Top 5 Sailboats 30 feet - Episode 167 - Lady K Sailing 

I am a single hand live aboard sailor in his 70s and my favorite boat so far is the one I have now, the 1983 Hunter 31 hull number 58 with many upgrades. Plenty of room, nimble and fast enough to make gunkholing around Florida barrier islands a joy. It has seen hurricanes tied in sheltered mangrove holes and weathered many 30 plus blows underway.

I guess the Catalina 27 kind of mentioned Catalina, but the 30 is much more livable. Tons better galley, head an still sails well.

I see a lot of comments about the Catalina 30! I was blown away by the sailing and room that the Catalina 30 had.. not as fast as some, but very livable!

Catalina 30 was my dream boat and I got it now and its all I ever dreamed it could be. The beam of it makes it feel bigger than 30 feet.

Alberg 30 is my favorite, and I have only owned one for 31 years. None of the other five have the looks, or sail as easily on a reach. Great singlehander, and beautiful traditional interior.

Nice List! I appreciate your views and honesty when explaining your choices! How about a Top 5 Sailboats for Single Handed Cruisers?

Just bought my first sailboat Catalina 27 with an outboard because of you !!!

I enjoyed seeing your daughter included in the video. This put a smile on my face keep up the good work.

Just over a year ago I bought my first yacht which is a 1995 Hunter 29.5. So much boat for your money. Spacious cockpit, Queen berth under, enclosed shower and head, heaps of room downstairs and a sugar scoop at the stern. Also pretty competitive against the other 30 footers we race against on Saturday. Spent 3 very comfortable weeks sailing up the Queensland coast here in Australia last year.

We own and sail a 1980 C&C 30 mk1. Just fired up our channel and curating videos. She is an absolute racehorse in good winds, and one of the easiest boats to learn on. Very forgiving. We sail her as a weekender out of Whitby, Ontario, Canada.

Laser 28, a formidable addition to this list.

My current boat is by far my favorite 30'. 1983 Erickson 30+. Sturdy, fast and still comfortable. Can handle fairly extreme weather (50-60kts of chilling wind and 30' waves) got me inshore safely.

I thought for sure the Cal 3-30 was going to make this list. I personally cannot think of a better racer/cruiser blue water 30 foot sailboat that is still affordable than her. I feel like they have to be one of the strongest and fastest in their class with a focus on comfort. Not to mention the legendary designer....

I was looking around from another angle (as in located in Europe), The POGO 30 or RM boats were interesting, I settled on a Bénéteau Océanis 31 which is more modern, confortable compared to the Bénéteau First 310 but probably not as fast. I am happy with my choice as I am the typical family weekender. Two cabins, complete head with shower and a cosy center table for inside dinner, plus a cockpit table and a swimming platform makes her the perfect pocket cruiser.

My favorite 30 footer is the Olson 30. They are a gofast boat and not made for cruising. The Hobie 33 is my favorite boat in that class. I love the old school lines of Alberg designed boats.

I own a 1991 Hunter 30T and love it. (And my wife loves the comfort for a 30 foot boat.) Thanks for including a Hunter.

Your announcer is simply the BEST! EVER!

I like that you talk abour options real people can afford. Good job, thanks for this vid

Had a Hunter 30-2 in the G form. Sexy look to it. Everyone always thought it was much newer then 1988. First 310 is fast. It shared the hull and most interior as the Oceanis 300. So I guess if you wanted to give up some canvas and pointing but wanted more tankage and less draft there ya go. Nice work Captain Daddy!!

My favorite 30 footer is a J/29. I used to keep the boat in NY Harbor, and day sailed it there. Fast, manueverable, pointed extremely well. Really fun to sail. The one design class had mostly petered out when I owned it, so I converted to rolling furling headsail and fully battened main in stackpack. Made life much simpler. Not really much of a crusing boat, given limited gallery facities and no shower, but still did a lot of weekend crusing. Even did a trip over several days with 6 adults (with my wife, brother and his wife, and my parents) from NY to Newport, RI. Trip was a blast!

Won't argue with your picks. Sailed a 29 Bayfield for years before I swallowed the anchor. Great boat and when the wind picks up stellar..... Like your #1 pick. If I get back into sailing I'll definitely check the Bene 310 out.

I love my recently purchased 2001 Catalina 320. I haven't raced her yet but after one season of weekend sailing, and much research, I expect her to do well once I start club racing. Plenty of accommodations too.

