30 of sailboat

8 Best Catamarans That Are 30 Feet or Less

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Large-sized catamarans are appealing due to their ample spacing and comfort. Therefore, a cruising family or couple looking to buy a boat is more likely to go for one of these. But are there small cruising catamarans that provide the performance, comfort, and amenities found in larger boats?  

The best catamarans under 30 feet (9.14 m) include the TomCat 6.2, Cadillac 27and 30, Gemini 30, Endeavour 30, and Maine Cat. These time-tested cruising cats are easy to handle, premium built, and are great for daytime sailing, overnight trips, and some even suitable for long-range sea passages. 

In this article, you’ll find a list of the best cruising catamarans below 30 feet (9.14 m). Keep reading to discover which catamarans make this list, what they have to offer, their pros and cons, and how much they cost.

If you are unsure whether or not 30ft is too small for your needs, then I suggest you check out another article I wrote named Best Size Catamaran , it will discuss why length matters and how it affects safety.

Unlike most catamarans designed for racing purposes, the TomCat 6.2 is a medium-sized cat that’s well-suited to daytime cruising. It boasts high-quality construction, vacuum-bagged hulls, and a plywood-reinforced deck.

This 20 footer (6.09 m) comes with an 11-foot (3.35 m) beam and not only offers you safety and comfort but performance and versatility as well. 

This boat has a centrally placed outboard engine and two rudders that allow it to turn quickly and maneuver confidently into and out of marina slips. The 9.9 hp outboard propels it to speeds of around 8 knots (9.21 mph or 14.8 kph), though the boat has the potential to move faster if desired.

This simpler type of cat (just one engine as an example) also allows for cheaper and easier maintenance. Maintenance costs are something most people underestimate when getting a cat, if you want to get some real numbers from actual sailors then I suggest you read this article (How much does it cost to maintain a cat).

The boat sails with minimal heeling, comfortably accommodate 6-8 people, and you can sail it single-handed or take a crew. 

High and narrow hulls bearing arched bottoms allow for a low wetted surface. The hull design provides low resistance and a great deal of reserved buoyancy and also enables you to drive through closely spaced waves.

On most 20-footers (6.1 m), driving through waves generates a smooth but wet ride, but with the TomCat’s enclosed deck (link to parts names explained here ), you are safe and protected behind a windshield and the high bulwark.

The TomCat makes an excellent cruiser because it performs impressively well both under sail and power. It combines the performance of a modern sailing cat with the comfort, style, and convenience of a powerboat. It’s also trailerable since you can detach the hulls from the deck , winch up the deck on a trailer, and slide the hulls underneath.

But the best part is that it’s easy on the pocket, with the price ranging between $36,750 and $44,580 .

Catalac 30 (9M)

The Catalac brand consists of strongly built vessels that sport thick hulls, glass windows, narrow beams, and vertical transoms . Catalac 30 was the first vessel in this popular British cruising line designed by Tom Lack in the late 60s. The boat’s appeal was attributed to its safety, ample spacing, well-built interior, and load-carrying abilities.

These characteristics are extremely important on a safe catamaran, overloading your cat makes it sit lower in the water, increases drag, reduces handling and speed, there is stuff you should know about this (so that you can make an educated buy). I have created an article where I try to explain the basics of a safe cat ( link here )

Sporting 5 berths, a massive galley, plus a cockpit with a sheltered steering position, the 30-foot (9.1 m) Catalac makes an excellent floating home for a cruising family. It sails exceptionally well, doesn’t heel ( heeling explained here ), and delivers a reasonable motor-sailer level of performance.

Furthermore, the hulls provide adequate headroom, allowing those on board to move around comfortably, and there’s enough space on the deck for sunbathing. 

The Catalac’s structure features solid fiberglass, chined hulls, and a staggered sheerline that allows easy aft access. With a modest rig that’s easy to handle, the Catalac can deliver top speeds of up to 12-14 knots (13.81-16.11 mph / 22.22-25.9 kph) under sail.

Given that the boat’s design focuses more on comfort than speed, this is a spectacular performance.  

Catalac 9M requires a skilled hand when turning into the wind as it is prone to blowing sideways. This is because the boat lacks ballast (which helps in keeping momentum during a tack) but also centerboards ( explained here ).

Skills are always the most essential things to bring aboard and you can acquire them in many ways, my two favorite ways are through NauticEd courses (two free courses here ) or by reading books (my top 15 books here )

Back to the boat! This model came in two versions; the standard layout contained a 30-40hp outboard, while the second option had duo engines. The latter is easier to maneuver into a marina. 

These cats retain their value pretty well. However, they might not be easy to come by since most owners find it challenging to get their hands on a larger boat with similar qualities and performance.

A Catalac 30 (9M) goes for between $33,000 and $55,000.

Catalac 27 (8M)

The Catalac 27 8M is a pocket cruiser that boasts a strong reputation for high quality, durability, and strength. Besides, the boat’s design makes it somewhat suitable for bluewater sailing ( understand why the small size is an offshore problem).

Built like a battleship, the boat contains solid fiberglass hulls. Additionally, it comes with double engines, a large cockpit fitted with cushions all around, and features standing headroom in each hull.

Like the Catalac 9M, this boat comes with two different layouts; a twin inboard diesel engine or an outboard engine. The twin-engine models can motor up to 1000 km (621 miles, read more on cat fuel consumption here ) without needing to refuel, while the 70 amps of charge plus water tanks (70 gallons / 265 liters) make these vessels remarkable coastal cruisers. 

Catalacs equipped with outboard engines sail faster since you can raise the engine during sailing and are also lighter. This helps to minimize drag . Catalac 8M sports a short but thick mast that helps make the boat stable. 

Though small in size, this catamaran packs a lot of features in its small frame. It has a full-sized berth, a large galley that’s almost 8 feet (2.4 m) long, a quarter berth, head, and navigation station.

What’s more, the cockpit is as large as that of a 38 to 40-foot (11.5 to 12.1 m) cat.

Catalac 27 costs about $31,836.

The Endeavour 30 

The Endeavour 30 catamaran is a boat characterized by stability, ample deck space, and a spacious interior. It boasts fast cruising speeds under both sail and power.

The boat has mini keels and rudders plus symmetrical hulls separated by a hydra-cell. The latter is a center section with a characteristic V-shape. 

The boat’s vacuum-bagged construction helps enhance strength and stiffness while reducing weight. Furthermore, the interior has a fiberglass mold, providing extra strength and rigidity. With sufficient breeze, this vessel can deliver reasonable off-the-wind and doable upwind speeds.

As such, you can expect to attain speeds of about ~10 knots (11.51 mph or 18.5 kph) on power reaches. Below is a video showing a panoramic tour of the Endeavour 30:

This vessel has the internal capacity of a 40-foot (12.1 m) monohull. And you can tell this from the unique layout merging the cabin and cockpit with wide doors to the numerous features packed into this 30-foot (9.14 m) vessel.

It has a spacious salon, an enormous galley, two queen berth staterooms with plenty of storage space, a head with separate showers, and a sizable U-shaped dinette. 

You can get this boat for under $50,000 .

The Geminis by Tony Smith were the United States’s first production cruising cats. Today, these vessels remain the most appealing American-built cruising catamarans. Built between 1981 and 1990, the Gemini 30 does not have a contemporary design, but it works remarkably well for cruisers desiring generous living space in a small affordable sailboat.

At only 14 feet (4.2 m) across, Gemini cats are somewhat narrow. But this mean s they can easily fit into most of the regular marina berths.

Besides, the boats still contain enough interior space for a queen-size double berth and two smaller doubles housed in separate guest rooms.

There’s also a modest but serviceable saloon with duo settees and a collapsible table that can transform into an additional double berth.

