BoatsIslander 30 (HINCKLEY-1938)

Islander 30 (HINCKLEY-1938)

Fractional Sloop · Fin Keel · First built 1938

A Sparkman & Stephens fractional sloop with a fin keel, designed in 1938 as a classic racer-cruiser

Designed by Sparkman, Stephens & K. Aage Nielsen, built by Henry R. Hinckley.

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

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 narrow beam gives 37 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 37
CoastalBluewater

At 1.55 she sits well under the 2.0 line — a solidly ocean-capable hull for her size.

Capsize screening 1.55
LightHeavy

367 — very heavy for her waterline, a serious load-carrying cruiser.

Displacement / length 367
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 14.8
TenderStiff

34% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 34%

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

  • Narrower than ~83% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2507 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
34.0%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
14.8
Displacement / length
366.9
Comfort ratio
36.6
Capsize screening
1.55
Hull speed
6.4 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
685
Hull
Hull type
Fin Keel
Construction
Wood
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
First built 1938
Units built
20
Designer
Sparkman, Stephens, K. Aage Nielsen
Builder
Henry R. Hinckley, Hinckley Yachts

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.

Contest 319.50 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA U. van Essen-designed masthead sloop with a high ballast ratio, built for stability and comfort in a compact hull
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
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
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
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
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.

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