I'm looking at a First 305 currently. Seeing this video has sealed the deal for me.

If you like fast, luxurious and with a walk through transom I'm surprised the C&C 30-2 didn't make your list.

I was surprised to see my Catalina 27 on a list of best 30 ft and not the Cat 30. I know the hull speed is suppose to be 6.5 knots but I can tell you for a fact that I did a 25 mile race averaging 7 knots in the Great Lakes. Wind was a steady 20 + knots out of the north the whole race and we were on a beam reach the whole way. We could have just lashed the helm. We reefed the main and the headsail and were healed about 25 degrees the whole way in 3 to 4 foot waves with about 4 to 5 second periods. I have never got her to go that fast before or since for that long. She is very comfortable and my wife and I often do week long cruises in the summer, overnight stays in marinas. She is not stripped out. I have refrigeration and a microwave onboard. She is a tall rig with full battens and a loose foot. I have several friends with Cat 30s and they do have a bit more room and are great boats as well. When I went looking to upgrade our boat 9 years ago, I considered several including a 30 but this boat was in such great shape at a great price, there really was no other choice.

You missed one, revolutionary vessel…the Freedom 30. Hands down it is one of the best laid out (for comfort) 30s in the 30 ft class, and has excellent handling /speed capabilities. Good review.

My Aunt swore by the Catalina 30 - of all the boats and layouts the had that was her favorite!

I had a 1969 C&C Redwing 30 that was a rocket. Not much room down below but I wish I would have kept it. No other boat I’ve had before or since was as much fun! The cockpit was very long, and 4 to 6 people could have a ball! And when you walked away and turned to look back at it, the lines were beautiful.

Owning an Alberg 30 this makes me happy.

Ericson 30+ is such a good boat, i love mine. It masters this class. Racy and roomy and extremwly well made, and cheap to buy

I’ve been living on a Erickson 29 I completely refit and it is awesome. I’m living in the San Juan’s now. I have a wet head. It has a encapsulated keel. It is a Bruce King design. It has a new 20 Tohatsu outboard. All new electronics and windless. Beamy but points crazy upwind. This make has won many race cups along the west coast and is a solid build. I’ve been in Hunters C&C , Catalina and Pearson and I’m good with my Erickson. Cheers!

I would say Catalina 30 from the 80's. Huge inside, built strong and overall super comfortable cruiser.

7 years of sifting through sailing channels on YT. Hands down, this dude is the Buddha of sailboats!

I would love a video on camper & Nicholsons brand sailboats. Their 60's and 70's vessels were and still are awesome. My nic 48 is my home, and I love her!

I bought a 1991 Hunter 30T and owned it for almost 20 years. It was my 6th and final sailboat, following an 11 ft Sunburst (which was an inexpensive ABS clad Styrofoam knockoff of a Porpoise), a 14 ft Sunfish "Heatwave" which I raced for many years in High School, a 16 ft all wooden Comet that I sailed throughout my college years, a Venture 21, and an S2 7.0 m that I owned for the 5 years prior to the Hunter. For me, the 30T was the perfect balance of space, comfort, and performance. As you stated, it had a lot of room and features for a 30-footer, with its 11 ft beam. I really loved that boat and hated to have to sell it, but health and physical limitations that came with age prevented me from being able to use and enjoy it anymore. I paid $55,000 for it in 1993, and sold it for $31,000 in 2011, so I feel that it held its value quite well, and I certainly got my money's worth out of it for the time that I owned it. I had the privilege and opportunity of going to the Hunter factory in Alachua, FL and being taken on a tour of the facility to see the whole design and production process in person, which was a real treat, just a of couple years before I was able to finally make the purchase. The Hunter 30T will always be my personal favorite. Thanks for the video. Brings back a lot of good memories😇

Islander 28 would be close to top of my list on the 30’ range.

This is such a great concept! I see a series of Top 5s by length coming our way. Perhaps grouped as 33, 36, 38...? Please keep it up. Separate note, would love to see an All you need to know about Yamaha. Cheers,

We have a Contest 30 MK I 1969. Love it and about to move aboard full time.

no love for the J30? they are all about 40 years old now but the stated goal of the designer was a family cruiser that didn't compromise on performance. never sailed one, just one of my favorite looking 30 foot boats

Our first "real" sailboat was a Catalina 27 outboard, which was soon converted to an inboard when finances allowed. After 10 years, we upgraded to a Catalina 30 tall rig. I always thought the 27 sailed better than the 30, especially upwind. However, both were very comfortable family boats and both seemed perfect for sailing the Great Lakes.

