Reviews and views on Traditional 30 yacht

[ozskipper]

Yeh.. Mine are stainless, which would have been nice 30 years ago, but they are glassed in and past being servicable. They span from locker hatch to locker hatch and then a few inches more.

The only other thing I really need to do is play with is the rig. I am getting a touch too much weather helm, with even with number two and 1st reef (15 knots)- I have used lots of backstay, outhaul and cunningham without success. I do have a dirty bum atm, but doubt thats the problem. I am planning on dropping a Plumb off the main halyard and getting an indication on the rake of the mast. Not sure about the next move if its not a rake issue.

[ozskipper]

Originally Posted by GordMay

➥ TRADITIONAL 30 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com

One of my fav sites Gord, Thanks for posting all the same :-D

[KathleenB]

Is yours a full mast head or fractional rig?

Mine was originally a full mast head which I think was standard. It still has the original chain plates. A fractional rig with new mast was fitted later with backswept spreaders and new chain plates positioned aft of the original. This means I have more control of mast bending with the running backstay. In big gusts I can pull the backstay on and spill wind from the main keeping better control of the boat.

I have had a Magnum 8.5 for the last 9 years and it has the same set up.

I sailed a Spider 28 in the past in race events that had no weather helm at all and I really struggled with it as you could not feel any rudder pressure and it was hard to know if you were helming correctly or not. My rig is really well balanced with just the right amount of weather helm. In around 8 - 10 knots I can let go of the wheel and she steers straight as a die.

[ozskipper]

Shes a 7/8th fractional. Yeh I know what its like to have a little helm, and many would argue its of benefit to have some weather helm. I would agree. But she has a little too much at the moment. I will know more once the bum and rudder are cleaner of course. There is that slight possibility. Though its mainly slime and not much shell at all. My initial thoughts are its most likely a case of too much rake.

[GusW2]

Ahoy there KathleenB, Ozskipper and fellow Traditional 30 owners past and present. Mind if i chime in as well on your conversation. Better late than never.
I agree with the previous comments , they sail very comfortably and have good turn of speed for an old cruiser/racer and have surprised many more modern newer designs on the race track.
I bought my beloved Trad in 2008 and have had many good times on her both racing and cruising with the family.
Finito as she was originally named, now Jessily after the kids names, was launched in August 1982 on Lake Macquarie. The boat then spent some years in Broken bay but is now back on the Lake were she first started.
She was built by Mike Barrett yachts in Sydney's North.
I have spent many hours working on Jessily, and replaced many things as you would expect on a 33 year old yacht, however i do seem to enjoy this.
I have been fortunate, to know the original owner who was a shipwright and purchased the Trad as a hull,deck,keel and rudder and finished it off himself.
The boat comes with quite a delivery story in fact, although i do not think i should repeat it here, even though it is 33 years after the event.
I also know another chap who bought a Trad new in the 80's and he has been a great source of knowledge and information.
I have looked for many years for a Traditional 30 forum site or class site, without any luck.
I have been envious of other designs and classes that have well established sites where they exchange all types of information and discussions.
Is the Linkedin project up and running? It would be great to see it gain some legs and hopefully grow and gain some more enthusiasts. Cheers Gus.

[ozskipper]

Originally Posted by GusW2

Ahoy there KathleenB, Ozskipper and fellow Traditional 30 owners past and present. Mind if i chime in as well on your conversation. Better late than never.
I agree with the previous comments , they sail very comfortably and have good turn of speed for an old cruiser/racer and have surprised many more modern newer designs on the race track.
I bought my beloved Trad in 2008 and have had many good times on her both racing and cruising with the family.
Finito as she was originally named, now Jessily after the kids names, was launched in August 1982 on Lake Macquarie. The boat then spent some years in Broken bay but is now back on the Lake were she first started.
She was built by Mike Barrett yachts in Sydney's North.
I have spent many hours working on Jessily, and replaced many things as you would expect on a 33 year old yacht, however i do seem to enjoy this.
I have been fortunate, to know the original owner who was a shipwright and purchased the Trad as a hull,deck,keel and rudder and finished it off himself.
The boat comes with quite a delivery story in fact, although i do not think i should repeat it here, even though it is 33 years after the event.
I also know another chap who bought a Trad new in the 80's and he has been a great source of knowledge and information.
I have looked for many years for a Traditional 30 forum site or class site, without any luck.
I have been envious of other designs and classes that have well established sites where they exchange all types of information and discussions.
Is the Linkedin project up and running? It would be great to see it gain some legs and hopefully grow and gain some more enthusiasts. Cheers Gus.

Hi Gus, thanks for chiming in. Where on lake mac do you keep Jessily? I am in mannering park.
We should "park up" some time and have a peak at each others boats.

Cheers OZ.

[KathleenB]

Hi Gus W2 and Oz Skipper and thank you for jumping in Gus.

Yes the LinkedIn group is operational. It is called Traditional 30 Owners Group.

If you are having trouble finding it and you have a LinkedIn profile send me your profile names and I will invite you to join. My email is paul.jenkins8@bigpond.com

KathleenB is based at Royal Brighton Yacht Club on Port Phillip Bay. She was originally called Trad Jazz and has a race history with the Ocean Racing Club between Grassy Point King island and Hobart from Melbourne.

I also own a Magnum 8.5 Trailable and spent a memorable 2 weeks on Lake Macquarie a few years back on the Magnum. It seems there are a number of Trad 30's on the Lake.

Best regards,

Paul.

