Islander Yachts 30

BoatsIslander Yachts 30

See her sail

The Islander Yachts 30, on the water

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

Is it for you?

Character

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

Shoal draughtDraws 1.12 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.

LivelySea-kindly

Her heavy displacement on a narrow beam gives 28 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 28

CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.74

LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 295

EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 13.8

TenderStiff

35% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 35%

Built heavy and sea-kindly — a boat made to cross oceans and forgive a rough night.

Draws less than ~91% of boats her size on file
Narrower than ~75% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2401 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Islander 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 Islander Yachts 30 is a masthead sloop with a fin keel, designed by J.H. McGlasson and built by Wayfarer Yacht Corp., Islander Yachts, and Tradewind Yachts. This 9.0-meter sailboat, with a 2.7-meter beam and 1.1-meter draft, displaces 3810 kg.6:44 It is a raised deck version of the Islander 29 and was produced from 1968 until 1970, when it was replaced by the Islander 30-2, an entirely different design. An Islander 30 was among the impounded vessels inspected at a fall 2023 public auction in Alamitos Bay Marina, Long Beach, California, where boats often show signs of deferred maintenance like soft decks or water in bilges.1:11

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

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

34.5%

Rig & sail area

Rig

Masthead Sloop

Ratios

SA / displacement

13.8

Displacement / length

295.3

Comfort ratio

28.3

Capsize screening

1.74

Hull speed

6.5 kn

Pounds / inch immersion

736

Hull

Hull type

Fin Keel

Construction

Fiberglass

Production

Years built

First built 1968

Designer

J.H.McGlasson, Joseph McGlasson

Builder

Wayfarer Yacht Corp, 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.

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 Sailing4:07 from Lady K Sailing

Cal Boats 309.14 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthOffered with an optional tall rig, this masthead sloop served as the predecessor to the 2-30 series

Left a multinational, house, and car to live on a 30-foot sailboat | #SAL Clip #1451:32 from Hashtag Sal

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

🔥 Finally introducing my boat | 1971 Dufour Arpège – SCORPION UNO2:08 from NAUTICPIOLI

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

Best 30ft Sailboat to Buy? Catalina 30 Walkthrough & Review - Ep 349 - Lady K Sailing0:45 from Lady K Sailing

Lancer 30-28.99 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead sloop derived from the original C&C 30 moulds, offering a stable fin-keel platform for coastal cruising

FALL BOAT AUCTION 2023: Where to buy a SUPER CHEAP sailboat! - EP3114:25 from Sailing Solé

Morgan Yachts Out Island 288.66 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA shallow-draft masthead sloop by Charles Morgan Jr. designed for coastal cruising with a stable, moderate displacement

Sailboats at Every Budget: What You Get for $10K, $100K, $500K & $1M0:47 from The Sailing Doodles Podcast

The family

Boats like this

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

Islander Yachts 29A short-lived masthead sloop also marketed as the Wayfarer 29, featuring a shallow draft and a raised-deck variant.Islander 32A J.H. McGlasson-designed masthead sloop that served as the foundational hull for the later Islander 33 and 34 models Islander Yachts Bahama 30A 1973-1985 production masthead sloop sharing its hull with the Islander 30 MKII and featuring a balanced fin keel Islander 33A raised-deck masthead sloop with a 1.37-metre draft, built between 1964 and 1971 for coastal cruising Islander 30 MK IIA Robert Finch-designed masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, also offered in a tall rig configuration Islander 34A masthead sloop featuring a rudder profile inspired by the 1964 America's Cup defender Constellation

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