.5' and less than 3 seconds apart is uncomfortable in an O'Day 25.

Waves less than 3 seconds apart are uncomfortable in nearly any pleasure craft.

Alan Gomes · Jan 1, 2024

dlochner said:
Eliminate any boats that were, as the sayings go, "built to price"

Pretty much all the boats we are talking about here were "built to a price." My Ericson, which for whatever reason has a reputation as being a cut above other boats build in the 70's and 80's, most certainly was. This becomes evident when you start tearing into it to retrofit and/or correct some of the cost-savings measures done by the builders. While it's true that some brands were worse than others--and often this varied by model year, depending upon what was happening at the company at the time--we shouldn't kid ourselves about this.

Steve L22188 · Jan 1, 2024

Asking which boats should be in a "best under 30'" list is just one step away from the dreaded "should I varnish or let the teak go natural?" thread!

dlochner · Jan 1, 2024

Alan Gomes said:
Pretty much all the boats we are talking about here were "built to a price." My Ericson, which for whatever reason has a reputation as being a cut above other boats build in the 70's and 80's, most certainly was. This becomes evident when you start tearing into it to retrofit and/or correct some of the cost-savings measures done by the builders. While it's true that some brands were worse than others--and often this varied by model year, depending upon what was happening at the company at the time--we shouldn't kid ourselves about this.

Of course all boats are built to a price, with that price defining a particular market segment. Sabres and Tartans were built for a different market segment than Hunter and O'Day and their prices reflected that. A fair question to ask when there are significant price (original new boat) differences between 2 similarly sized boats intended for similar purposes, why is one boat more expensive than the other?

Sometimes the differences are due to increased build efficiencies. Beneteau was a pioneer in using CNC machines to cut the plywood. They were able to cut labor costs, ensure greater uniformity in the parts, and reduce waste. They reduced costs while keeping quality high. Other manufacturers cut costs in other ways by using the minimum scantlings, taking less time to finish the glass leaving raw edges, using less expensive hardware store plumbing, installing a Jabsco rather than a Raritan Head, and by using welding cable instead of tinned marine wire and cable, and so on. Some of those cost cutting methods have a trivial effect on the overall quality of the build while others may have a more pronounced effect on the boat's quality.

Don S/V ILLusion · Jan 1, 2024

Alan Gomes said:
Pretty much all the boats we are talking about here were "built to a price." My Ericson, which for whatever reason has a reputation as being a cut above other boats build in the 70's and 80's, most certainly was.

not sure that description “cut above” doesn’t also apply to every production boat including Sabres and Tartans.

Over the decades, we’ve owned lots of boats but our old E27 was definitely built better and stronger and sailed better than most since then.

Often the case the choice of which boat brand to buy or which boats to put on a shopping list is made based on the nameplate rather than how well it has been maintained and upgraded along the way. Two generally mutually exclusive considerations which many buyers often fail to appreciate.

lacoursmarc · Jan 1, 2024

Project_Mayhem said:
I'm putting together a list of boats including their basic specs in order to narrow down my search. Am I missing any production boats that are worthy?

Beneteau First 305
Beneteau Oceanis 281
Cal 2-29
Canadian Sailcraft 30
Catalina 27
Catalina 28
Catalina 30 TRBS
Chris-Craft Apache 37
Islander 30
Kirie Elite 30
ODay 25
Pearson 30
Pearson 303
S2 9.2
Vancouver 27

Columbia 28
Beneteau First 30E
J/29
C&C 29-2
C&C 29
C&C 30
Baba 30
Ranger 30
ODay 27
ODay 30
ODay 28
Oday 290
Oday 272
Cal 29
Cal 27
Pearson 28-2 (85-89)
Pearson 28 (80-82)
Bayfield 29 (full Keel)
Freedom 30
Farr 30
Kirby 30
Precision 30
Precision 27
Cape Dory Intrepid 28
Sabre 30-1
Sabre 30-2
Sabre 30-3
Tartan 30
Morgan Out Island 28
Morgan 30-2 (72-76)
Pearson 27
Sabre 28 MKII
Sabre 28 MKIII
Sabre 28 MKI
Mirage 30
Mirage 29
Mirage 275
Frers 30
Newport 28
Newport 28-2
Newport 30-3
Yankee 30
Yankee 30 MKII
Yankee 30 MKIII
Dufour 29
Dufour 30/31
Tartan 3000
Pearson Flyer

Hunter 29.5 owners say good things about them. We like ours.

jon hansen · Jan 3, 2024

there is only one winner on "your" list

Ta Da.

S&S design. world class, that loves lake michigan

60 best Boats 30' and under

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