For the Gemini 30, this translates to a cruising cat with standing headroom that can comfortably accommodate 3 couples in private cabins or a family with small children. A good-sized galley, a spacious head with a shower, nav desk, and a large comfy cockpit make up the Gemini 30’s cruising palace.

Catamaran layout is highly personal and if you want to learn more about different characteristics then I suggest you read my article Designing the perfect catamaran layout ( Link )

While not that fast, the Gemini 30 will easily outsail the Endeavor 30 discussed above. Its daggerboards (which are explained in detail here ) can point well, and if you keep it light, it can do 7-8 knots (12.9-14.8 km/hr) under sail.

Besides, raising the daggerboards reduces the wetted surface area, and increases the speed downwind.

The Gemini 30 tends to pound and hobbyhorse a little when sailing in choppy waters – particularly when overloaded (more on load carrying capabilities in this article ), but the deep pivoting daggerboards provide stability and lift underwater.

Furthermore, the Gemini’s retractable rudders enable it to venture into shallow waters.

This is a very popular cruising cat that’ll give you a lot of bang for your bucks.

You can find a Gemini for less than $65,000.

Maine Cat 30 

The Maine Cat 30 combines premium quality construction materials with the most advanced building techniques to create a lightweight vessel capable of handling most offshore conditions. What’s more, this boat can remain trouble-free for years on end with little effort.

If you are in the market for a simple liveaboard cruiser that you can use for a short weekend getaway or a cruising voyage, this is it.

The boat has a sizable primary stateroom berth with ample overhead space and a dresser fitted with a hanging storage cabinet. The enormous head includes a toilet, sink, 20-gallon (75.71 L) holding tank, vanity, and a pressurized shower.

Covering the open bridgedeck is a permanent hardtop. This spacious bridgedeck can hold quite a crowd and comes with a convertible dinette that turns into an extra berth. If need be, you can even enclose the entire space using acrylic windows or screens. Gabo

The 360-degree visibility from the cockpit allows the captain plus the crew a panoramic view, and all sail controls go back to the cockpit, which is very useful if wanting to sail single-handedly.

I believe that most boats should be set up in this way since sooner or later you might be in a situation where there is only one person to handle the controls, such as in an emergency. But more on that in another article ( Link ).

The Maine Cat 30 is a classic boat that delivers on high-performance multihull sailing. Designed to offer much better performance than catamarans bearing tall and heavy bridge decks, this cat weighs less and suffers less windage thanks to the acrylic windows.

The boat’s interior layout allows for easy cleaning as surfaces sport a smooth gel coat and satin-finished cherry trim. The solid but lightweight furniture bears the same Core-Cell foam core employed on the hull, deck, and hardtop. Plus, there’s ample storage for all your sailing equipment, cleaning supplies, and provisions.

A Maine Cat 30 can cost up to $110,000.

Heavenly Twins 27

The overall design of this well-equipped catamaran makes it a superb pocket cruiser.

Heavenly Twins 27 manages to fit not one but two coachroofs on hulls that are only 27 feet (8.20 m) long. Canoe sterns and a central cockpit separating the duo coachroofs form the boat’s other prominent features. 

Famous for their excellent build quality, medium-depth draft, and narrow beams, Heavenly Twins 27 appeals to a wide range of boating enthusiasts.

These include solo sailors, weekend sailors, cruising families, circumnavigators, beginner sailors, and experienced liveaboards such as this famous Youtube channel “Kittiwake”.

The vessels house double cabins in the hulls while the forward starboard contains the heads and, to port, the galley. You can easily access the bar from the well-protected cockpit while the Comfordesk accommodation converts into a double dock. 

A stoop through allows access from below-deck to the aft compartment without going through the cockpit. There’s ample storage space throughout the boat, plus you can section off the large stateroom into smaller double compartments if desired.

The price range for this boat is $ 20,098 to $24,193. (I believe that kittiwake is for sale too)

The last cruising catamaran on my list is the Aquilon 26 . This French-built cruising vessel is light in weight and trailerable, which means you can disassemble it in a few hours or transport it as-is.

Designing a boat that is possible to disassemble usually means that it is structurally less strong, which by no means is a problem during coastal sailing but the Aquilon 26 is mostly attractive to sailors who prefer inland lake sailing. It’s also suitable for beginner sailors.

Although there are no real “beginner cats” there are specs to consider if you are a beginner with catamarans, most of them I have listed in another article ( here ). Gabo

This 26-footer (7.92 m) has the potential for good speed though its layout is anything but conventional- which forms part of its appeal.

The cockpit works as the saloon, and a full bimini protects the crew from lousy weather. The starboard hull contains a dinette and galley, and the port has a double berth stateroom. The windows are quite unusual, but they provide lots of light, remarkably enhancing interior visibility.

Aquilon 26 can deliver an average cruising speed of 10knots (11.51 mph or 18.5 kph).

On a beam reach, you can expect around 25 knots (28.77 mph or 46.3 kph) with an adequate breeze ( I have never sailed at 25knots but researching this boat supposedly it is possible).

You can get this boat for under $50,000.

What Makes Small Cruising Cats Attractive?

Small cruising cats are ideal for sailing along the coast. But that’s not all. Under capable hands, properly fitted smaller cats can also deliver spectacular offshore passages similar to their larger counterpart (Heres a list of full-sized bluewater cats).

They can operate over long cruise ranges, cross oceans , and circumnavigate the globe . Smaller cats are also suitable for day sailing, overnight trips, and coastal or inland voyages. 

For most sailors, comfort on board is crucial, so they’ll look for a vessel that guarantees a comfortable cruising experience. The good thing is that smaller vessels provide almost the same qualities and amenities that bigger vessels offer. Plus, you can do quite a bit with the available space, especially if it’s well laid out.  

You’ll find that most 30-footer (9.14 m) or more miniature cruising cats comprise a galley, head, bunks, navigation and entertainment electronics, and refrigeration.

Sailors usually talk about these benefits of smaller cats:

• They’re less expensive. Large boats are costly to buy. They also cost more to hire, maintain, and dock. You can buy a small-sized boat at a much lower price, and parts tend to cost less too. Besides, you get to use smaller sails, winches, and lighter lines than those applicable on a larger boat. And since marine services such as moorings and haul-outs get billed via boat length, a smaller cat makes sailing more affordable.
• They boast superior builds. Most cruising boats under 30 feet (9.14 m) feature designs that are 30+ years old. In those days, weather forecasts were hard to come by and not as accurate, so boat builders used hulls with thicker fiberglass than the type found in today’s builds. Furthermore, everything in the boat, including rigs, rudders, hulls, keels and decks, was designed to withstand strong winds and high waves. 
• They have simpler systems. This means less time spent fixing and maintaining your boat. For instance, most small cruising cats often lack water-makers, hot water systems, or electric anchor windlasses. 
• They’re easier to handle. Smaller cats are simpler to sail than larger cats. It’s also easier to sail one single-handed or with a small crew.

What is the largest cat on person can sail?

The Disadvantages of Smaller Cruising Cats

Below are some of the most discussed downsides of small cats:

• They have limited living space, storage, and amenities.
• Though they don’t heel much, they are less comfortable than larger boats since they get tossed around much more easily in big ocean swells.
• It’s not easy to accommodate crew for extended periods; hence there are fewer hands to share work.
• They are slower and take longer to get to their destination.

Though fewer are on the cruising trails than their larger counterparts, small catamarans make ideal cruisers because they are simple, seaworthy, and pocket-friendly.

When choosing the best cat for your needs, focus on quality rather than size. A well-planned 30-footer (9.14 m) is reliable and provides ample space for your accommodation, dining, and relaxation, plus a storage room for provisions and any spare parts you might need. 

And if you want even more info than I have presented to you in this article I would recommend a book from Serj, he makes it easy to understand why size matters and how to find a cat suited for your needs (amazon link )

Owner of CatamaranFreedom.com. A minimalist that has lived in a caravan in Sweden, 35ft Monohull in the Bahamas, and right now in his self-built Van. He just started the next adventure, to circumnavigate the world on a Catamaran!

