CS 30 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

Like many IOR-influenced designs of the 1980s, the CS 30 combines a slippery hull with a comfortable cruising interior. Its slim bow, beamy midsection, and tapered stern suggest good performance to windward, supported by a tall rig and deep keel.

Castro designed wing-keel and shoal-draft versions alongside the standard fin. The 3,440-pound lead fin keel draws 5 feet 6 inches. The optional wing keel adds another 140 pounds and draws 4 feet 6 inches, while the shoal keel is 400 pounds heavier and draws 4 feet 3 inches. All three keel options attach directly to the hull with a double row of stainless steel bolts. Because there’s no keel stub molded into the hull, the bilge sump beneath the floorboards is very shallow.

The single-skin hull and balsa-cored deck produced a comparatively light hull, strengthened by a bonded fiberglass substructure beneath teak-and-holly floor panels. The hull/deck joint uses an inward-turned flange, bolted through the anodized toerail on 4-inch centers and sealed with butyl tape.

Unlike most slotted aluminum toerails of the period, the CS 30’s rail has evenly spaced holes that provide convenient attachment points for turning blocks or fenders. The molded non-skid deck texture has survived very well over the years. In another departure from the custom of the day, the cabintop handrails are stainless steel rather than high-maintenance teak.

Rig, Sailing, and Handling

The Isomat keel-stepped mast is anodized aluminum with double spreaders. All shrouds terminate at single chainplates set well inboard of the toerail. Because the rig doesn’t have lower shrouds spaced fore and aft, there’s a risk of mast pumping in heavy seas; a jackstay is fitted as a preventive measure. The chainplates bolt to the internal bulkhead and sit behind removable fiberglass covers.

An integrated spinnaker track runs up the forward face of the mast, with control lines for the car. However, the car has no bearings and would be difficult to move under load. All running rigging is internal to the mast. It exits at the base, leads through deck organizers, and runs aft to line stoppers and Lewmar 30 self-tailing winches.

Headsail tracks long enough to accommodate virtually any size of headsail run close to the cabin trunk, allowing tight sheeting angles. The mainsheet traveler sits on the cabintop above the companionway sea hood, leaving the cockpit clear.

In a light breeze of 7 to 9 knots, the CS 30 tacked easily through 100 degrees. Owners report that, even in heavier air, a properly trimmed boat can sail hands-off for long distances. The PHRF rating in most U.S. and Canadian fleets is 150 seconds per mile.

Under power, the deep rudder sits in the prop wash and provides precise directional control even at low speed. The boat backed down dead straight, with no evident prop walk. Whitlock geared steering was very sensitive to the touch, with excellent feedback and no noticeable slack.

Cockpit and Deck

The CS 30 has a wonderfully deep and secure cockpit. Its seats are long and wide, with cutouts for the 36-inch wheel on its guarded pedestal. Tall coamings provide excellent back support, while a full-height bridge deck prevents water that floods the cockpit from running into the cabin.

Storage includes three cockpit lockers and a deep portside locker large enough for a person to climb into easily. The factory-installed manual bilge pump is housed in that locker and is readily accessible from the helm.

The anchor-locker lid arch and single bow roller make a windlass difficult to install. Adding a backstay adjuster would also require some thought because the transom chainplate is almost out of reach.

Interior and Accommodations

Immediately to port below is a U-shaped galley. It has a deep single sink near the centerline, with both pressure and hand-pumped water, plus a good-sized icebox against the hull and a gimbaled two-burner propane range with an oven. There’s no opening port in the galley to vent cooking moisture.

To starboard is a small navigation station with a pull-out stool. Aft of it lies a very long, double-wide open quarter berth. The engine is forward of the berth, allowing the mattress to extend all the way to the cockpit locker on the port side.

The starboard settee pulls out to form a double berth, with the 30-gallon freshwater tank beneath it. A fold-down bulkhead table seats four. The separate head is to starboard, opposite a substantial hanging locker. The locker door also serves as the V-berth privacy door. Even with its fill-in panel, the V-berth is relatively small and short for a six-foot sailor.

Ventilation comes from four opening portlights on each side, a large hatch above the V-berth, another over the main cabin, a smaller hatch over the head, and a single Dorade vent in the main cabin.

Engine, Systems, and Access

The CS 30 was originally fitted with a two-cylinder Volvo Penta 2002 18-hp diesel and an 18-gallon aluminum fuel tank behind the engine. Owners report cruising at about 2,500 rpm and 5.5 knots of boat speed.

The electrical panel and battery switch are behind the companionway, where they’re easy to see and reach. Engine access is through a completely removable fiberglass box that forms the bottom of the companionway stairs. The teak-and-holly floor panels are screwed to the substructure and can be lifted out fully when needed.

The shallow bilge sump won’t accept a standard immersion-style bilge pump, which makes the cockpit-mounted manual pump particularly important.

Known Issues

The review boat showed some evidence of water leaks around the chainplates, so the sealant in that area should be checked regularly. The spinnaker car’s lack of bearings makes it difficult to move under load. Installing a windlass is awkward because of the anchor-locker lid arch and single bow roller, while the nearly inaccessible transom chainplate complicates the addition of a backstay adjuster.

Other limitations include the shallow bilge sump, which precludes a standard immersion-style bilge pump; the lack of an opening galley port; and a V-berth that’s short for taller sailors.

The Verdict

The CS 30 is what Castro intended: a fast coastal cruiser designed without the constraints of racing rules. It’s efficient under power and nimble under sail. The boat suits an owner who values a seakindly hull and a deep, secure cockpit more than a sprawling aft cabin, and its construction details have aged well.

Pros