Design and Construction
The Nonsuch 30 has a moderate-aspect-ratio fin keel with low wetted surface and a freestanding, semi-balanced spade rudder. Its defining feature is an unstayed wishbone cat rig.
Practical Sailor noted that all her construction details look very much like those of C&C boats, which is unsurprising given Hinterhoeller’s past as president of that company. Both the hull and deck are balsa-cored, with good attention to finish detail and high-quality balsa-cored hull construction. A through-bolted, butyl-bedded hull-to-deck joint is capped by an aluminum toerail. The external lead keel is secured with stainless steel bolts passing through floor timbers of unidirectional roving.
Because the rig is unstayed, the forward six feet of the hull is heavily bulkheaded to absorb mast loads. A cast-aluminum, hexagonally shaped female mast step is lagged to the hull. The butt of the mast carries a matching hexagonal male fitting, joined to the step by stainless steel hex-head set screws. At deck level, a pin through the mast and cast-aluminum deck collar provides an additional connection.
Rig, Sailing, and Handling
The unstayed wishbone cat rig was becoming increasingly popular, and reviewers considered the Nonsuch 30 one of the easiest boats they had seen to sail. Tacking requires no yelling, sheet release, cranking, tailing, or trimming; the boat simply slides through about 85 degrees.
All sail controls lead back to the cockpit. The wishbone has permanent lazy jacks, and the sail uses slab reefing much like a conventional mainsail. A “choker” line controls the wishbone’s fore-and-aft trim as a clew outhaul.
The aluminum mast is quite flexible and spills substantial air from the main as the wind pipes up. In about 10 knots, the masthead falls roughly a foot to leeward. This flexibility spares the boat the catboat tendency toward monstrous weather helm. Test sailors found her remarkably well mannered, with a surprisingly light helm in light to moderate winds. They also found her stiff and able to hold a downwind course with hands off the wheel.
High freeboard does make the Nonsuch 30 susceptible to crosswinds while docking.
Accommodations and Cockpit
The generally catboat-like hull dimensions put maximum volume into minimum overall length. Its waterline and beam are about the same as those of a modern 36-foot cruiser-racer, and the interior volume is an eye-opener. The layout is unusual but practical.
The forwardmost six feet contain two huge hanging lockers and considerable storage. The galley sits amidships to port, with a gimballed propane stove and oven, a well-insulated icebox with a gasketed lid, and a deep sink near the centerline. The head is opposite, and there’s a separate shower stall. Aft are port and starboard quarterberths: the standard starboard berth is a double, while the port berth is a single. Seven opening ports, two hatches, and two dorade boxes provide excellent ventilation.
The cockpit is large and deep, with three lockers: deep lockers to port and starboard, plus a lazarette propane locker sized for two ten-pound bottles. There’s no bridgedeck, and the companionway extends nearly to the cockpit sole—about three feet below the coaming’s lowest point.
Reviewers found the standard white-on-white cockpit sterile, glaring, and not particularly comfortable. Without cushions four inches thick or more, a person of average height can’t see forward over the cabin. They also judged the standard cockpit unsuitable for offshore use.
Machinery
The Nonsuch 30 originally came with a 23-horsepower Volvo MD 11C diesel and saildrive. About hull number 125, the installation changed to a more conventional engine-and-shaft arrangement with a new 27-horsepower Westerbeke diesel. Either engine will drive the boat to hull speed.
Known Issues
The cockpit seats and coamings have 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 that could easily cut into the exhaust line. Below the waterline, most through-hull fittings use gate valves rather than seacocks or ball valves. The drains and exhaust lines at the bottom of the transom have no valves at all.
Ownership
The layout is naturally friendly to singlehanders, and the docile rig has helped keep these boats in steady cruising use since production 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 the work of a serious Canadian builder, while the unstayed cat rig removes much of the usual fuss from short-handed sailing.
Pros
- The unstayed wishbone cat rig makes tacking and reefing exceptionally simple.
- Catboat hull proportions provide 36-foot-class interior volume in a 30-foot boat.
- The boat is stiff and light-helmed, without the usual weather-helm vices in moderate air.
- Either factory diesel will drive her to the 7.18-knot hull speed.
Cons
- Tight radii in the cockpit coamings are prone to early gelcoat cracking.
- Sharp rudder-quadrant stops can chafe the exhaust line inside the cockpit locker.
- Gate valves and unvalved transom drains are weak points below the waterline.
- Without modification, the standard cockpit is uncomfortable and unsuitable for offshore use.
