Design and Construction
The Nonsuch 30 is a fin-keeled, spade-ruddered boat with an unstayed wishbone cat rig, its hull type a moderate aspect ratio fin with low wetted surface and a freestanding, semi-balanced spade rudder. Practical Sailor noted that all her construction details look very much like those of C&C boats, unsurprising given Hinterhoeller's past as president of that company. Both hull and deck are balsa cored, with good attention to finish detail and high-quality balsa-cored hull construction. The hull and deck are joined by a through-bolted, butyl-bedded joint capped with an aluminum toerail. The external lead keel is bolted on with stainless steel bolts that pass through floor timbers of unidirectional roving.
Because the rig is unstayed, the forward six feet of the hull is strongly bulkheaded to absorb mast forces, and the mast itself is secured by lagging a cast aluminum, hexagonally-shaped female mast step to the hull. The butt of the mast carries a hexagonal male counterpart joined to that step by stainless steel hex-head set screws, with a deck-level pin through mast and cast aluminum deck collar adding further connection.
Rig and Handling
The unstayed wishbone cat rig is becoming increasingly popular, and on the Nonsuch 30 it makes for one of the easiest boats to sail reviewers had seen. Tacking requires no yelling, releasing of sheets, cranking, tailing or trimming; the boat quietly slides through about 85 degrees. All sail controls lead back to the cockpit, the wishbone is rigged with permanent lazy jacks, and the sail is slab reefed much like a conventional mainsail, with a "choker" line controlling fore and aft wishbone trim as a clew outhaul.
The aluminum mast is quite flexible, spilling substantial air from the main as wind pipes up; in about 10 knots the top falls to leeward about a foot. This flexibility spares her the catboat disease of monstrous weather helm, and test sailors found her remarkably well mannered with a surprisingly light helm in light to moderate winds, stiff, and able to hold a downwind course with hands off the wheel. Her high freeboard makes her susceptible to crosswinds when docking.
Accommodations
The generally catboat-like hull dimensions produce maximum hull volume on minimum overall length, the waterline and beam about the same as a modern 36-foot cruiser-racer. The interior volume is an eye opener, laid out unusually but practically. The forwardmost six feet holds two huge hanging lockers and much storage. The galley is to port midships with a gimballed propane stove with oven, a well-insulated icebox with gasketed lid, and a deep near-centerline sink; the head sits opposite, with quarterberths port and starboard aft. The standard berth starboard is a double, a single to port, and a separate shower stall is fitted. Ventilation is excellent via seven opening ports, two hatches, and two dorade boxes.
The cockpit is large and deep, with three lockers: deep port and starboard and a lazarette propane locker for two ten-pound bottles. There is no bridgedeck, and the companionway drops nearly to the cockpit sole, about three feet below the coaming low point. Reviewers found the standard white-on-white cockpit sterile with glare and not particularly comfortable; without four-inch or thicker cushions an average-height person cannot see forward over the cabin, and the standard cockpit is not suited to offshore use.
Known Issues
The cockpit seats and coamings contain a surprisingly large number of sharply-radiused turns, and gelcoat cracks are likely to develop there earlier than anywhere else in the hull. Inside the cockpit lockers, the aluminum rudder quadrant stops have sharp edges which could easily cut into the exhaust line. Below the waterline, gate valves are used on most through-hull fittings rather than seacocks or ball valves, and no valves at all are fitted on drains and exhaust lines at the bottom of the transom.
Refits and Ownership
The Nonsuch 30 was originally equipped with a 23-horsepower Volvo MD 11C diesel with saildrive; about hull number 125 the installation changed to a more conventional engine and shaft arrangement using a new 27-horsepower Westerbeke diesel. Either engine will drive the boat to hull speed. The naturally singlehanding-friendly layout and docile rig have kept these boats in steady cruising use since the line ended.
The Verdict
The Nonsuch 30 Classic is a distinctly unconventional 30-footer that trades racing edge for volume, simplicity, and calm handling. Its balsa-cored construction and C&C-derived detailing reflect a serious Canadian builder, while the unstayed cat rig removes the usual fuss from short-handed sailing.
Pros
- Unstayed wishbone cat rig makes tacking and reefing exceptionally simple
- Catboat hull proportions yield 36-foot-class interior volume on 30 feet
- Stiff, light-helmed, and free of weather-helm vices in moderate air
- Either factory diesel drives her to the 7.18-knot hull speed
Cons
- Cockpit coamings prone to early gelcoat cracking at tight radii
- Sharp rudder-quadrant stops can chafe the cockpit-locker exhaust line
- Gate valves and unvalved transom drains are weak points below the waterline
- Standard cockpit uncomfortable and not offshore-suited without modification