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Best Small Cruiser, 30 feet and Under: Beneteau First 30

• By Bill Springer
• Updated: December 9, 2010

Beneteau First 30 BOTY winner

As they approached the First 30 to conduct their dockside evaluation during the boat show, the BOTY judges may have been just a little skeptical of this performance-oriented 30-footer’s cruisability. But that skepticism turned into appreciation as soon as they stepped below, and they were downright enamored with how the boat sailed. As a result, the Beneteau First 30 was named the Best Small Cruiser, 30 Feet and Under.

It’s not easy to include all the accommodation features that make for comfortable cruising—standing headroom, full-size head and galley, decent nav station, roomy saloon, and good-size sleeping cabins—in a 30-footer that’s also good-looking and whip fast under sail, but the First 30 does just that. The main saloon is bright and airy, and it’s also much more creature-comfort oriented than what you might find on older 30-foot performance cruisers. The cabins have ample bunks and adequate stowage. Nearly 6 feet of headroom in the saloon creates a good sense of space, while the light-colored varnished woodwork and clean lines are downright stylish.

Meanwhile, during the test sail, none of the judges wanted to give up the tiller because the boat was just so fun and responsive. The dual rudders provided superior control, even when the heel angle increased in the puffs, and the judges noted how this little thoroughbred sliced to windward at 6.5 knots in 12 knots of breeze. The judges found the cockpit to be comfortable and the sail controls to be well planned and efficient. A tweak here and there was rewarded by another quarter of a knot, though it was just as tempting to contemplate the benefits of simply setting the sheets and then humming along for 20 or 30 miles on a coastal cruise.

Winning Details

• The use of space throughout the interior is excellent.
• The boat’s torpedo bulb keel, powerful sail plan, and dual rudders make the First both fast and forgiving.
• The boat significantly ups the ante regarding what’s currently available in the 30-foot-and-under range.

To read more Cruising World reviews of Beneteau sailboats, click here . To visit Beneteau America’s website, click here .

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Catalina 30 Review: Features, Performance and Tech Specs

7th feb 2024 by john burnham / samantha wilson.

The Catalina 30 has had a long and illustrious life and remains to this day a favorite on the used market. Over 6,400 Catalina 30s were sold during its 25-year production run starting in 1974, testament to its solid construction, functional layout, ease of sailing, a modest price, and the strong Catalina dealer network. 

So what makes it so popular? While it’s not really intended as a bluewater cruiser, the Catalina 30 handles coastal and inshore sailing with ease. It is ideal for weekends or week-long cruises thanks to its cleverly thought-out interior space. Overall, the Catalina 30 sails well, is a stable design in stiffer winds, and can be sailed single-handedly by a competent skipper. 

Despite several versions throughout its production run, including the MKII, first built in 1986, and the MKIII, in 1994, the basic dimensions of the model remained unchanged: LOA 29’11", beam 10’10", displacement 10,200 lbs., and standard draft 5’3". Likewise, the interior was never altered. Catalina’s approach to the huge success of the 30 seemed to be ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!’.

Catalina 30. Rightboat seller photo. 

Catalina 30 Key Features 

There have been many versions of the Catalina 30 throughout its long production run, with different configurations. There have been standard and tall rigs, each with a bowsprit option, as well as shoal, wing, and deep fin keels. Following on from the MKII in 1986, the MKIII in 1994 made some noticeable changes, namely a slight widening of the hull aft, which allowed for a transom boarding platform. 

The Catalina 30’s hull, like all of Catalina’s models, is built of fiberglass and polyester resin, with a deck constructed of either balsa or plywood between fiberglass laminates. Belowdecks, the Catalina 30s layout remained unchanged throughout its life. With a wide companionway creating a spacious feel to the cabin, able to accommodate up to four with a separate head, large galley, and cozy saloon, it proved popular and user-friendly. The boat has an aft cockpit with a closed transom.  

While this model undoubtedly ticked a lot of boxes for many sailors, it had a few common problems, as described in various owners forums. Compression fatigue at the maststep on deck and in the bilge under the compression post has been commonly reported over the years and may need to be fixed. Likewise, old wooden spreaders sometimes fail, and leaks and separation may be experienced at the keel-to-hull joint. Ensuring these are all inspected in a thorough marine survey when buying will highlight any issues the boat might have. 

Catalina 30s spacious interior with separate cabin and dinette. Rightboat seller photo. 

Catalina 30 Performance

The Catalina 30 impressively straddles the line between performance and comfort, offering decent speeds compared to competitors of the same era, despite a lower sail/displacement ratio of 15.22. The fin keel version has deeper draft, lowering the center of gravity and providing better performance upwind. A higher ballast/displacement ratio means the Catalina 30 stands up well in stronger winds. 

Catalina 30 Why Buy It  

• One of the top-selling 30-foot sailboats ever
• Spacious accommodation for up to 4 people including saloon and galley
• Wide, deep hull creates exceptional space above and below decks
• Known for its stability under sail
• Variety of models and variations to be found on the used market
• Good value for money on the used market with lots in circulation
• Buying used?: Possibly compromised deck cores and mast steps merit checking before purchase. For other tips when buying a used boat, read our Boat Inspection Checklist  

Galley and saloon of Catalina 30. Rightboat seller photo.

Catalina 30 Technical Specifications

• LOA: 29.92 ft
• Beam: 10.83 ft
• Draft: 5.25 ft
• Rigging Type: Masthead sloop
• Hull type: Fin w/spade rudder
• Displacement: 10200.78 lbs
• Ballast: 4200 lbs
• Ballast type: Lead
• Fuel tank capacity: 21 gallons
• Sail area/displacement ratio: 15.22
• Ballast/displacement ratio: 41.18
• Critical hull speed: 6.70 knots
• Engines (after mid-1980s): 3-cylinder Universal M-25 diesel engine

Enclosed cockpit and seating of Catalina 30. Rightboat seller photo.

Check out all the Catalina boats for sale

Written By: John Burnham / Samantha Wilson

John Burnham is a marine ​editor and writer with ​decades of journalism experience as ​Chief Editor of​ boats.com,​ Sailing World, Cruising World, and ​other boating websites. As a competitive sailor, he has led teams to world and national titles in the International One-Design, Shields, and other classes. Based in Newport, Rhode Island, John is a​ PCC leadership coach, a member of the ​America’s Cup Hall of Fame Selection Committee​, and a ​past board member of Sail America and US Sailing. For more, see  johnsburnham.com .

Samantha Wilson has spent her entire life on and around boats, from tiny sailing dinghies all the way up to superyachts. She writes for many boating and yachting publications, top charter agencies, and some of the largest travel businesses in the industry, combining her knowledge and passion of boating, travel and writing to create topical, useful and engaging content.

More from: John Burnham / Samantha Wilson

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• Sailboat Guide

Catalina 30

Catalina 30 is a 29 ′ 11 ″ / 9.1 m monohull sailboat designed by Frank V. Butler and built by Catalina Yachts between 1976 and 2008.