Suggestions for review: 1. Shark 24 2. Ticon T-30 3. O’Day Day Sailor or Sail Star Explorer same boat different manufacturers with an interesting legal case.

I can't believe you didn't include the Catalina 30. With over 6500 boats produced, surly this boat should be included in any list of 30 footers. I'm a great lakes sailor and live aboard for most of the summer. I've owned my C30 tall rig for over 25 years. Haul #5701, a 1989, fin keel that's still going strong. Ken v West Harbor, Ohio

I think your boat reviews are ok, but that intro and the "one more time" is simply out of this world! I have a C&C 30 as my first sail boat trainer. I retire in a couple of years and want to find something a little bigger to live aboard and circumnavigate on. You reviews are fantastic for me, even though they tend to focus on a little smaller than my desires. Keep up the great work!

Love the Cat 27 Tim. At one time we had three in the club. Made for great club racing. I crewed with Ward and we won our share of flags. Your comments about her ability to race are bang on. We learned to point with any boat in the club.

We owned his #2 boat, Pearson 30 built in early 70's, in the early 90's, when I was in my 40's. As a teen I'd been the I-LYA Junior Sailing Chamption (Sears Cup quarter finals) sailing deckless 17' Thistles out of Put-In-Bay in W. Lake Erie. Our Pearson 30 was docked in Sandusky Bay near the western Lake Erie islands and we frequented PIB, Kelly's Island and Canada's n. Pelee Island for a few years.About 10 years later we were living on Whidbey Island in Puget Sound, and I bought a Cal 25 with deck balsa core rot since I knew how to fix that. As a racer, I'm sure our Pearson 30 performed as reviewed here. But the Cl 25 for all around cruising comfort --beamier for its length than the Pearson, easy acceleration under modest winds, yet superior ability to stand up to moderately heavy winds and gusts, is by far my favorite. Our Cal 25 was the clear victor over our Pearson 30 in ability to motivate my wife to crew and steer and spend more time aboard.

I had a Tartan 30 for 9 years and loved her Like your list 👍

Olson 30 - ULDB - If sailing performance is more important to you than headroom and creature comfort, the Olson 30 is it. They race single-handed in the Transpac, CA to Hawaii, so they're capable offshore. If you can live as a minimalist, you can comfortably support life, get there faster, looking sexy the whole way.

Kind of expected Mirage to make the list. The Mirage 27 would compare well to the Catalina 27 and the Mirage 30 would be very comfortable next to any of the boats you listed. Cheers!

I've owned an LM Mermaid 315 for some 36 years and it's a hell of a Danish boat! Still as hard as the first day: very comfortable and reliable.

Everything I need to know about a Hunter 376 circumnavigating please! Great videos man, I like the new format but I am also looking forward to you getting back out on the water!

I’d love to see more on the Islander Bahama 30!

Love the outtakes!

S2 9.1 quality build super fast Most MORC boats done as production run boats had liveable interiors, good compromise of weight and performance.

Who hates Tartan yachts?? and why?? I've never anything but praise for their build quality and speed...

Thank you. The kind sailor below, Charles really capsulated it for me, though in Canada. I'd love a 30 footer to explore the Canadian Great Lakes, St. Lawrence and inner, east coast!

O'Day 31.... Solid cruiser capable of blue water sailing... No comparison on its class....the Monique pan inside it's hull and spacious interior much like a 36 footer make it far beyond. :P

I sure like the Goman Express 30 fast comfortable good looking

Great narrative and information. Thank-you.

The Pearson 30 you mention is primarily a race boat with few cruising amenities. I recently bought a Pearson 303 which is beamer and better outfitted for cruising.

Tim, Great list. Thank you!!!!

Nice way of thinking! And I totally agree on the beneteau first series! I own a first28 deep dr. fin (completely refurbished) and believe it or not but that is already a cracking spacious,fast, racing cruiser. 👍For your vids! Greetings from the Netherlands

Probably not included for the same reasons as the Alberg 30, but besides the Alberg no under 30 footer like the Contessa 26. You want it as racy lake sailor it won OSTAR and Round-Britain races in 70s. And the operational history includes several cirumnacigations including Tania Aebi's legendary voyage. And while the bigger sister, the even more legendary, Contessa 32 can get very pricey still, this thing often sells under 10K-20k.

