C&C 29 Sailboats for Sale

Both variants come from the Canadian golden era of C&C Yachts, a builder that brought above-average construction discipline and a genuine racing pedigree to the production market. That heritage shows up in the hull-and-deck quality, though it also means these are performance-oriented boats, not floating apartments. A couple will find either version genuinely rewarding for coastal cruising and club racing; a crew of four or more will feel the limits of thirty feet quickly.

Layouts on the Used Market

The Mark I carries a layout typical of its era: quarterberth and navigation station to port aft, galley to starboard, a central saloon, a full-width head compartment, and a forecabin that owners variously describe as cozy or claustrophobic depending on their tolerance for low overheads. Six berths are claimed; comfortable sleeping for a couple plus two guests is more realistic. Storage runs to reasonable levels for coastal passages, though the absence of a hanging locker is a recurring complaint.

The Mark II gives up the dedicated nav station — a real tradeoff for anyone who races with a navigator or passages offshore — but gains a hanging locker and a bulkhead table that opens the saloon more usefully. Ventilation is noticeably improved on the later boat, with an overhead port just aft of the mast and a forehatch positioned on the forward slope of the coachroof. Neither version approaches liveaboard standards, and both will feel tight on tankage for anything beyond a long weekend unless previous owners have upgraded.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

Boats that have passed through active sailing hands tend to arrive on the brokerage market reasonably well equipped for day racing and weekend coastal work. Spinnaker and asymmetric spinnaker gear are commonly fitted, and gennakers are a frequent addition for owners who want downwind versatility without the complexity of a symmetric setup. Dodgers and biminis are widely fitted, reflecting how these boats are actually used — as comfortable coastal cruisers between bursts of racing.

Electronics have typically been refreshed at least once during a boat's life. Chartplotters and autopilots are often carried, and it is not unusual to find a lithium battery bank on examples that have had recent systems work done. AIS transponders and shorthanded sailing setups — clutches organized for singlehanded handling, furling jibs from a cockpit line — appear on boats whose owners raced two-handed or coastal-cruised without a full crew. Solar panels and supplemental heating are less universal but show up with some regularity, particularly on boats based in higher latitudes.

Shoal-draft keel variants do exist in the Mark I, and a keel-extension "shoe" — a factory-designed 500-pound addition bolted to the original fin — is a well-known and legitimate modification found on Mark I boats from heavy-wind sailing areas, most commonly on the West Coast. This modification meaningfully changes the boat's handling and stability profile in a breeze and is worth understanding before you sail a so-equipped example.

What to Inspect

The version question aside, the most important structural item on any C&C 29 is the bonding between the interior grid and the hull. C&C used fiberglass structural grids to locate furniture and distribute loads, and while this was sophisticated construction for the era, the bonds between grid, bulkheads, and hull must be inspected carefully — separation has been reported, particularly at the chainplate-supporting bulkhead. Look behind headliner panels and beneath furniture wherever access allows; a surveyor familiar with this era of construction will know where to probe.

On Mark I boats, the mast step is a wooden block and rot in this component is a known and common failure — replacement is frequently necessary. Inspect it directly, not just visually; probe it, and ask when it was last replaced.

Gelcoat crazing and small stress cracks in the cockpit sole and around winch bases are reported across both versions and are worth mapping carefully. Some crazing is cosmetic; cracks that trace hardware attachment points or run across the sole can indicate laminate fatigue beneath and warrant closer investigation.

Osmotic blistering was a meaningful problem for the Mark I hull, with enough owners reporting it that it warrants a careful hull inspection below the waterline on any example of the older boat. The Mark II laminate — notably robust for its era, with multiple layers of biaxial glass and Coremat reinforcement in the forward sections — showed far fewer complaints, though no hull of this age should be assumed blister-free without inspection.

Engine compartment access is tight on both variants. Early Mark I boats carried the Atomic-4 gasoline engine; many have been converted to Yanmar or Universal diesels over the years, which is generally a worthwhile upgrade. Confirm the engine's service history and whether a conversion was done professionally, with proper fuel system, exhaust, and mounting work. Under power, the combination of fin keel, spade rudder, and two-bladed prop makes for poor backing control, which is not a defect to fix but a handling characteristic to understand before docking in a tight slip.

Balsa-cored decks require the usual investigation for delamination and wet core, particularly around hardware penetrations where the specified plywood backing may have deteriorated. The hull-to-deck joint is bolted through an inward-turning flange with a full-length aluminum toerail; inspect this joint for separation or sealant failure.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

The C&C 29 in both versions is most readily available in the United States and Canada, with concentrations in the Great Lakes, the Pacific Northwest and California coast, and the Northeast. Both versions built fleets large enough to sustain active one-design communities in some regions, which means parts knowledge and class experience are not hard to find.

This is a strong-value entry point into a genuinely competitive racer-cruiser from a builder with a serious reputation. The Mark I rewards sailors who want a lively, beamy, light-air flyer and are prepared to manage its heavy-air temperament; the Mark II is the more composed all-round package. Either boat in good condition represents solid value, but condition varies considerably across examples of this age, and a professional survey is non-negotiable.

Pre-purchase checklist:

• Confirm Mark I vs. Mark II before anything else — they are fundamentally different boats
• Survey the interior grid-to-hull bonds, especially at chainplate bulkheads
• Probe the mast step (Mark I) for rot
• Inspect the hull below the waterline for osmotic blistering, particularly on Mark I examples
• Map cockpit sole crazing and cracks around winch bases
• Verify engine type, conversion quality if applicable, and service records
• Check balsa deck core around all hardware penetrations
• Confirm keel-shoe presence (Mark I) and understand its effect on the boat's handling
• Assess tankage and systems (electrical, plumbing) against your intended use