Design and Construction
The Dufour 29 has a traditional monohull form, a skeg-hung rudder, and 7,250 pounds of displacement. Ballast is listed at 2,645 pounds, giving a ballast-to-displacement ratio of 36.5 percent.
Dufour offered different keel alternatives for varied cruising grounds. One option is a shallow iron keel drawing 4.43 to 4.73 feet, depending on load, which allows access to even shallow marinas. Another is a torpedo iron keel drawing 5.38 to 5.68 feet while still clearing most marinas. The boat is also described as having a lead-ballasted fin keel.
Her displacement-length ratio of 205 places her among moderate racers rather than heavy voyagers. A length-beam ratio of 3.11 and wetted surface near 258 square feet point to a hull proportioned for settled, all-round cruising rather than ultralight performance.
Rig and Handling
The Dufour 29 carries a masthead-sloop rig that is notably powerful for her size. The YachtDatabase review found that she has more rig than 92 percent of similar sailboats, indicating that she is significantly overrigged.
Reviews quote her sail-area-to-displacement ratio at both 15.6 and 20.18. Her documented sail area is 364 square feet. Standard halyard guides specify 81.3-foot lengths at 5/16 inch diameter for the mainsail, genoa, and spinnaker. Jib and genoa sheets run 29.4 feet at 3/8 inch, while the mainsheet is 73.4 feet at 3/8 inch.
The capsize screening formula is given as 2.0 in one review and 1.95 in another. A comfort ratio of 20.7 and a motion comfort value of 21.3 describe a steady, predictable coastal cruiser. Theoretical hull speed is 6.7 knots, while an immersion rate of 826 pounds per inch shows how sensitive the waterline is to added load.
Accommodations
Below, the Dufour 29 has a traditional layout with two separate cabins and a saloon. The forward cabin contains a V-berth for two, with storage lockers underneath and shelves on both sides. The aft cabin follows a similar arrangement, with a double berth for two, lockers, and side shelves.
Headroom is above average for the class—a real advantage in a 29-foot hull, where many contemporaries force crew to stoop through the main companionway. Separate sleeping cabins fore and aft also give two couples or a family a measure of privacy rarely found in open-plan 29-footers of the period.
Verdict
The Dufour 29 is a plainly competent mid-seventies cruiser. She carries enough rig to drive comfortably in a breeze, offers a shoal-keel option for thin water, and provides genuine two-cabin privacy along with better-than-average headroom.
Her moderate displacement and lead ballast read as those of a stable coastal boat. However, the iron keel options call for vigilance against corrosion where a later lead version might not.
Pros
- Traditional layout with a forward V-berth, aft double berth, and saloon
- Two separate cabins offer useful privacy
- Above-average headroom for a 29-foot cruiser
- Strong rig for her size, exceeding 92 percent of comparable sailboats
- Shoal iron keel option draws less than 4.75 feet for access to shallow marinas
Cons
- Iron keel alternatives are prone to corrosion compared with lead
- Conflicting sail-area and capsize figures leave the exact performance envelope unclear
- Moderate displacement and a displacement-length ratio of 205 favor cruising over spirited racing
