BoatsCal Boats 30

Cal Boats 30

Masthead Sloop · Fin Keel · 1961–1967

Offered with an optional tall rig, this masthead sloop served as the predecessor to the 2-30 series

Designed by Lapworth & C. William Lapworth, built by Jensen Marine.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin Keel

See her sail

The Cal Boats 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 heavy displacement on a moderate beam gives 26 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 26
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.89
LightHeavy

291 — heavy for her waterline, built to carry stores and ride steadily.

Displacement / length 291
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 14.9
TenderStiff

36% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 36%

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

  • Draws less than ~75% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2507 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Cal Boats 30, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Cal Boats 30 is a 9.1-meter masthead sloop with a fin keel, designed by C. William Lapworth and built by Jensen Marine from 1961 to 1967. It displaces 4354 kg with a 1.4-meter draft and a 3.0-meter beam.6:56 An alternate tall rig option was available. The model was replaced by the Cal 2-30 in 1968. Aboard *Hashtag Sal*, Guilherme Sucena transitioned to liveaboard sailing on a Cal Boats 30 after owning smaller vessels like a Bruma 19 and a Velamar 22.6:47 Sucena, who completed a sailing certification course in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, maintains his boat's systems himself, emphasizing simplicity and self-sufficiency.1:57

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
36.5%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
14.9
Displacement / length
291.4
Comfort ratio
26.4
Capsize screening
1.89
Hull speed
6.6 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
875
Hull
Hull type
Fin Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1961–1967
Units built
123
Designer
Lapworth, C. William Lapworth
Builder
Jensen Marine, Cal Boats

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.

Spirit 329.48 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA Jacques De Ridder-designed IOR 23-footer built for nearly two decades as a stiff, masthead-rigged fin-keel sloop
My Engine is Broken Again Jury Rigging a Fix in a Small Island WindHippieSailing E670:58from Wind Hippie Sailing
Catalina Yachts 309.12 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthWith over 6,000 hulls produced, this versatile masthead sloop remains one of the most successful production yachts ever built
Perfect $20,000 Sailboat (Catalina 30 Refit on a Budget) - Ep 358 - Lady K Sailingfrom Lady K Sailing
Hunter Marine 309.27 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA John Cherubini-designed masthead sloop offered in multiple keel configurations and as an unfinished kit version
What Happened to Hunter Sailboats? The History Most People Don't Know.from All About Sailing
Maxi Yachts 959.50 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA 9.5-metre masthead sloop produced for a decade, featuring a skeg-hung rudder for predictable coastal handling
Maxi 95: The world's largest 31-footerfrom SEILmagasinet
Tartan Marine 309.12 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Sparkman & Stephens masthead sloop offering versatile interior configurations and a choice of standard or tall rigs
SUPER LOW BUDGET CRUSIING - Ep 236 - Lady K Sailing4:07from Lady K Sailing
Dufour Yachts 319.40 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA 1973 masthead sloop featuring a skeg-mounted rudder and a comfortable, stable design for coastal cruising
The Perfect Affordable Cruising Boat? (Dufour 31)2:19from Untide

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Cal 2-30A distinct fractional sloop design from Lapworth, featuring a fin keel and spade rudder for balanced handlingCal 3-30Designed as an IOR 3/4 ton racer, this masthead sloop balances a 47% ballast ratio for stiff, competitive sailingCal 29A prolific Lapworth design with over 1000 hulls produced, balancing a masthead rig with a nimble fin keel and spade rudderCal 28Originally marketed as the California 28, this early masthead sloop features a fin keel and spade rudder configurationCal Boats 34A masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, favoured by Jensen Marine founder Jack Jensen for personal cruising

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