Alex,
We chartered one in the Virgins in the late 80's. It was a tiller
boat, deep draught. We tucked a double reef in the main and sailed in conjunction with a 70% reefed
genoa for over 2 weeks. It was a great sailing
boat: very responsive, tracked well and was very sea kindly when we headed
offshore out of the Drake Channel. We never slipped below 6 knots and hit high 7's regularly in a following sea. The
interior was roomy for a 30 footer and if I were looking for a smaller boat, it would be on my short list. With some minor modifications, it could make a nice small cruiser for an affordable
price. I hope this helps. Good luck and safe sailing.