Islander Yachts Bahama 30

BoatsIslander Yachts Bahama 30

See her sail

The Islander Yachts Bahama 30, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Practical Sailor

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a moderate beam gives 23 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 23

CoastalBluewater

1.98 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.98

LightHeavy

247 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 247

EasygoingPowered-up

17.7 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 17.7

TenderStiff

38% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 38%

A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.

What the fleet has seen

The Islander Yachts Bahama 30, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Islander Yachts Bahama 30 is a 9.1-meter masthead sloop designed by Robert Finch and built by Islander Yachts, Islander, and Tradewind Yachts between 1973 and 1985. It shares its hull with the ISLANDER 30 MKII, featuring a fin keel with a spade rudder, a 3.0-meter beam, a 1.5-meter draft, and a displacement of 3733 kg. Aboard his 1978 Islander Bahama 30 *Natasha*, Bert Vermeer installed a Beta 20 diesel with a sail drive and later added a secondary through-hull intake with a T-valve for redundancy after an engine overheat caused by a blocked raw water intake.3:40 He also equipped *Natasha* with an Aqua Alarm water flow sensor to monitor raw water circulation and provide an audible or visual alert if flow drops below 1.5 gallons per minute.6:48

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen once across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions

Weights

Ballast / displacement

38.0%

Rig & sail area

Rig

Masthead Sloop

Ratios

SA / displacement

17.7

Displacement / length

247.4

Comfort ratio

22.6

Capsize screening

1.98

Hull speed

6.6 kn

Pounds / inch immersion

878

Hull

Hull type

Fin w/spade rudder

Construction

Fiberglass

Ballast type

Lead

Production

Years built

1973–1985

Designer

Robert Finch

Builder

Islander Yachts, Tradewind Yachts

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Pearson Yachts 309.08 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA prolific Bill Shaw design with over 1,000 built, this masthead sloop features a fin keel and spade rudder

Pearson 30 Sailboat Review from Practical Sailor

C&C Yachts 30-1 (1-506)9.14 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthWith a 12-year production run, this masthead sloop stands as the longest-built model in the C&C lineup.

Sailor of the Month - Randy Stafford3:50 from American Sailing

Seafarer Yachts 309.13 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead sloop available with a tall rig and keel centerboard, distinct from the earlier Tripp-designed model

FROM THE CORPORATE WORLD TO VAGABUNDOS BEACH | Living on a sailboat | #SAL #4411:36 from Hashtag Sal

C&C Yachts 30-29.12 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA performance-oriented masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, designed by C&C for balanced club racing

Ep. 33 Interview with Richard1:11 from Sailing Into Oblivion

CS 309.14 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthThe most popular model from CS Yachts, with over 90 units launched in its debut year alone

CS30 Sailboat FULL TOUR ($20,000 - Tiny - Sleeps 6 - Sails Fast - Canadian Sailcraft)from Adventureman Dan

Granada Yachts 309.18 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 30-foot fractional sloop with a 1.65-meter draft, designed for balanced, performance-oriented cruising

Capsized in 20-meter waves: Are Wiig on the drama in the Southern Ocean | Bearing on Sailing2:53 from SEILmagasinet

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

Islander 30 MK IIA Robert Finch-designed masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, also offered in a tall rig configuration Islander Yachts 30A raised-deck masthead sloop with a shallow 1.12-metre draft, produced briefly as a distinct variant of the Islander 29 Islander Yachts Bahama 28A masthead sloop featuring a modified interior layout compared to its predecessor, built for coastal cruising Islander Yachts Bahama 26A Robert Perry-designed masthead sloop with a shallow 1.19m draft and wide 3.05m beam for coastal cruising comfort Islander Yachts Bahama 24A flush-deck masthead sloop with a modified full keel that replaced the trunk cabin version due to its popularity Islander Yachts 28A Robert Perry-designed masthead sloop with over 400 built, favored by the designer himself for her balanced performance

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

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