Design and Construction
The hull and deck are both solid fibreglass. The fin keel draws roughly 5.25 to 5.55 feet, depending on load, which allows the boat into most marinas.
Displacement is 7,200 pounds, including 2,899 pounds of lead ballast. The resulting ballast ratio is 40 percent—higher than that of 46 percent of comparable designs. Her length-to-beam ratio of 3.00 makes her beamier than 62 percent of similar boats, giving her a roomy midsection rather than the narrow hull of a racer.
Wetted surface is about 279 square feet. An immersion rate of 849 pounds per inch indicates a hull that settles predictably as stores and crew come aboard.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The Endeavour 30 carries a masthead sloop rig and has a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 18.44. Her displacement-length ratio is 234, placing her among moderate racers; 62 percent of similar designs are heavier. Theoretical hull speed is 6.6 knots.
The standing and running rigging follow the masthead conventions of the period. Jib and genoa sheets are around 30.5 feet long and half an inch in diameter, while the mainsheet is about 76 feet. A spinnaker sheet runs 67 feet.
Her capsize screening value is 2.11, which would bar her from ocean-race acceptance. A Motion Comfort Ratio of 19.4 makes her more comfortable than just 27 percent of similar sailboats—a clear indication that she sits toward the lively end of the scale rather than the sofa end.
Accommodations
The beamy hull represented by the 3.00 length-to-beam ratio gives the Endeavour 30 more interior volume on that measure than 62 percent of her peers. The sources, however, don’t specify berth numbers or cabin layout.
The design brief favored space over ocean-racing stiffness. Combined with moderate displacement, the 40 percent ballast ratio supports the picture of a boat balanced for coastal cruising with a turn of speed.
Refits and Ownership
With fewer than 100 boats built, the Endeavour 30 remains a small class. Owners refitting one may find the period-standard masthead-rig dimensions useful when replacing sheets. Its moderate draft also makes yard handling straightforward in most coastal marinas.
Verdict
The Endeavour 30 is a modest, beamy coastal sloop from the early 1970s. Her numbers describe a moderate racer with more space than most similar boats, but less comfort in a seaway than the majority of her class. She’s a straightforward fibreglass boat for a sailor seeking a reasonably quick weekender that fits easily into most marinas, without offshore ambitions.
Pros
- Beamy hull provides more interior space than 62 percent of comparable designs
- Moderate-draft fin keel eases marina access
- Solid fibreglass hull and deck
- Higher ballast ratio than nearly half of similar sailboats
Cons
- Capsize screening value bars ocean-race participation
- Motion Comfort Ratio is lower than that of 73 percent of similar designs
- Fewer than 100 built, limiting class support and parts interchange