• 2 / 55 Deale, MD, US 1981 Catalina 30 $14,000 USD View
• 3 / 55 Larchmont, NY, US 1984 Catalina 30 $10,000 USD View
• 4 / 55 Mount Clemens, MI, US 1985 Catalina 30 $6,000 USD View
• 5 / 55 Larchmont, NY, US 1984 Catalina 30 $14,000 USD View
• 6 / 55 Grapevine Lake, TX, US 1984 Catalina 30 $15,500 USD View
• 7 / 55 Cheney Reservoir, KS, US 1981 Catalina 30 $11,500 USD View
• 8 / 55 Cornelius, NC, US 1982 Catalina 30 $18,000 USD View
• 9 / 55 Bradenton, FL, US 1981 Catalina 30 $22,250 USD View
• 10 / 55 Larchmont, NY, US 1984 Catalina 30 $14,000 USD View
• 11 / 55 Grapevine Lake, TX, US 1984 Catalina 30 $15,500 USD View
• 12 / 55 Deale, MD, US 1981 Catalina 30 $14,000 USD View
• 13 / 55 Larchmont, NY, US 1984 Catalina 30 $10,000 USD View
• 14 / 55 Mount Clemens, MI, US 1985 Catalina 30 $6,000 USD View
• 15 / 55 Cheney Reservoir, KS, US 1981 Catalina 30 $11,500 USD View
• 16 / 55 Cornelius, NC, US 1982 Catalina 30 $18,000 USD View
• 17 / 55 Bradenton, FL, US 1981 Catalina 30 $22,250 USD View
• 18 / 55 Deale, MD, US 1981 Catalina 30 $14,000 USD View
• 19 / 55 Grapevine Lake, TX, US 1984 Catalina 30 $15,500 USD View
• 20 / 55 Grapevine Lake, TX, US 1984 Catalina 30 $15,500 USD View
• 21 / 55 Cheney Reservoir, KS, US 1981 Catalina 30 $11,500 USD View
• 22 / 55 Cornelius, NC, US 1982 Catalina 30 $18,000 USD View
• 23 / 55 Deale, MD, US 1981 Catalina 30 $14,000 USD View
• 24 / 55 Mount Clemens, MI, US 1985 Catalina 30 $6,000 USD View
• 25 / 55 Grapevine Lake, TX, US 1984 Catalina 30 $15,500 USD View
• 26 / 55 Bradenton, FL, US 1981 Catalina 30 $22,250 USD View
• 27 / 55 Mount Clemens, MI, US 1985 Catalina 30 $6,000 USD View
• 28 / 55 Mount Clemens, MI, US 1985 Catalina 30 $6,000 USD View
• 29 / 55 Grapevine Lake, TX, US 1984 Catalina 30 $15,500 USD View
• 30 / 55 Cheney Reservoir, KS, US 1981 Catalina 30 $11,500 USD View
• 31 / 55 Bradenton, FL, US 1981 Catalina 30 $22,250 USD View
• 32 / 55 Deale, MD, US 1981 Catalina 30 $14,000 USD View
• 33 / 55 Grapevine Lake, TX, US 1984 Catalina 30 $15,500 USD View
• 34 / 55 Cheney Reservoir, KS, US 1981 Catalina 30 $11,500 USD View
• 35 / 55 Deale, MD, US 1981 Catalina 30 $14,000 USD View
• 36 / 55 Grapevine Lake, TX, US 1984 Catalina 30 $15,500 USD View
• 37 / 55 Deale, MD, US 1981 Catalina 30 $14,000 USD View
• 38 / 55 Grapevine Lake, TX, US 1984 Catalina 30 $15,500 USD View
• 39 / 55 Cheney Reservoir, KS, US 1981 Catalina 30 $11,500 USD View
• 40 / 55 Deale, MD, US 1981 Catalina 30 $14,000 USD View
• 41 / 55 Grapevine Lake, TX, US 1984 Catalina 30 $15,500 USD View
• 42 / 55 Cheney Reservoir, KS, US 1981 Catalina 30 $11,500 USD View
• 43 / 55 Deale, MD, US 1981 Catalina 30 $14,000 USD View
• 44 / 55 Grapevine Lake, TX, US 1984 Catalina 30 $15,500 USD View
• 45 / 55 Cheney Reservoir, KS, US 1981 Catalina 30 $11,500 USD View
• 46 / 55 Cheney Reservoir, KS, US 1981 Catalina 30 $11,500 USD View
• 47 / 55 Cheney Reservoir, KS, US 1981 Catalina 30 $11,500 USD View
• 48 / 55 Deale, MD, US 1981 Catalina 30 $14,000 USD View
• 49 / 55 Cheney Reservoir, KS, US 1981 Catalina 30 $11,500 USD View
• 50 / 55 Deale, MD, US 1981 Catalina 30 $14,000 USD View
• 51 / 55 Cheney Reservoir, KS, US 1981 Catalina 30 $11,500 USD View
• 52 / 55 Cheney Reservoir, KS, US 1981 Catalina 30 $11,500 USD View
• 53 / 55 Cheney Reservoir, KS, US 1981 Catalina 30 $11,500 USD View
• 54 / 55 Cheney Reservoir, KS, US 1981 Catalina 30 $11,500 USD View
• 55 / 55 Cheney Reservoir, KS, US 1981 Catalina 30 $11,500 USD View

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)

With more than 6000 sold, the Catalina 30 is one of the most successful production sailing yachts in history. During the long production run of this basic model there were a great number of variations with standard and tall rig configurations, each with a bowsprit option, and also including shoal, wing and deep fin keels. A MK II version began around hull# 3300 (1986).(T-shaped cockpit is the most notable change) The Mark III (1994) (walk-thru transom with boarding/swim platform standard though offered as an option on earlier models.) Aux. power: The early Yanmar, Universal 5411 and Atomic-4 engines were phased out in favor of the 3-cylinder Universal M-25 diesels during the middle 80s.

SHOAL DRAFT: 4.30’/1.31m SHOAL DRAFT (WING): 3.83’/1.17m

ALT.RIG DIMENSIONS: TALL: I: 43.00’/13.11m J: 13.15’/4.01m P: 37.50’/11.43m E: 12.00’/3.66m SA (100%): 507.73ft2/47.17m2

BOWSPRIT OPTION (STD): I: 41.00’/12.50m J: 13.15’/4.01m P: 37.00’/11.28m E: 12.00’/3.66m SA (100%): 491.58ft2/45.67m2 (photo from Catalina brochure)

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Lynch Yacht Sinking Off Sicily Proves as Baffling as It Is Tragic

As bodies were recovered, the authorities and experts wondered how a $40 million, stable and secure vessel could have sunk so quickly.

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By Emma Bubola and Michael J. de la Merced

Emma Bubola reported from Porticello, Italy, and Michael J. de la Merced from London.

Two months after being cleared in a bruising legal battle over fraud charges, the British tech mogul Mike Lynch celebrated his freedom with a cruise. He invited his family, friends and part of his legal team on board his luxury sailing yacht, a majestic 180-foot vessel named Bayesian after the mathematical theorem around which he had built his empire.

On Sunday night, after a tour of the Gulf of Naples, including Capri, and volcanic islands in the Eolian archipelago, the boat anchored half a mile off the Sicilian coast in Porticello, Italy. It chose a stretch of water favored by the Phoenicians thousands of years ago for its protection from the mistral wind and, in more recent times, by the yachts of tech billionaires. The boat was lit “like a Christmas tree,” local residents said, standing out against the full moon.

But about 4 a.m., calamity unfolded. A violent and fast storm hit the area with some of the strongest winds locals said they had ever felt. Fabio Cefalù, a fisherman, said he saw a flare pierce the darkness shortly after 4.

Minutes later, the yacht was underwater. Only dozens of cushions from the boat’s deck and a gigantic radar from its mast floated on the surface of the sea, fishermen said.

In all, 22 people were on board, 15 of whom were rescued. Six bodies — five passengers and the ship’s cook — had been recovered by Thursday afternoon, including that of Mr. Lynch, an Italian government official said, adding that the search was continuing for his daughter.

It was a tragic and mystifying turn of events for Mr. Lynch, 59, who had spent years seeking to clear his name and was finally inaugurating a new chapter in his life. Experts wondered how a $40 million yacht, so robust and stable could have been sunk by a storm near a port within minutes.

“It drives me insane,” said Giovanni Costantino, the chief executive of the Italian Sea Group, which in 2022 bought the company, Perini, that made the Bayesian. “Following all the proper procedures, that boat is unsinkable.”

