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miser · 13-04-2012, 05:43

I am currently looking to buy our first boat and it must be large enough for a small family and suitable for coastal cruising and weekends on the water. Finances also play a part in our selection. Currently looking at a Traditional 30, circa 1984 but cant find any reviews on this type of yacht. Would appreciate your views on the Traditional 30 or if anyone could point me in the right direction for a review that would be appreciated. Any other suggestions of a similar type yacht for size, layout, pricing, etc. would also be of great help.

Cherp · 13-04-2012, 06:31

Good boat. Sail well. Not slow. Good first boat.

Hivolts · 11-05-2012, 22:52

Miser
Tradition 30 is Peter Cole Design from the early to mid 80s . The Traditional is very nippy up wind and down wind . Breeze range is it likes a little more than 5 knots but will sail happily in most breezes ,It is well balanced and stable . It is no sloudge in racing . The boat is well made and solid and finish is as good as you see from those years .The one I own was a Club Champion at Mooloolabah . Volvo sail drive gives it about 6.5knots at 1000 Rpm . If you want more info drop me a note. For a family it is spacious more more like 34 footer .

KathleenB · 26-10-2014, 19:49

Hi Miser,

I know your post was dated 2012 and not sure if you purchased a Traditional 30 or not. I found your post when looking up stuff on them as I purchased one back in May 2014. What I can tell you is I am more than pleased with it. It was raced a great deal in its earlier days including quite a few ORC races from Melbourne to Tassie. Unfortunately it was neglected by it past owner however I picked it up at a reasonable price and have been bringing her back to life. She extremely well and is very spacious for a 30 footer. I intend to use her mainly for cruising in Port Phillip Bay and eventually some coastal trips. I have sailed on quite a few 30 footer yachts and the Traditional 30 is definitely up there with the best of them. Peter Cole designed it well.

KathleenB · 28-05-2015, 23:28

Well I must report that since my last post I have completed a great deal of work to my Traditional 30. Last February I completed a shake down cruise sailing around Port Phillip for 2 weeks. The variance in weather was wide including a good storm and squalls etc. I discovered leaky windows, an engine that proved underpowered against 30 knots of wind and 4 knots of current and badly worn rudder bearings.

She has had sail upgrades, new wiring including switch boards, new plumbing including pressure pump and electric flush head. LED lighting has been fitted inside and out, new DSC VHF, new Stereo sound system and a chart Plotter at the Helm with Navionics Gold Charts

I have just repowered her with a new Volvo Penta D-120 and S130 Sail drive driving a 3 blade folding prop. The rudder has been out and new bearings and packing gland fitted. She has new antifoul and some topside paint repairs and she is ready to be re-launched. New Windows are ready to fit and I have a refrigeration system to be retro fitted to the ice box. She is almost ready for a Bass Strait Cruise.

This Traditional 30 has a fractional rig unlike some others I have seen with full mast head rig. A second set of chain plates were fitted aft of the original forward bulk head ones and swept back spreaders fitted. She has great balance at the helm and sails superbly but as a previous post suggests she needs a little more than 5 knots to get going.

KathleenB · 18-08-2015, 00:43

KathleenB has been re antifouled, her rudder out, the rudder bush and packing gland replaced, and repowered with a new Volvo Penta D1-20 with 130S sail drive and 3 blade folding prop. She will soon be back on the water, her windows replaced, new lifelines fitted and the ice box refrigerated. I am planning another Bay cruise with a round trip from Brighton to Queenscliff for the Queenscliff Music Festival and then a Bass Strait cruise in Feb March 2016. I am hoping the new fresh water cooled bigger 3 cylinder engine and sail drive with 3 blade prop is a big improvement on the old 2 cylinder raw water cooled with 2 blade prop she had.

I am looking for history on these yachts including Builders and also to make contact with other Traditional 30 owners. If anyone out there owns a Traditional 30 please contact me. Maybe we could get a small owners group going!

My next project is going to be a refurbishment down below including cabin sole, timber wall paneling, shelving, cupboards and pin rails.

ozskipper · 28-10-2015, 07:22

[QUOTE=snip

I am looking for history on these yachts including Builders and also to make contact with other Traditional 30 owners. If anyone out there owns a Traditional 30 please contact me. Maybe we could get a small owners group going!

M.[/QUOTE]

Chiming in a bit late here (only a year). I just bought one also. Very happy with it. I would also be interested in an owner group or similar.

