How Would You Rate the Cape Dory 30?

[corkscrew]

1980 - Cape Dory Intrepid 30' 18HP yanmar diesel.

• Is it a well made boat? Any known faults?
• How Stable are these?
• How are they in rough seas and winds?

Thanks!

[Ocean Girl]

Hello corkscrew,
I've got a CD30 but its not a Mark II (intrepid?) I believe that is a clive Dent design but not sure, Cape Dory has a great owners web site, try them too. I love my CD very strong, good quality harware, sails very well. For me Cd biggest downside is her internal liner. That liner makes it very hard to get to the hull. If you do any major offshore sailing you will have to reconcile that if holed you might be going overboard to do repairs. Having said that ,I have two friends that lost their boats after getting holed and neither one could get to their leaks, they were not CDs and did not have liners, one leak was behind a water tank and the other sunk so fast he never really knew exactly where the leak was.
Hope that hepled,
Erika

Cd link
Welcome to the Cape Dory Sailboat Owners Association's Home Page

[Cheechako]

I love the CD Spartan bronze hardware. (not sure they all had that) I've never heard high praises or bad words about the CD's. More traditional design with shortish waterlines, may hobbyhorse a little, pretty much a production boat built to traditional design standards is my impression. Having said that, my impression is the 30 would be a good boat. My first 30 footer had similar "faults" and was a fun boat. On the other hand, I wouldnt pay much premium for a CD over other decent 30's, and some owners seem to think they are worth more.

[Amgine]

The Cape Dory 30 was a Carl Alberg design, a very respected designer of more traditional boats. You can find out a lot about the Cape Dory boats via the very active owners community. If you look you may very well find the boat you're looking at listed there.

I'm not an unbiased commentor, as I own a CD 25D also designed by Alberg. I also hate the fibreglass liner, but everything else about the boat I love. The builder is often compared with Pacific Seacraft for quality and heft of the layups. Alberg's cabin layouts gave priority to sailing over all else; galleys and berths were often given rather less space and attention than navigation stations, though the heads were often quite generous.

The masts of these boats are robust, even hefty, and most fittings are well over-engineered compared with modern production craft. But they were designed to be cruised heavily, with simple bullet-proof systems that are well-thought out. My 25D is trailerable, but its rigging includes fore and aft lower shrouds - and only the forward lowers and the forestay need be removed before lowering the mast because the cap shroud chainplates are carefully aligned with the after pin of the hinged mast step.

I've considered finding a CD 30 cutter for a solo circumnavigation, but I'd want to replace the forepeak with a workbench and sail stowage. I really admire that rig. But my 25D is such a sweet sailor and so easy to manage solo...

[mobetah]

I've never owned one but have friends that have owned two (30' then 40') they love em. My opinion: Well built, fast and wet!
Good Luck, Bill A.

[RainDog]

I think you all may be talking about different boats. According to the CD web site, the CD Intrepid 30 (AKA Intrepid 9M) is a "McCurdy & Rhodes (?)" design. It is a fin keel, reverse transom boat.

[Ocean Girl]

Raindog, I couldn't find who designed the intrepid, I knew it wasn't a Alberg like mine. I thought Cape Dory only veered from Alberg to build the Clive Dent Mark II (in the big cruisers line). They built some dinghies, small sailboats, big cruisers but had no idea they built a fin keel, interesting.
Erika

Amgine, good idea about the forepeak, I'm considering something like that for mine, single bunk on stb side with storage compartments on other,

[Amgine]

• The Cape 30 was designed by Ted Hood
• The Cape Dory 30 was designed by Carl Alberg
• The Cape Dory 30 MkII was designed by Clive M. Dent
• The Cape Dory 300 (motorsailer) was also designed by Clive M. Dent

I can't find any information on a 'Cape Dory 30 Intrepid', and I don't see a single fin keel in the line up from this builder unless it were a custom (although even the two 'custom' productions were modified full-keelers.) Which doesn't mean they don't exist, just that none of my sources list them. Even the Robinhood boats are full-keeled.

[Amgine]

The intrepid line were designed by a series of different shops. Chuck Paine did the 28, McCurdy & Rhodes may have done the 9.0m, but still can't find an Intrepid 30. McCurdy & Rhodes drew the 35, which has a very different set of lines from the 28 or the 9.0.

The 9.0m boats were built from 1979-1981, with a run of 40 units.

[RainDog]

This page: CDSOA, Inc. -- Manufacturing History lists a boat called the "Intrepid 30 9M." I think it should be called the Intrepid 9M, but if you are selling a boat in the US, you probably have more luck marketing it as Intrepid 30.

I would guess from corkscrew's original post that this is the boat listed.

[Cheechako]

Intrepid 9 M. Cool looking boat! Chuck Paine designs sweet boats. 2 more ft of water line and 6" wider that the tradiional CD 30. Skeg hung rudder. Looks like it might be a great, little known boat!

[Jim D]

The Intrepid 9 reminds me a little of the Bristol 29.9, a boat I was always drawn to for its more modern underbelly and traditional topsides. I did think it a bit lacking in sail area, but a nice sailing 30 footer. The 30' CD Intrepid would warrant a look, I'd say.

I know this thread is old, so I guess we won't know the outcome.

[c_m_monaghan]

I know this is an old thread, but I'm just looking at it now. You'll find info regarding all Cape Dory built boats on the CDSOA's web site at:
www [dot] capedory [dot] org

By the way, CDSOA stands for "Cape Dory Sailboat Owners Association". I am a Cape Dory owner (CD32), CDSOA member and the CDSOA's webmaster. We also have a VERY active message board. Anyway, if you haven't visited our web site, please stop by when you get a chance.

Cape Dory built several 30-footers:

The Cape 30, designed by Ted Hood, was in production from 1971-1974.

The Cape Dory 30, designed by Carl Alberg, came in three flavors -- sloop, cutter and ketch. The cutter was also available in a "B" model which has the head up forward in place of the v-berth found on the standard model. The CD30 was in production from 1976-1986.

The Intrepid 30 9M, designed by Jim Kyle, was Cape Dory's attempt to build a more modern yacht. It has a fin keel rather than Cape Dory's trademark modified full keel. It was in production from 1979-1981. By the way, the Intrepid 28 was designed by Rolf van der Sleen and the Intrepid 35 was designed by James A. McCurdy.

The CD300 Motorsailer, designed by Clive M. Dent, is a full-keeled, sloop-rigged motorsailer and was in production from 1985-1990.

The Cape Dory 30MKII, designed by Clive M. Dent, is a more modern and much larger 30-footer. Her wide beam makes her alot more roomier down below compared to the older Carl Alberg design. The CD30MKII was in production from 1987-1990.

I know this doesn't answer the question of the original poster, but this should clear up some questions about the different 30-footers built by Cape Dory.


-Cathy
CD32 Realization, #3
Rahway, NJ
Raritan Bay

[Nicholson58]

I sailed this CD10 for about 40 years. I added the sprit and jib when I was 10; did the miter layout and all of the sewing myself. That was the original, well cared for main. Sad to see it go but too many boats.

[tranmkp]

Old thread but the CD Intrepid is a Jim McCurty boat as well as the Heritage 35. same boat. The 35's are superior in sailing qualities to any Alberg boat respectfully.

Run the numbers on the heritage and a cd 36 to see the heritage has a lower capsize ration and a higher motion comfort. It has fin keel - not a full keel.