The aura of misfortune only deepened when it emerged that Stephen Chamberlain, 52, a former vice president of finance for Mr. Lynch’s former company and a co-defendant in the fraud case, was killed two days earlier, when he was hit by a car while jogging near his house in England.

Since June, the two men had been in a jubilant mood. A jury in San Francisco had acquitted both on fraud charges that could have sent them to prison for two decades. There were hugs and tears, and they and their legal teams went for a celebratory dinner party at a restaurant in the city, said Gary S. Lincenberg, a lawyer for Mr. Chamberlain.

The sea excursion was meant as a thank-you by Mr. Lynch to those who had helped him in his legal travails. Among the guests was Christopher J. Morvillo, 59, a scion of a prominent New York family of lawyers who had represented Mr. Lynch for 12 years. He and his wife, Neda, 57, were among the missing.

So, too, was Jonathan Bloomer, 70, a veteran British insurance executive who chaired Morgan Stanley International and the insurer Hiscox.

The body of the ship’s cook, Recaldo Thomas, was recovered. All the other crew members survived. Among them was Leo Eppel, 19, of South Africa, who was on his first yacht voyage working as a deck steward, said a friend, who asked not to be identified.

Since the sinking, the recovery effort and investigation have turned the tiny port town of Porticello, a quiet enclave where older men sit bare-chested on balconies, into what feels like the set of a movie.

Helicopters have flown overhead. Ambulances have sped by with the sirens blaring. The Coast Guard has patrolled the waters off shore, within sight of a cordoned-off dock that had been turned into an emergency headquarters.

On Wednesday afternoon, a church bell tolled after the first body bag was loaded into an ambulance, a crowd watching in silence.

The survivors were sheltering in a sprawling resort near Porticello, with a view of the shipwreck spot, and had so far declined to comment.

Attilio Di Diodato, director of the Italian Air Force’s Center for Aerospace Meteorology and Climatology, said that the yacht had most likely been hit by a fierce “down burst” — when air generated within a thunderstorm descends rapidly — or by a waterspout , similar to a tornado over water.

He added that his agency had put out rough-sea warnings the previous evening, alerting sailors about storms and strong winds. Locals said the winds “felt like an earthquake.”

Mr. Costantino, the boat executive, said the yacht had been specifically designed for having a tall mast — the second-tallest aluminum mast in the world. He said the Bayesian was an extremely safe and secure boat that could list even to 75 degrees without capsizing.

But he said that if some of the hatches on the side and in the stern, or some of the deck doors, had been open, the boat could have taken on water and sunk. Standard procedure in such storms, he said, is to switch on the engine, lift the anchor and turn the boat into the wind, lowering the keel for extra stability, closing doors and gathering the guests in the main hall inside the deck.

12 guests occupied the yacht’s six cabins. There were also 10 crew members.

Open hatches, doors and cabin windows could have let in water during a storm, according to the manufacturer.

Open hatches, doors and

cabin windows could

have let in water

during a storm,

according to the

manufacturer.

Source: Superyacht Times, YachtCharterFleet, MarineTraffic

By Veronica Penney

The New York Times attempted to reach the captain, James Cutfield, who had survived, for comment through social media, his brother and the management company of the yacht (which did not hire the crew), but did not make contact.

So far none of the surviving crew members have made a public statement about what happened that night.

Fabio Genco, the director of Palermo’s emergency services, who treated some of the survivors, said that the victims had recounted feeling as if the boat was being lifted, then suddenly dropped, with objects from the cabins falling on them.

The Italian Coast Guard said it had deployed a remotely operated vehicle that can prowl underwater for up to seven hours at a depth of more than 980 feet and record videos and images that they hoped would help them reconstruct the dynamics of the sinking. Such devices were used during the search and rescue operations of the Titan vessel that is believed to have imploded last summer near the wreckage of the Titanic.

After rescuers broke inside the yacht, they struggled to navigate the ropes and many pieces of furniture cluttering the vessel, said Luca Cari, a spokesman for Italy’s national firefighter corps.

Finally, as of Thursday morning, they had managed to retrieve all but one of the missing bodies, and hopes of finding the missing person alive were thin. “Can a human being be underwater for two days?” Mr. Cari asked.

What was certain was that Mr. Lynch’s death was yet another cruel twist of fate for a man who had spent years seeking to clear his name.

He earned a fortune in technology and was nicknamed Britain’s Bill Gates. But for more than a decade, he had been treated as anything but a respected tech leader.

He was accused by Hewlett-Packard, the American technological pioneer that had bought his software company, Autonomy, for $11 billion, of misleading it about his company’s worth. (Hewlett-Packard wrote down the value of the transaction by about $8.8 billion, and critics called it one of the worst deals of all time .) He had been increasingly shunned by the British establishment that he sought to break into after growing up working-class outside London.

He was extradited to San Francisco to face criminal charges, and confined to house arrest and 24-hour surveillance on his dime. In a townhouse in the Pacific Heights neighborhood — with security people he jokingly told associates were his “roommates” — he spent his mornings talking with researchers whom he funded personally on new applications for artificial intelligence. Afterward, he devoted hours to discussing legal strategy with his team.

Despite his persistent claims of innocence, even those close to Mr. Lynch had believed his odds of victory were slim. Autonomy’s chief financial officer, Sushovan Hussain, was convicted in 2018 of similar fraud charges and spent five years in prison.

During Mr. Lynch’s house arrest, his brother and mother died. His wife, Angela Bacares, frequently flew over from England, and she became a constant presence in the San Francisco courtroom during the trial.

After he was finally acquitted, Mr. Lynch had his eye on the future. “I am looking forward to returning to the U.K. and getting back to what I love most: my family and innovating in my field,” he said.

Elisabetta Povoledo contributed reporting from Pallanza, Italy.

Emma Bubola is a Times reporter based in Rome. More about Emma Bubola

Michael J. de la Merced has covered global business and finance news for The Times since 2006. More about Michael J. de la Merced

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Hunter 30: Still the Affordable Fantasy

Production coastal cruiser offers a lot of boat for not a lot of bucks..

Hunter Marine began building auxiliary sailboats in 1974, largely as the result of the first oil embargo and the new energy consciousness that followed. Founded by Warren Luhrs, Hunter began as a division of the powerboat-maker Silverton Yachts, which was interested in expanding its offerings and taking advantage of the new interest in saving fuel.

The companys aim was high-volume production, keeping prices low by standardizing design, making as few tooling changes as possible, and offering its boats fully equipped-while other companies were selling things like bow pulpits and lifelines as options on a 30-foot boat. The original Hunter boats were marketed as the affordable fantasy and came with sails, dock lines, fenders, life jackets, and fire extinguishers, in what Hunter called the Cruise Pak of standard features. About the only option available on the early Hunters was a choice of shoal- or deep-draft keel.

Photo by CeCe Stoldt

In 2012, Hunter Marine was sold to David Marlow, the builder of Marlow Yachts. With this change of ownership came a change in corporate goals and product offerings. Hunter Marine began-like its chief competitor, Catalina Yachts-with a small group of standardized models. From 1974 through 1977, it offered only the Hunter 25, 27, and 30 models, and from 1977 through 1979, the builder added only the 33 and 37. Today, Hunter-Marlow makes nine production models ranging from trailerable daysailors (15 to 22 feet) to mid-size (27 to 37 feet) and large (40 to 50 feet) keelboats.

Also, Hunters high-volume-production business model has been replaced with the Marlow ethos, which is more focused on yacht-level quality than production volume. Marlow-Hunter produces about 100 boats each year, including trailerable and cruising sailboats, as well as Mainship powerboats, according to Greg Emerson, Marlow-Hunters director of sales.

