Please suggest a few makes/models that fit this wish list thanks!

[nematon785]

Non cored hull
IOR age, without excessive racing influence
straight driveline no V
masthead with decent size main no blades
fin and balanced spade
cheap and plentiful on west coast
free from poor design/ lightweight construction
phrf below 200

As much as I want a pilot cutter, I need a solid coastal boat, between 29 and 35 feet.

My shortlist:

Cal 29: But that support beam, likely atomic rust ball, and window/hull to deck joint leaks concern me.

Ericson 35 MK2: did the model with the engine under the companion way have a v drive?

Tartan or yankee 30 hard to find on west coast

Pearson 34: perfect, except rare on the west coast, and they used a cored hull! This boat is very very close to exactly what I am looking for.

Additional makes and models you can suggest are appreciated, I never really considered the pearson line until yesterday, so now I'm thinking there are many more I am simply unaware of.

Thanks!

[Cheechako]

There used to be quite a few Yankee 30's around. Not sure now. Great sailing boats with a protected rudder, but you said you want a balanced spade... Yankee has a skeg.
maybe some of the Clark boats? San Juan 30, 34
Ranger 29, 33
Many fin and spade are lightweight though. Did you mean "free from lightweight" or did you mean "lightweight" construction?

[nematon785]

Yeah, not fond of the skeg on the yankee/tartan.

Lightweight in this case means light spec on running rigging and thin hulls or inadequate bulkheads / stringers etc.

Now I find the pearson 34 had 2 models, the first is actually what I am interested in, and does not have a cored hull! short list for sure.

I also looked at sabre line of boats, several good models here. Yay!

pearson 32 has promise, But alas, I am guessing all this pearson/sabre stuff is an east coast thing...

[Steadman Uhlich]

Anytime I see a post like yours that requests for suggestions, I have one in return:

Clearly indicate the Maximum Asking Price you will consider.

Saying "cheap" is not specific enough, because what is "cheap" to one sailor is "out of my budget" for another.

Good luck on your boat search.
Also, check out the ongoing thread titled "Boats Less Than $30K..." as I will be adding more boats to that soon, and several have already been posted that are or were located in California or West Coast. Even IF those boats are not still for sale, you can learn something from the many posts, which includes photos, data, specs, and comments.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ds-147098.html

I encourage CF members who are shopping for a boat that is Maxium Asking Price LESS Than $30K to subscribe to that thread, in order to see new notices of good boats, as the best opportunities go quickly.

[Adelie]

Ranger 29 is a light boat

Why no V-drive?

Cal 36 may have straight driveline.

Columbia 30, 34

The beam problem with the Cal29 varies with the particular boat. Most are fine. If the beam is in decent condition it does a wonderful job of resolving rig forces and is a big plus.

Regarding the Atomic4, same as beam depends on POs.

Hull-deck joint leaks are a problem on all boats except metal boats and boats that have glasses over the joint.

[Jim Cate]

Yeah, not fond of the skeg on the yankee/tartan.

I'm kinda curious... why this strong prejudice? As an ex-Yankee 30 owner, I know from a lot of racing and cruising miles that the boat was a sweet sailing vessel, better balanced than any boat before or since in my personal experience.

I'm not at all against spades of good design, so don't start down that track, but S&S designed a lot of very very good boats with skegs.... and with spades as well!

Jim

And Yankee 30s show up in Latitude 38's classified fairly often...

[UNCIVILIZED]

Cal, Ericson, & Ranger - All from 20'-something to 40' are fairly plentiful on the W. Coast. They sail well, are well built, & inexpensive. Just inspect them well, given their age. And there's not shortage of others in SoCal too. Walk the docks one weekend, & you'll see (& get invited to sail on) more than you can probably handle... but try to anyway. You'll be doing yourself a service in self-education.

Were I low on funds, & wanted a decent boat, the above would be high on my list. And I owned a Ranger 33' for quite a while. They're one of Latitude 38's favorite boats, which, I'd have another. Their biggest drawback is a small galley.

Check out www.sailboatdata.com as well as various boat reviews found online (gratis), including Cruising World's regular section on "Classic Plastic" boats. Meaning quality coastal & offshore designs from a few decades ago.

www.Yachtworld.com & www.SailboatListings.com www.Craigslist.com plus many, many others. You'll find lots of the suggested boats for $15k, or even 1/2 to 1/3 of that. But as I said, tour & go sailing on a bunch of them. Including talking to owner's live to get their feedback too. And read the thread here on CF --> http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ml#post2082019

Also, below are some good resources for boat buying self-education:
looking for some advice/questions answered for around the world planning - Cruisers & Sailing Forums
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ml#post2206710
A Refit Reality Check | Cruising World
SetSail FPB » Free Books

[nematon785]

SteadyHand, I am watching the thread 30k and under.

Rangers are interesting, as are S2, I am also looking at newport/capital

Skegs are fine, just not my favorite.

I have serious reservations about v drives because of maintenance access.

An atomic would be fine if it is very good condition.

I have figured out buying far from my cruising location is a mistake.

I am aware buying a boat needing major repair work is a mistake.

I am willing to make sacrifices in size, design, features and brand in favor of better condition and detailed maintenance from PO, however I cannot bear a slow difficult to maneuver poor light wind performing boat no matter how seaworthy and well kept it may be.

My max price is 35k, but I would rather spend half that. I actually want something in the 30 foot realm, so bigger is not so great. Offshore design and equipment is not needed.

less than 28 foot and making progress north along the California coast becomes a chore due to prevailing wind and current.

The pearson 30 looks like a very good boat, but the available inventory is far from me, and mostly in poor condition.

SA/D 17 is my happy place. higher preferred to lower
PHRF 175 is good
Bal/disp 35 to 40 good

Any additional brand and model suggestions along these lines is very much appreciated!

[nematon785]

S2 and capital-newport-gulf are scratched from the list

[markwesti]

CATALINA 30 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com

[Don C L]

So are you looking for a boat to race with or just a fast coastal cruiser? In that list the Yankee 30 is the one that gets my attention, but have you considered some of the older Tripp designed Columbias?
So re-reading I see your interest is in sailing up the coast here, so i am guessing you want the design for banging upwind as fast as possible with an easily handled smaller boat. Many folks cruise happily with spade rudders but based on my own experience I would not be looking for a boat with a spade rudder. With a skeg you can have more security with the rudder and still have very good upwind performance. But if your heart is set on a spade you may find something among the older Tripps.

[hamburking]

C&C29 mark 1 ... its a very big 29. If you are lucky, you can find one with a diesel.

[bailsout]

Columbia 29 mark2.