[GusW2]

Evening gents,
Jessily is moored in Wangi Bay. Yes will catch up. I am going to replace my rudder bearing /stock, unsure of correct name. Would be good to have a look at another.
There is another Trad moored across Wangi bay called "Seahawk" formally Icarus. I know the new owner, i will mention to him about the Traditional30 owners group. (T30OG)
Paul I can think of at least 7 Trads on the lake.
I will checkout out the T30OG at LinkedIn. I have not used Linked In before so will see how we go.
Cheers gus.

[KathleenB]

Hi Gus,
I had my lower rudder bearing replaced recently while KathleenB was out on the hard. Yours is most likely the same set up. It is a cast bronze bush combined with packing gland which is glassed into the bottom. It has two tangs (part of the casting) and is fitted from inside the boat then the tangs glassed in. The shipwright had to grind the fiberglass away to get at it and remove. There was 3mm of play between the stainless rudder shaft and the bush as the bronze had worn and the packing gland was not sealing correctly. I would say that the old bush was the original. He sourced a new but larger bronze bush the same configuration and machined out the hole to suit the rudder shaft then refitted and glassed back in. KathleenB is a wheel steered boat and I know some are tiller steered.

There was very little wall thickness on the old bush which ruled out sleeving it. The idea of the larger bush is that there is now plenty of wall thickness so that in the event it needs attention again it can be bored out and sleeved. I can send you some photo's of the old bush of this is any help. Just email me.

The steering quadrant is quite low (just above the packing gland) and as a consequence is not very much higher than the waterline. I think an improvement would have been to have the packing gland higher therefore less inclined to leak. Even though we have a sail drive we still get water in the bilge after sailing and I suspect the packing gland is the source of this.

I remember seeing a for sale as for Icarus.

By the Way we are planning to join the RBYC cruising group for an annual Bass Strait cruise next Feb/March so now organising Jack Lines, Dan buoy, Harnesses etc. We may go Flinders Island, Port Fairy, Wilsons Prom, King island or even Tassie yet. Depends on weather but will be first trip out of Port Phillip on the Trad 30.

Cheers,

Paul.

[KathleenB]

Hi all,

Before you can use LinkedIn and search for the group you must join set up your own profile on LinkedIn.

Then you can search for the Traditional 30 Yacht Owners group. Once you reach that request to be added to the network and I will receive your request by email and accept it. Then you are in. You can post stuff of interest and read other posts from other members as they join.

Cheers,

Paul.

[GusW2]

Thanks Paul, I would like to have allot at any photos you may have.Yes i agree the packing gland etc is too low allowing to leak. This is the main reason i would like to replace as well as i'm not to sure how old it is.
Do the tangs you described have bolts through them or are they fibreglassed in only.
Seahawks,(Icarus) has a different arrangement. it has the tube type system, the previous owner said it never leaks. I have only had a quick peek at this arrangement but i have discussed with new owner and he said i can come and have a look and take some measurements.
I think he must have lifted his quadrant slightly to allow the tube to be extended higher above the waterline .I will send my email.
Will take me some time to get set up on Linkedin. very busy at the moment with xmas and organising a Sabot national championships starting on boxing day.
Cheers Gus

[KathleenB]

Hi Gus,

Thank you for your email. I have sent individual photos which I hope are of use to you. No the tangs do not have bolts through them they are just fiber glassed like wings into the bottom inside of the hull around the sides of the entry hole. They are slightly curved upwards to fit the curvature of the hull shape.
I think in order to lift the quadrant up higher I would have to modify the pulley mounting for the steering cables and not sure if I have room for this or not.

Cheers,

Paul.

[ozskipper]

Originally Posted by GusW2

Evening gents,
Jessily is moored in Wangi Bay. Yes will catch up. I am going to replace my rudder bearing /stock, unsure of correct name. Would be good to have a look at another.
There is another Trad moored across Wangi bay called "Seahawk" formally Icarus. I know the new owner, i will mention to him about the Traditional30 owners group. (T30OG)
Paul I can think of at least 7 Trads on the lake.
I will checkout out the T30OG at LinkedIn. I have not used Linked In before so will see how we go.
Cheers gus.

Next time I am up wangi way I will have a look for Jessily. I park up at the RSL occasionally.
Ahh. I kinda know Icuarus. I had her on my short list at one stage.
Heres the Promo Vid from BuyaBoat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lf_zkfjzdgw

[ozskipper]

While I think about it. Here's a perv of a few others.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0uP51MSRQdI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bjVDeAuC_A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjGAmmJcRmo

https://vimeo.com/124482889

[GusW2]

Hello again T30OG
Sorry for no communication. Just taking a breath from christmas.
Thanks Paul for the photos on the rudder stock assembly. I still haven't Linked in as of yet.
I am having depth sounder issues and have done so for ever. Occasionally depth reading freezes up or reads zero and won't read depth.
Would like to know firstly do you gents have one?
Where is it mounted in the boat?
What brand are you using and how is its performance?
Is it mounted "in hull', mounted inside the boat or is thru hull, positioned in the water?
I have a ray marine st 40 which has, what i believe is a airmar P19 transducer mounted "in hull"in a pot of oil. it is located under the v berth as far back as possible right on the centre line. Ray marine have informed me that this transducer is not designed to be mounted "in hull' and shoot through the fibreglass.
I need a Airmar p79 which is designed for 'in hull" mount. I am not that keen to drill another hole in hull under the waterline to mount existing transducer.
Do you have any recommendations/ideas?
Other jobs I have done on my T30 include, repowering with a new Yanmar 3YM20 and new sail drive 2 bladed folding, replace front hatch, windows,new electrics, replace keel bolts, sanded back and revarnished in side cabin,very dusty, new upholstery removed spars and repainted and rerigged and many others. Let me know if if you have any of these tasks in mind,
Cheers Gus