The Hunter 30

Designed by John Cherubini and built from 1974 to 1983, the Hunter 30 is a coastal cruiser that was designed to offer a lot of boat for little money. With a focus on streamlining construction to boost production volume, Hunter aimed to offer an affordable coastal racer-cruiser. More than 1,000 Hunter 30s were built over the nine-year production run; however, a number of them were sold as Quest 30s, which was essentially a sail-away, bare-hull kit boat, and the purchaser completed the interior and the fitting out.

For this report, we checked out a 1980 Hunter 30 (hull #934) and a 1978 model (hull #568). In contrast to later Hunters, the early Cherubini-designed models were conservative and conventional in design. The longer sister models-the 33 and 37-were, in our opinion, good-looking boats, moderately styled, with an attractive bow line and sheer, and a pleasing coachroof. The smaller boats, the 25 and 27, instead traded in some styling characteristics in order to pack a lot of room into a short waterline, which left them with higher-sided with boxier cabinhouses.

The 30 lies somewhere in between-handsome from some angles but a bit too flat in the sheer and high in the cabintop to impress traditionalists. Still, most of those traditionalists would consider it a much more attractive boat than the modern Euro-styled Hunters.

The 30s hull is very full-to maximize interior space-but otherwise, its quite typical of the racer-cruisers of the 1970s. Overall, the boat is 29 feet, 11 inches long-the maximum allowable length under the then-popular Midget Ocean Racing Club (MORC) rule. The short overhangs result in a long waterline, fundamental for sailing speed. The beam, at just a hair over 10 feet, is moderate by 1970s standards, but narrow in comparison to the big 30-footers that have appeared since. The Catalina 30, for example, is nine inches wider, and many current boats carry a foot more beam (and carry it further aft) than the Hunter 30.

A conventional fin keel, drawing 5 feet, 3 inches, was standard, with a 4-foot shoal keel as an option. We test-sailed the deep-keel version, and suspect it is much to be preferred, unless you absolutely need the shallower draft. Company literature lists the displacement and ballast as identical on both models. That would make the shallow-keel version more tender, requiring crew to reef early as the wind pipes up.

The foredeck is on the smaller side for anchor work and sail handling because the cabinhouse extends quite far forward. The 1978 and later models have an anchor well built into the foredeck that is self-contained and large enough to hold over 400 feet of rode, or enough for two anchors. The test boat we sailed had a furling jib, a desirable option in view of the smallish foredeck.

A significant shortcoming of the boats design is the narrow sidedecks. The wide cabinhouse makes it clear that the designers top priority was interior room, with deck work being a distant consideration. Its near impossible to get past the chainplates, especially on the leeward side when under a press of canvas, without climbing atop the cabinhouse.

The boat has a good cockpit, a bit smaller than some other 30-footers (again, a result of maximizing cabin space). A wheel was standard on the boat; its small, which is good for moving around the cockpit, but less than ideal for helming, in our opinion

A T cockpit became standard following the 1980 models, and some people preferred that arrangement; however, you could lie down on the older bench seats, and you can’t with the T. The bench seats would benefit from some sort of drain arrangement since they trap water. A deep lazarette behind the cockpit offers additional on-deck storage.

A peculiarity of the decks on the early Hunters is that the nonskid pattern was not molded in as is customary on fiberglass decks. Instead, a nonskid aggregate was painted on. Given the age of the Hunter 30, the original aggregate is likely long gone, and owners have had to apply fresh nonskid paint or nonskid mat. Fortunately, such a repair is straightforward and an easy (although time-consuming), do-it-yourself project (see PS August 2008 and November 2013 online).

On the boats we examined, there was minimal sail-handling equipment on deck-one pair of jib-sheet winches, a small halyard winch for the jib, no winch for the main halyard, no Cunningham or vang, no control lines on the traveler, no flattening reef, a single jiffy reef block, two jib lead blocks out on the toerail, and no backstay adjuster. However, most H30 owners have added deck gear over the years, including a running backstay, so what youll find on Hunter 30s today will run the gamut. A large number of Hunter 30 owners who responded to our survey reported that their boat was rigged for singlehanding, making it easy to sail with a short- or single-handed crew.

The original Hunter 30 owners manual was a great example of a good, clear, simple manual. It has always amazed us how many other boat builders provide the buyer with little or no printed information. If you happen to own or buy a Hunter 30 (or pretty much any older Hunter model) thats missing its manual, simply download the PDF of the original from the Hunter-Marlow website.

courtesy of Kasi McCain

The 30s interior was a strong selling point for the Hunter 30. Almost every owner that responded to our survey commented on the size of the boats interior-often relative to low price-when talking about their reasons for buying the 30.

The interior is well laid out, but plain. Theres a lot here for the money, however. Some of the original details could use changing-the alcohol stove, lack of vents, and small water tank-and many owners have upgraded or modified these systems.

The Hunter 30s layout is conventional, with a good V-berth forward, then a head with small hanging locker opposite, settee berths on each side of the saloon with a double, a drop-leaf table in the middle, an L-shaped galley, with the sink underneath the companionway, and a quarter berth, with a small chart table at its head. The berths are of good size, and on some boats, the port settee can convert to a double berth.

The head area is roomy with enough space for comfortable showering and a door for privacy. The interior also offers lots of storage for a boat this size: The hanging locker can accommodate plenty of clothes and has an overhead shelf; and there are three large storage lockers in the V-berth, plus a host of drawers and under-seat storage in the saloon.

The icebox on the boat we looked at had minimal insulation and would benefit from several more inches all around. Many owners reported having upgraded with icebox conversion kits.

The deckhouse is high and wide, and this gives a look of spaciousness below. The white hull liner overhead helps offset the extensive teak veneer on the bulkheads, ceilings, sole, and furniture.

There are adequate ports and hatches to allow in enough light. The opening portlights-Hunter was one of the first production boats to offer numerous opening ports as standard-offer good ventilation. If youre considering buying a Hunter 30 that has not had any ventilation upgrades, you will probably want to add some Dorades or solar vents to keep the air moving when the ports and hatches must be closed.

The finish downbelow is typical of low-cost production boats, which depend on pre-fab components that can be rapidly installed in the hull. In our owner surveys, there were a great many complaints about the original joinerwork, door hinges, and hardware. The original cabin sole was made of teak veneer, so in instances of water damage, it often cannot be repaired but must be replaced.

For the first four years of the Hunter 30s production, a 12-horsepower Yanmar diesel was standard. After 1978, standard power was a 15-horsepower Yanmar, followed by an 18-horsepower Yanmar.

The 12 was a particularly noisy engine; the later models were less so. Most of the owners who completed our survey thought the engines were minimal for powering the boat, especially in any kind of head seas; however, by traditional standards, even the 12-horsepower model should be adequate for the weight and length of the boat. Although the 12 is highly praised for its reliability, many people will find the later Hunter 30s to be more desirable because of their larger, smoother-running engines.

Engine accessibility was criticized by almost all of the owners who completed our survey. Access is awful, said one. You must be a left-handed midget to work on this engine.

We thought accessibility was far from ideal, but not excessively bad for this size boat. With a big interior and a small cockpit, its hard to stuff an engine under the cockpit sole without cramping.

The Hunter 30 we sailed (with a Yanmar 12) was well behaved under power; it backed nicely, turned crisply, and drove through strong winds (in protected water) with no problem. Our impression was that the engines vibration and noise were more of a concern than its power. Anyone buying the boat with the Yanmar 12 will probably want to spend the time to get perfect alignment. Wed also look closely at the engine mounts and the shaft-strut mounting.

Some owners have re-powered their boats, usually opting for a Yanmar 2QM15 or Yanmar 2GM20F diesel with good results. A two-blade solid prop was standard, but a number of owners refitted the boat with a three-blade solid prop to improve powering. We doubt if the gain would offset the loss in sailing ability.

