BoatsSeafarer Yachts 30

Seafarer Yachts 30

Masthead Sloop · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · 1978–1985

A masthead sloop available with a tall rig and keel centerboard, distinct from the earlier Tripp-designed model

Designed by McCurdy & Rhodes.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin With Rudder On Skeg

See her sail

The Seafarer Yachts 30, on the water

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

Footage from Hashtag Sal

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

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

Capsize screening 1.96
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 229
EasygoingPowered-up

14.9 — modest power for her weight; easygoing rather than lively, and happier with a breeze.

Sail area / displacement 14.9
TenderStiff

40% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 40%

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

What the fleet has seen

The Seafarer Yachts 30, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Seafarer Yachts 30 is a masthead sloop designed by McCurdy, Rhodes, built by Seafarer Fiberglass Yachts from 1978 to 1985. It features a fin keel with a rudder on skeg, measures 9.1 meters LOA, has a 3.0-meter beam, a 1.4-meter draft, and displaces 3900 kg. The model is also known as the Seafarer Swiftsure 30 and was available with a keel centerboard and a tall rig. Aboard *Hashtag Sal*, Renato and Cassi live aboard their Seafarer Yachts 30, the *Maragota*, anchored at Praia dos Vagabundos, Brazil, after transitioning from corporate careers to full-time cruising in 2016.11:55 They maintain the vessel themselves, handling mechanical, electrical, and plumbing repairs, and use a horizontal galley with a knee-operated water pump, a Lilmar steering wheel, and navigation electronics including GPS, wind station, tridata display, and radar, supplemented by iPads with Navionics.6:27 Budget-conscious sailors can acquire a 1979 Seafarer 30 for around $11,500, though project boats may cost less but require substantial investment in sails, rigging, and systems.2:21

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

On the water

The Seafarer Yachts 30 on video

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model for sale, and the asking prices that came with it.

2seen for sale
$11,500Median asking

From the fleet's own footage — our observed signal, not broker listings.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
40.1%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
14.9
Displacement / length
229.4
Comfort ratio
23.0
Capsize screening
1.96
Hull speed
6.8 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
914
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
FG (balsa core cored deck and coach)
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1978–1985
Designer
McCurdy, Rhodes
Builder
Seafarer Fiberglass 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 Reviewfrom Practical Sailor
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 Richard1:11from Sailing Into Oblivion
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 Sailing2:53from SEILmagasinet
Tartan Marine 30009.13 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Sparkman & Stephens design available with either a fixed keel or a keel-centerboard for flexible shoal-water access
TOP 5: Cruising, Fastest, Cheapest, Most Modern, & Easiest Sailboats To Buy - Ep 3169:27from Lady K Sailing
Islander Yachts Bahama 309.12 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1973-1985 production masthead sloop sharing its hull with the Islander 30 MKII and featuring a balanced fin keel
Diesel Overheating Dinghy Pump Hack3:07from Practical Sailor
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

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.

Seafarer Yachts 29An IOR half-ton racer configuration offered alongside standard trunk cabin and raised-deck cruising modelsSeafarer Yachts 34A versatile masthead sloop offered with yawl or keel-centerboard configurations and optional diesel powerSeafarer Yachts 31 MKIA William Tripp Jr. design available as a sloop or yawl, famously offered in kit form for the home builderSeafarer Yachts 29 CBA masthead sloop available as a kit-built cruiser or in a Futura configuration with a sloping foredeckSeafarer Yachts 37A 1980 fin-keeler with a skeg-mounted rudder, offering a 29.14 comfort ratio for stable offshore passage-making

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

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