Just bought a Pearson 30 at auction. Don’t know much about it but the previous owner seemed to be transparent, it was a donated boat. For $20+$300 fee I didn’t expect it to be perfect but it seems to be decent. He was using it in August. I’ll be sailing out of Monroe, MI on Lake Erie.

Just recently started renovating an albin Vega. What a champion ship I wish it was bigger so you could mention it.

Love my islander 30. I solo her all the time in the San Francisco bay in over 20 knots. All I do is laugh at the people who work Friday while I'm sailing. She was super affordable and easy to work on. P.S same guy that designed the Catalina 27 also designed the islander 30

Thanks for putting out the content. It is great.

With a bit of leeway on the size, and budget... a Contessa 32 for the elegance, a J92 for the upwind performance, an X99 for the racing, an IDB Mojito 888 for the allround practicality and speed, a JPK 960 or 1010 for bluewater performance. A Dufour could also fit into the list, but that would be 6. Then again a Cornish Pilot 30 cuts a beautiful figure on the water... Not easy choosing the top 5, it depends alot on what you expect from the boat and what you realistically will use her for. 😎

Why not include the Catalina 30? I love the Pearson 30 and Tartan 30 though too. I've raced against both and they are tough competitors.

Love my Beneteau First 305. It's perfect for the San Juans.

Big points off the smaller Pearson’s for the galley layout- tiny steps & BAM! your shoe is in the kitchen sink!

I had been looking for my first boat for a long time. Since before COVID hit. Then all hell broke lose and the market went (still is) stupid ($$$) so I decided to wait - or I was going to but at the end of the past season I “bumped” onto something that felt right. The funny thing is that it wasn’t one of the boats I had been looking for. I understand that most people don’t like Hunters but a veteran surveyor snd marine engineer I know told me that the Cherubini Hunter 30 is a different boat and most people are not aware of it. 🤷‍♂️ True ? In any case, I decided to go for it. This boat is in very good shape and conditions, with new diesel Beta engine (under 300 hours) and many more upgrades. I hope this will do for a few years (on Lake Ontario). Next I plan to move directly to newer 38 or 40 feet and stay there. (Though one of my dream boat is a Steven 47). Ciao for now ! I’ll keep watching your videos. 😎

Was stunned when I saw that you posted a pic of my boat! Ygraine, haha! Did you take that pic in Vermont?! The only issue I'm having with my Pearson 30 is that it seems impossible to get a bimini that can provide shade to the cockpit without raising the boom and moving the traveler forward over the cabin. That is an expensive proposition and yet we need the sun protection so I am sadly pondering selling it now. I've been looking at the C&C 30-2, but look forward to checking out the other Five here as well.

I have a hunter 310. It's nice but your right not easy to live on. But every one love the spacious cockpit....

LOL I knew the Alberg 30 would at least get a mention. I expected it to be in the list based on what you have said in the past. Great boat for it's time but I wouldn't want one now.

Fast, good interior, and safe a J 30 should be included on your list.

Love your videos Tim!! You're daughter is going to steal the show. Hoping this pandemic stuff ends soon so we can get back to watching your sailing adventures. Any chance you can do a top 10 30 ft series. Might make a lot of folk happy to see there boat included. C&C 30-1 here. Longest running production model at C&C (12 years). Tells you a lot about the design not needing to be changed. Or possibly top 5 Canadian designs?? Wishing you a great 2022, and hoping you get to do some cruising for us.

Gotta love your daughter’s quest for perfection! Lol

The 1979 Catalina 30: Hasn’t been hauled out in 15-20 plus years, nor sailed, was then abandoned, sunk, struck by lightning, and finally sold to me 2 years ago. Went for a sail the next day, got her heeling good, let go of the helm, and she was as steady as an arrow. Nothing more to be said.

I have a bombay clipper 31' and its not the fastest boat, but its got some space and comfort.