Theres a full skeg ahead of the rudder. If you have to remove the propeller shaft for some reason, youll have to remove the engine first, or tear the skeg off. On the shoal-draft version, the skeg also is something of a grounding vulnerability as the rudder is about as deep as the foot of the keel.

We were pleasantly surprised by the sailing performance of the Hunter 30. We sailed one in a long, triangular race-two triangles, then windward-leeward-windward legs-in heavy air, a little over 20 knots at the start.

Considering that the test boat had almost no sail controls and old sails, and that the underbody was rough and a bit weedy, the boat moved very well, going to weather respectably in a serious racing fleet, and reaching and running competitively.

The jib we used was the 130-percent genoa on roller furling, and this was about right for the boat in those conditions. When the wind faded near the end of race, the boat was clearly under-canvassed.

The boat is slightly under-rigged with its short mast. To sail well in light air, especially with the solid prop that most 30s have, a sizeable genoa is required. One Florida Panhandle-based owner reports that she sails with a 155 or 170 genoa, both of which are ideal in light winds and can be reefed with furling if the wind picks up. This boat sails nicely and does better in higher winds than light wind. …. It responds very quickly when tacking and can almost sail itself in steady winds, she explained.

We agree: The 30 is a good sailing boat, responsive and easy to steer. Its PHRF rating of 186 (New England fleet) would probably be very favorable. If the boat were rigged with a full complement of sail-handling gear and modern sails, it should be able to stay with other 30-footers of the same era, such as the Pearson 30, Catalina 30 (not the tall rig), and ODay 30. Since sailing is what sailing is all about, our opinion of the Hunter 30 was improved dramatically when we took a first in the races main-and-jib class.

Conclusions

The Hunter 30 was a boat built to a price point-to appeal to the sailor who wanted a lot of boat at an affordable price.

As long as a buyer understands that, not expecting custom quality at barnyard prices, the Hunter 30 can be a good value in a used boat. Many on the used market today have been repowered and had systems upgrades added like refrigeration. Be sure to look for delamination issues, check the nonskid, and examine the cabinhouse around the mast for sagging, as many of these Hunters have had compression post issues.

Its easy to pay too much for a used boat these days, but for a good-condition, roomy coastal cruiser that can make a good showing around the buoys, the Hunter 30 can be had at a decent price-a lot of cruisability for minimal investment. Youll find Hunter 30s on the used-boat market to be priced about the same as comparable boats (Catalina 30 and Pearson 30), with an average pricetag of about $13,500.

Pros -Many have been re-rigged for easy singlehanding from the cockpit -Roomy cockpit for a 30-footer -Minimal topside brightwork -Sizeable anchor well on deck -Many have been upgraded to furling headsails -Handholds run the full length of cabin

Cons -Limited foredeck space -Very narrow sidedecks -Standard, original ventilation was lacking, needs upgrades -Pre-1980 bench seats trap water, need drain added

Hunter Marine built the 30 with an aim to maximize interior space. 1. The galley came standard with an alcohol stove, a deep ice box, and a small sink; many owners have updated the cooktop and added some type of refrigeration. The sink is too small to effectively wash dishes. 2. The settees offer full-length berths. 3. The H30 fits a fair bit of interior storage in a small space, including drawers behind and under the settees. 4. The V-berth has additional storage under the bed, which is large enough to comfortably sleep two (friendly) adults. 5. A very small nav desk and a full-length quarter berth are situated to port of the companionway. Electronics can be mounted inside the companionway.

In construction, the Hunter 30 is very conventional—an economical, solid-glass layup in the hull and a balsa-cored deck with plywood for backing under cleats. A conventional flange, with a through-bolted aluminum toerail joins the hull and deck together. The basic construction is quite a contrast to that of present-day Hunters, which can generally be described as highly engineered and Euro-styled, at the opposite end of the spectrum from the early Hunters like the 30.

Testers’ opinion of the fiberglass work was that it was good but a little light—marginal for offshore sailing but strong enough for typical coastal cruising.

On one of the Hunter 30s we looked at, there was extensive delamination of the cockpit sole and the bench seats. There also were signs of sloppy glass work—ragged edges and un-resinated glass—in compartments and other out-of-sight places.

Quality-control problems also were cited by a surprisingly high number of the Hunter 30 owners we surveyed for this article. The problems often mentioned included improperly hooked-up fuel-return lines, chafed hoses, leaking ports, poorly fitted hatch boards and lazarette covers, improperly installed exhaust systems, and so on.

The Hunter 30 compares favorably, in price and performance, to other production boats in the same size range and of similar vintage.

• Marlow-Hunter
• Hunter Owners Group

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Great review and enlightening! Thanks for your knowledge!

Great coverage on the 30! I owned a Hunter 30 1994-2000. Live aboard at Harbor Island San Diego. Very nice experience. Yes, the Yanmar 15 was a bit noisy. I thought For a while there was mechanical issues but Found out it was it’s nature.

Good article. I bought a 1977 Hunter 30, and it does sail surprisingly well for a older production boat. The engine works okay but is a bit noisy. It will soon be for sail as my daughter is the sailor and moved overseas for college.

Almost 40 years in my 1978 27 ft. Your comments were all on the mark. The original 8 hp gave out after 30 years and repowered with the 15 hp and replace the packing stuffing box with seal. Replaced the ports in the head and vee. For the time available I had to sail it worked out well. Fifteen years on Great Lakes and 22 plus in FL.

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Here's what we know about why a luxury sailing boat sank off the coast of Sicily

Emergency workers in southern Italy are still hunting for six people missing after a tornado sank a luxury yacht early Monday - prompting an air and naval operation off the coast of Sicily.

Fifteen people were rescued from the wreckage, according to Italy's Coast Guard. One body was recovered on Monday and four more on Wednesday, after divers struggled to reach deep inside the yacht around 50 meters underwater (approximately 150 feet).

Two Americans and four Britons were among the six initially reported missing - including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch, Jonathan Bloomer, chairman of Morgan Stanley International, and Chris Morvillo, a prominent lawyer.

Here's what we know.

What happened?

A small waterspout - a type of tornado - spun over the Mediterranean island early Monday, likely capsizing the sailing boat amid lashings of rain and strong thunderstorms.

The British-flagged yacht, called the "Bayesian," was anchored about a half a mile from the port of Porticello, on Sicily's northern coast. The vessel sank after its mast broke in half in the storm, Salvatore Cocina, head of Sicily's Civil Protection, told CNN on Tuesday.

Eyewitnesses described furious gales and hurricane-like winds that left an avalanche of debris near the pier.

More than a dozen survivors were spotted in the area hanging onto life rafts, according to the captain of a nearby boat, who steadied his ship to avoid colliding with the Bayesian.

"We got this strong hurricane gust and we had to start the engine to keep the ship in an angled position," Karsten Bower told reporters in Palermo on Monday. "After the storm was over, we noticed that the ship behind us was gone."

Bower and his crew rescued four injured people, he said, before calling Italy's Coast Guard - who later rescued the remaining survivors.

One of those rescued - a child - was airlifted to the children's hospital in Palermo. Eight people were hospitalized in total, according to the mayor's office.

The girl's mother, Charlotte, described how she battled to hold onto Sofia, her 1-year-old daughter, as reported by Italian news agency ANSA.

"In two seconds I lost the baby in the sea, then I immediately hugged her again amidst the fury of the waves. I held her tightly, close to me, while the sea was stormy," she told journalists. "Many were screaming."

The mother and daughter were later reunited with the father, James, according to a doctor at the local children's hospital in Palermo.

"The survivors are very tired and are constantly asking about the missing people," the doctor, Domenico Cipolla, said Monday. "They are talking and crying all the time because they have realized that there is little hope of finding their friends alive."

Italy's fire brigade dispatched helicopters to aid in the search, officials said Monday. After an unsuccessful attempt on Monday, the brigade sent divers to try and enter the sunken ship Tuesday, recommencing the operation on Wednesday.

