The boat belonged to Lancer’s midsized sailing range of the late 1970s and early 1980s, when the company drew heavily on C&C for its dedicated sailboat hulls.
Design and Construction
The 30-4 is a solid-fiberglass monohull with wood trim, a raked stem, and a raised-counter reverse transom. Below the waterline, its C&C parentage is evident in the fixed fin keel and internally mounted spade-type rudder.
The boat measures 29.20 feet overall, with a 24.00-foot waterline and a 10.00-foot beam. It displaces 8,200 pounds and carries 3,000 pounds of ballast. The standard keel draws 5.18 feet; an optional shoal-draft keel reduces draft to 4.18 feet. Cited hull speed is 6.57 knots.
Rig and Handling
The 30-4 carries a masthead sloop Bermuda rig. The foretriangle dimensions are 35.00 feet for I and 12.83 feet for J. The mainsail has a 29.00-foot luff and a 10.00-foot foot, for an area of 145 square feet. The jib or genoa measures 224.53 square feet, bringing total sail area to 369.53 square feet.
An inboard engine provides power for docking and maneuvering rather than passage-making. The combination of spade rudder and fin keel, inherited from the C&C 30 molds, gives the boat the predictable steering of a coastal cruiser rather than the twitchier response of a racing boat.
Accommodations
The 30-4 sleeps four in two double berths. A double V-berth fills the bow cabin, while an aft cabin to port contains the second double berth.
Just forward of the companionway ladder, the starboard-side galley forms an open L-shaped workspace with a two-burner stove and double sink. The navigation station is opposite, to port. The head sits to starboard at the companionway. It’s a compact but conventional arrangement that divides wet and dry functions across the cabin’s centerline.
Verdict
The Lancer 30-4 is a straightforward fiberglass coastal cruiser with clear C&C design lineage, a practical four-berth layout, and a shoal-draft option for thinner water. It’s out of production and is best understood as a period cruiser rather than a modern performance boat.
Pros
- Developed directly from the C&C 30 using the original molds
- Four-berth layout with separate bow and aft cabins
- Optional shoal-draft keel drawing 4.18 feet
Cons
- Inboard engine noted only for docking and maneuvering, not auxiliary cruising
- Out of production, with no current builder support