CHRISTOPHER ASKEW MAY 2023 I THINK YOUR THOUGHTS AND PICKS ARE SPOT ON AND CORRECT I'VE SAILED ON PEARSONS AND CATALINAS AND IVE SO SEEN BENNITEAU S PERFORM

Great job. Enjoying your videos

Loved this video. Your perspective is really interesting and I value your opinions. So many great 30’s out there. I was surprised I did not see a Catalina 30 on your list. Newport 40 was another great boat also. Keep up the vids! Another subject I would love to see in a video is code0 vs a Gennaker, or a spinnaker. if you could only have one additional sail Beyond your Furling jib on board.

Had a CS30, fast and comfortable, very well built

1) J30 2) C&C 29 3) Tartan 10 4) Alberg 30 (the lines!) 5) Pearson Flyer 30

Would love to see a deep dive on the S2 9.2 and specifically the center cockpit model. I just looked at one in person today, and i immediately fell in love. Looked at it partially because of the glowing review you gave to the S2 manufacturing process in your Legend video. Sure enough, the hull and decking on this 1984 model were sturdy and healthy. Now i think i might have to buy the one I'm looking at before someone else does!

I would love to see you cover a 1970s 30ft carter. No rush though, plus I think I'm the few who live it. Great video

Met a fellow in Hawaii had done tour of South Pacific in an Oceanis 310 said not but good about her, so... yeah. Great choice.

I guess the Mirage 30 didn't cut the mustard for you. Great Boat, Solid construction, respectable on the race course.

I have a Nonsuch 30 foot cat! best boat for easy sailing!

Shocked not to see the Catalina 30 in the list.

I would love to hear your opinion on the Jouét 940MS from Yatching France. I have one my self from 1985. Bought it almost two years ago, and going through a big refit. Engien was busted, so im going full electric with two 6kw pods. Original was a 28hp Penta 2003. In terms of modern inside and space, i think it was a decade ahead of its time. Two aft cabins, head and shower at the stern with about 175cm standing height, it was the perfect boat for me, as a liveaboard. *edit: Have to add, that speed is'nt that important to me, since its a wide boat. But since im living on it, it was a comprimise i was willing to accept :) Thanks for the great videos :)

This was a great line up of 30 foot pocket cruisers! However, I did not see one I'd swap my Gary Mull designed Ranger 29 with my little 27 hp Pisces Iauxiliary auxilliary for. If not in the top 5, must be in the top ten, eh!

You forgot one boat. The c&c 30. Agreed about your comments on the Alberg 30. I had one that needed work, so.. I went for it and redid the bottom. C&C 30 mki. (lower shroud upgrades to fly main / spinniker / staysail downwind on a removable second forstay.

the Albin Ballad 30 will piss the pants off all these

My top 5 at 30 feet: 5: Alberg 30. Yes, I'd have one. 4: S2 9.1. This is my "get into handicap and offshore racing at the club" selection. 3: Nonsuch 30. My only quibble with her is the unprotected spade rudder, but if I were only going to the Great Lakes, and maybe island hopping, she'd be perfect. 2: Allied Seawind, either version. Just fine for the lakes and the islands, but with the option of going on much more serious voyages. 1: Bolger Insolent 60. A friend and I commissioned noted designer Phil Bolger to draw this up -- she's a 30 footer with two 15' skiffs bolted on either end to make a double-ended 60' schooner that folds up like a Swiss Army knife to go on a trailer. Yes, a 60' schooner that you can tow behind a Suburban and launch at a boat ramp. Okay, I'm cheating a little here, and the project has hung fire since my Hughes 40 is a bigger and more comfortable boat that will take us more places, but I still get wistful about her. (Phil died before completing the plans, sadly.) Catalina 27-sized honorable mention: the Grampian 26 or Grampian Discovery 7.9. We had one of these, and she was absolutely a joy to sail. Sneaky fast, sea kindly, and we'd routinely show our stern to 30-to-40 footers who were being sailed indifferently, especially in light air. I miss her a lot.

Love our hunter 30. It's a 1978... old .. but a good one!

Maybe someone already pointed this out, but how can you talk about 30 footers and mention the Cat 27 and not the Cat 30 ??? They made 6500 of these as well and in every way from roominess to sailing speed and handling, the Catalina 30 is a better boat than the Cat 27. I have owned both boats so I can tell you this from personal experience.

Not sure if you have any over your way. Ours was a Compass 29 built in Sydney. Such a great boat. Great video

Olsen 911, or if you can find one a 911s. The boats as good as the name. 😊Islander 30, Alarion 28, S&S 30 and the Catalina 30. Those are my top 5 30 foot weekend racers.

Thanks