Elizabethan 30 Buyer's Guide
The Elizabethan 30 is a David Thomas-designed masthead cruiser-racer introduced in 1969 and built through the mid-1970s, a 29-foot-6-inch boat with a moderate fin keel and skeg-hung rudder that remains active in Solent and club racing. For a shopper on the used market, the appeal is a stiff, well-balanced hull with real accommodation and a class that still races, but the three production marques mean no two interiors are identical.
Layouts on the Used Market
Standard versions ran to three marques, so buyers will find internal variations between individual boats rather than one fixed plan. The accommodation offers five berths in two cabins with a reasonable amidships heads compartment and galley provision that is adequate, and the headroom at over six feet is unusually generous for the length. Expect the racing-derived layout to favour function, with the variation concentrated in joinery and cabin detailing rather than the core berth count.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
On the brokerage market, an autopilot is commonly fitted, which suits short-handed Solent work. Often-seen upgrades cluster around power and navigation: solar panels and electric winches appear frequently, and a chartplotter is a common fit, reducing the physical effort of trim and simplifying passage planning. These are the consequential additions to verify — a boat with electric winches and solar already aboard saves a buyer the typical refit spend on energy and sail handling.
What to Inspect
The Elizabethan 30's known strengths are structural: solid fibreglass hull and deck with good build quality, and a high ballast ratio that makes her feel very stiff anchor. Because standard versions ran to three marques, the practical inspection point is confirming which interior marque a given boat represents and whether any modifications from the standard plan are sound. Survey effort is best spent on the usual ageing of a 1969-onwards glass boat.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The typical market for used Elizabethan 30s is the United Kingdom. For a buyer, the checklist is straightforward: confirm the marque and interior variation, verify the autopilot and the often-fitted solar, electric winches, and chartplotter, and survey the solid hull and deck as you would any glass cruiser-racer of the era. A well-kept example holds value and still races, which is the real prize.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Elizabethan 30. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 4 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25 | 2 | $10,194 | — |
| Mar 26 | 1 | $14,883 | +46.0% |
| Apr 26 | 2 | $12,876 | -13.5% |
| Jun 26 | 1 | $4,077 | -68.3% |
Where they're listed
Elizabethan 30 listings appear across 1 country. United Kingdom has the most listings with 6.
Country view
6 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $10,873 | 6 | 1 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
3 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tartan 30 | 29.92' | $ 9,950 | 18 | 5 |
| Sparkman & Stephens 30 | 30.5' | $ 62,500 | 8 | 0 |
| Peter Webster Ltd./Hummingbird Yachts (UK) 30You are here | — | $ 10,873 | 6 | 1 |