Chico 30 Buyer's Guide
The Chico 30 is a limited-production Mull-designed sloop built by Keith Eade in New Zealand, with just 70 examples ever completed from 1970 onward. For a buyer scanning the brokerage pages, the appeal is a compact, performance-minded 30-footer with a transom-hung rudder and a lead-ballasted fin keel—but the small fleet means each hull must be judged on its own condition.
Layouts on the Used Market
The design was built to a single conception with a crew of two. Expect a cabin scaled to a couple rather than a large cruising party, consistent with the 30.5-foot length and 9.5-foot beam. The boat’s 27-foot waterline and roughly 431 square feet of masthead-sloop sail area place it firmly in the day-sailing and coastal-cruising bracket rather than the long-range voyaging class.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
No equipment tiers are established for this model, so a buyer should assess each boat on the merits of what the individual owner has installed rather than expecting a standard inventory. A transom-hung rudder and conventional fin keel mean steering and keel gear are simple to inspect but worthwhile to scrutinize for past grounding damage.
What to Inspect
The deck is a plywood-cored structure beneath its fibreglass skin has a plywood deck, and any used Chico 30 should be checked for soft spots, discoloration, or delamination where water may have entered through fasteners or worn gelcoat. Press on the deck around winches, stanchions, and hatch edges; a springy feel or dark staining signals core saturation. Inspect the chainplate areas and cockpit penetrations for the same moisture path, since a compromised plywood deck is the central structural watchpoint on this design.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats turn up in New Zealand. Before committing, walk the deck and test for core softness, confirm the rudder stock and transom-hung pintles are sound, and verify the masthead rigging shows no corrosion at terminals.
- Test the plywood deck for softness with hand pressure
- Check chainplate bedding for streaks or staining
- Inspect transom-hung rudder hardware for play
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Chico 30. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 2 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 26 | 1 | $13,096 | — |
| Jun 26 | 1 | $595 | -95.5% |
Where they're listed
Chico 30 listings appear across 1 country. New Zealand has the most listings with 2.
Country view
2 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | $6,846 | 2 | 1 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
6 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beneteau First 30 (Mauric) | 29.36' | $ 79,794 | 44 | 12 |
| CS Yachts 30 | 30' | $ 24,499 | 27 | 5 |
| Halmatic 30 | 29.5' | $ 18,718 | 20 | 9 |
| Pearson 30 | 29.79' | $ 7,000 | 20 | 8 |
| Custom 30 | 29.75' | $ 19,648 | 16 | 1 |
| Chico 30You are here | — | $ 6,839 | 2 | 1 |