KathleenB · 28-10-2015, 15:45

Hi Oz,

Great to see someone reply. I am currently fitting a refrigeration system to my ice box (Waeco compressor type) and replacing the cabin windows as the old ones were poorly fitted and had annoying leaks.

The new Volvo engine and sail drive has made a huge improvement. I am based in Port Phillip Bay at RBYC. We are planning a Bass Strait Cruise next Feb/March for around 3 weeks.

Regards to starting an owners group. I have set up something on LinkedIn if anyone is interested. I have been involved with class association for another class for around 10 years and having a group of owners of the same class and being able to communicate and share ideas and information is a big plus. I had another owner at Sandringham YC recently contact me so lets keep the dialogue going and maybe talk about how to get a group set up and communicating.

The more I sail mine the more I like it. She is a no slouch and handles a good mix of conditions in all sailing directions but as mentioned by Hivolts she likes a bit more than 5 knots. I got caught in a narrow channel with low water either side by a storm front with 40+ knots on a broad reach with full sail up and she dug her toes in and galloped along on a nice little heal until we were well out of it. Her performance is really impressive!

ozskipper · 28-10-2015, 19:05

Great to hear. I have had mine for about 3-4 months and am yet to do any racing. Though I bought her with twilight's in mind. Have done a few booze cruises in assorted weather and she performed admirably.

Mine has a SW cooled Bukh. The Salt water cooling actually put me off for a while. However, having spoken to a couple of good mechanics they are quite impressed with the motor for its age. Its a matter of good flushing occasionally and good servicing of course.

I have stepped up from RL24s RL28 and and Adams 8. So the space is great. I dont expect her to have the "go" of the Adams or the RL24, but what I do get a boat with headroom for me and space in general.

The previous owner was a lovely, older guy who really looked after her and added some nice things like a boom bag, new anchor winch etc.

The galley fridge on mine is working nicely. I am not sure if its original, but all the Compressors/hoses/stuff is in the lazerette, up high and out of the way of fenders etc. Even turned once off it seems to be keeping beer cold for nearly 24 hours. (priority number one sorted lol)

I am yet to sort out the gas stove which isnt working. Probably just out of gas. And I need to remove the old Stainless water tanks. She has two bladders for water and the old tanks are sitting under the settees wasting space. I just have to figure the cleanest way to get them out. Its not going to be a fun job either way I fear.

Mine is on Lake MacQuarie NSW.

ozskipper · 28-10-2015, 19:07

Oh.. do you have a link for the linked in page?

KathleenB · 28-10-2015, 23:26

Hi Oz,
I have had mine over a year now. It had leaking aluminium water tanks under the settees that were full of grunge and no deck filler. I removed them, re plumbed and replaced with custom bladders, pressure pump, in line filter and new taps in the galley and head.

If you search for Traditional 30 Owners on LinkedIn you can request to connect.

Other items I have added are Lowrance chart plotter, external VHF speaker, external stereo speakers, Spray Dodger, New self tailing cabin top winches, 240VAC wiring and outlets for use with shore power, auto battery charger and electric flush head.

Hoping to have the fridge operational in the next few weeks in time for a 4 day trip down the other end of the Bay.

Regards,

Paul.

ozskipper · 29-10-2015, 00:49

yeh. My working bladders are great, with electric pumps etc.
Its just the bugger of a job of removing the stainless ones from the settees that are the problem. It looks like I am going to have to saw out the top of each settee somewhat, just to get access sadly. If I am clever, I will just make the holes the same size as one of those large plastic hatches from BCF. Then at least it can look like its meant to be there lol.

I am sure youre going to love the Self Tailers. That was something I had on my shopping list when looking for the right boat. The primaries and secondaries are STs. Though my cabin top ones arent. Maybe something for the future.

Hmm.. tried doing a search on linked in. no luck..

**GordMay** · 29-10-2015, 06:01

➥ TRADITIONAL 30 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com

KathleenB · 29-10-2015, 15:34

My tanks were the same size as the locker openings and made to fit the contour of the hull shape. They had flanges on the top that rested on the locker lid recesses so that they slid into place and were then fixed with screws through the flanges. Once I undid the fixing screws it was just a case of lifting them out. They were well made with internal baffles it just a pit they used aluminium. I f they had been made of S/S I would have cleaned them and kept them.

The Self Tailers are great on the cabin top. The old winches were seized and had winch handles permanently fixed in them. So they had to go and having a custom dodger made and fitted I needed a better set up that was more practical.

I checked the LinkedIn set up and I had not listed it and have now change d the settings. Try it again. if not give me your LinkedIn name and I will invite you to join.

Cheers,

Paul.