BoatsCarlson 30

Carlson 30

Masthead Sloop · Fin With Rudder On Skeg · 1966–1969

A rare mahogany strip-planked masthead sloop with only ten hulls built, split between Spain and the United States

Designed by Richard D. Carlson, built by Astilleros J. Gallart.

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

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 narrow beam gives 25 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 25
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.81
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 249
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 13.6
TenderStiff

27% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 27%

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

  • Narrower than ~76% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2550 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
27.2%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
13.6
Displacement / length
248.7
Comfort ratio
24.9
Capsize screening
1.81
Hull speed
6.6 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
765
Hull
Hull type
Fin with rudder on skeg
Construction
Wood
Production
Years built
1966–1969
Units built
10
Designer
Richard D. Carlson
Builder
Astilleros J. Gallart, Gallart Shipyard (Astilleros Gallart)

Boats like this, on the water

Nobody has filmed this one — but these are close.

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
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
Maxi Yachts 959.50 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA 9.5-metre masthead sloop produced for a decade, featuring a skeg-hung rudder for predictable coastal handling
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
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
Dufour Arpege 309.14 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA record-breaking production of over 1500 units, this MORC-compliant racer-cruiser defined a new standard for the 30-foot class

The family

Boats like this

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

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

Two ways to keep looking — both search what the fleet has actually recorded.

The newsletter

New boats, new stories. Every week, everywhere.

One email from the fleet — boats newly added, videos newly analysed. No noise.

Report an issue