The depth of the wreck means divers can only work there for limited periods of time, according to Marco Tilotta, an inspector for the diving unit of Palermo's local fire brigade. The Italian fire brigade said Monday its divers had reached the yacht's hull 49 meters (160 feet) below sea level.

The United Kingdom's Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said it has deployed a team of four inspectors to Palermo which is conducting a preliminary assessment of the scene.

Who was on board?

Twenty-two people were on board the Bayesian, which was flying under a British flag and had mostly British passengers and crew, in addition to two Anglo-French, one Irish and one Sri Lankan person, a spokesperson for Italy's Coast Guard told CNN.

A troupe of high-profile guests are among those missing, including Lynch, the 59-year-old British tech investor who fought a fraud case earlier this year in the United States - which spiraled from the disastrous $11 billion sale of his company to tech firm Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011.

His 18-year-old daughter was also named missing. Lynch's wife, Angela Bacares, survived the accident. Bacares told Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica that she woke up at 4 a.m. local time, as the boat tilted. She and her husband were not initially concerned, she said, but became worried when the windows of the yacht shattered and chaos erupted.

RELATED: Divers find 4 bodies during search of superyacht wreckage after it sank off Sicily, 2 still missing

Bacares spoke to the newspaper while sitting in a wheelchair, at a hospital in the Sicilian town of Termini Imerese. She had abrasions on her feet and bandages on other parts of her body, it reported.

Bloomer, the finance tycoon, and Morvillo, a prominent lawyer - and both their wives - are also among the missing, according to Salvatore Cocina, head of Sicily's Civil Protection.

Morvillo, an American partner at Clifford Chance, was involved in successfully defeating the US fraud case against Lynch in June. Another employee of the firm, Ayla Ronald, and her partner, survived the incident, according to a spokesperson for Clifford Chance.

The body that was recovered from the vessel on Monday was identified as the onboard chef Ricardo Thomas, an Antiguan citizen, Reuters reported.

What do we know about the boat?

Built in 2008, the 56-meter (184-foot) yacht was manufactured by Italian company Perini Navi, Reuters reported. According to the Associated Press, the boat has been available for charter for $215,000 (195,000) per week.

Lynch's wife is linked to the yacht. The Bayesian is held by the company Revtom Limited, according to records from the maritime information service Equasis. The company's latest annual return from April lists Bacares as the proprietor.

"Bayesian," the name given to the vessel, is linked to the statistical theory on which Lynch built his fortune, according to Reuters.

The yacht's mast stood 72.27 meters (237 feet) high above the designated water line, just short of the world's tallest mast which is 75.2 meters, according to Guinness World Records. It was the tallest aluminium mast in the world, the Perini Navi website said.

Perini Navi is known for making "good quality boats," according to Caroline White, deputy editor of BOAT International, a media group serving the superyacht industry.

White told CNN that if the Bayesian dismasted, "it should theoretically become more stable." "But it might be a different story if you are in the middle of a violent storm with incredibly strong winds pinning you to the water," she added.

Dangerous weather conditions

Strong storms across Sicily brought torrential rainfall late Sunday. Initial reports suggest a small waterspout, which developed over the area Monday morning, could have been behind the yacht's sinking.

Waterspouts - one of several types of tornadoes - are spinning columns of air that form over water, or move from land out to water. They are often accompanied by high winds, high seas, hail and dangerous lightning. While they are most common over tropical oceans, they can form almost anywhere.

Matthew Schanck, chair of the Maritime Search and Rescue Council, told CNN that while waterspouts in Sicily are rare, "there is a risk" they can happen - just not every day.

Waterspouts rely on warm waters to gain energy and the Mediterranean Sea has been very hot, reaching a record daily median of 28.9 degrees Celsius (84 Fahrenheit) last week, according to preliminary data from researchers at the Institute of Marine Sciences in Spain.

Local temperatures have been even higher, with waters around Sicily reaching almost 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit), almost 3 degrees more than normal, Italian climatologist Luca Mercalli told CNN.

"Warmer oceans have more energy and more humidity to transfer to the atmosphere, the most important fuels for storms," he said.

(The-CNN-Wire & 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.)

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Six people missing, including british tech tycoon mike lynch, and one dead after tornado sinks luxury yacht off sicily.

Rescuers were on Monday searching for six people – including British tech tycoon Mike Lynch – who went missing after a luxury yacht was hit by a tornado and sank off the coast of Sicily, killing one of the 22 people on board.

The vessel was hit by the tornado at around 5 a.m. Monday, according to a spokesperson for Italy’s Coast Guard. The yacht was anchored about a half a mile from the port of Porticello on the Mediterranean island.

Four Britons and two Americans are among those missing, the spokesperson said.

A source told CNN that Lynch, the founder of software giant Autonomy, was a passenger on the yacht. The source spoke to CNN on the condition of anonymity, as they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Fifteen people were rescued, including Lynch’s wife Angela Bacares, and one child was airlifted to the children’s hospital in Palermo. Eight people were hospitalized in total, according to the mayor’s office. One body was found on the hull of the yacht, the Coast Guard said.

A small waterspout – one of several types of tornadoes – developed over the area Monday morning, according to a report from the European Severe Weather Database. Other strong storms across Sicily brought torrential rainfall late Sunday, dumping more than 4 inches (100 mm) of rain in less than four hours in Brolo, east of Palermo.

The weather forecast had warned of potential strong winds, with storms across the entire southern region of Italy Sunday, the Coast Guard spokesperson added.

One survivor, Charlotte, 35, described how she battled to hold onto her one-year-old daughter, Sofia, reported Italian news agency ANSA, as a barrage of waves sank the yacht.

“In two seconds I lost the baby in the sea, then I immediately hugged her again amidst the fury of the waves. I held her tightly, close to me, while the sea was stormy,” she told journalists. “Many were screaming.”

The captain is among the survivors, the spokesperson for Italy’s Coast Guard said.

The 56-meter yacht called the “Bayesian,” which flies under a British flag, had mostly British passengers and crew, in addition to two Anglo-French, one Irish and one Sri Lankan, the spokesperson told CNN. The New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade told CNN two of its citizens were involved in the incident, but were not among those still missing. The nationality of the dead person has not been disclosed.

The Italian fire brigade said its divers had reached the yacht’s hull 49 meters (160 feet) below sea level, according to a press statement. The brigade also dispatched helicopters to bolster the search operation.

The captain of a nearby boat said he turned on his engine to avoid crashing into the Bayesian, Reuters reported, as fierce gales swept the area.

“This morning we got this strong gust and we had to start the engine to keep the ship in an angled position,” he told reporters on Monday. “After the storm was over, we noticed that the ship behind us was gone.”

The UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) is deploying a team of four inspectors to Palermo to conduct a preliminary assessment of the yacht, a source familiar with the operations told CNN. The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, did not say when the team is expected to arrive in Sicily.

British tycoon among those missing

Lynch, the British entrepreneur missing from the yacht, had been plagued by legal woes since 2011 , when he sold his company to tech firm Hewlett-Packard (HP) for $11 billion.

In June, he was acquitted of fraud by a jury in San Francisco, after prosecutors accused him of trying to inflate Autonomy’s revenue in the latest chapter of the legal saga.

He turned ground-breaking research at Cambridge University into the foundation of Autonomy, which became Britain’s biggest software company and a member of the blue-chip FTSE 100 index.

Lynch was lauded by academics and scientists and asked to advise the British government on technology and innovation.

Ownership records held by maritime information service Equasis show that the yacht is owned by the Isle of Man-registered Revtom Limited company. Revtom Limited’s latest annual return from April lists Bacares as its owner.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

CNN’s Catherine Nicholls, Benjamin Brown and Eve Brennan contributed reporting.

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