Lancer 30-4 Buyer's Guide
The Lancer 30-4, also called the Lancer 30 Mark IV, is an American recreational keelboat built by Lancer Yachts in the United States from 1978 until 1985 and now out of production. For a shopper scanning the brokerage market, it presents as a C&C Design cruiser developed from the C&C 30 molds, with a fiberglass hull, wood trim, and a masthead sloop rig. It sleeps four across a bow V-berth and a portside aft double, and carries an inboard engine for docking and maneuvering.
Layouts on the Used Market
The used 30-4 keeps the documented accommodation plan: sleeping for four people, a double "V"-berth in the bow cabin, and an aft cabin with a double berth on the port side. The galley is on the starboard side just forward of the companionway ladder, an open L-shaped galley with a two-burner stove and a double sink. Opposite the galley on the port side is the navigation station, and the head sits at the companionway on the starboard side. These layouts are consistent across the model's 1978–1985 production rather than varying by a documented sub-type.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
A spinnaker is commonly fitted on these boats, consistent with the model's masthead sloop rig and 369.53 square feet of total sail area. The boat is fitted with an inboard engine for docking and maneuvering as standard, and the standard keel draws 5.18 feet while the optional shoal draft keel draws 4.18 feet — a variant a buyer should confirm on any specific used boat. Beyond the commonly fitted spinnaker, the source brief names no often-seen or owner-upgrade equipment tiers, so other gear should be assessed as individual-boat condition rather than expected market standard.
What to Inspect
The documented record for the Lancer 30-4 establishes solid fiberglass construction with wood trim as the baseline, along with an internally mounted spade-type rudder and a fixed fin keel. No authority-cited structural defect, drainage fault, or flooding path is recorded for this model, so a buyer's survey should focus on the stated build elements — particularly the wood trim and the spade rudder's internal mount — rather than any named weakness in the literature.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats are typically found in the United States. For the shopper, the takeaway is a C&C-derived cruiser with a stable four-berth layout and a commonly fitted spinnaker.
- Confirm standard 5.18 ft keel vs optional 4.18 ft shoal keel
- Survey wood trim and internally mounted spade rudder
- Verify inboard engine and masthead sloop rig intact
- Expect United States availability
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Lancer 30-4. 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. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 25 | 4 | $ 12,500 | — |
| Dec 25 | 1 | $ 6,500 | -48.0% |
| Apr 26 | 1 | $ 11,900 | +83.1% |
| Jul 26 | 1 | $ 3,950 | -66.8% |
Where they're listed
Lancer 30-4 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 7.
Country view
7 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $ 11,900 | 7 | 1 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
6 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beneteau First 30 (Mauric) | 29.36' | $ 32,046 | 41 | 12 |
| Judel/Vrolijk J/30 | 29.83' | $ 14,500 | 25 | 14 |
| Pearson 30 | 29.79' | $ 6,450 | 18 | 5 |
| Tartan 30 | 29.92' | $ 10,250 | 16 | 7 |
| Sparkman & Stephens 30 | 30.5' | $ 35,000 | 9 | 1 |
| Lancer Yachts 30-4You are here | — | $ 11,900 | 7 | 1 |