Design and Construction
Both hull and deck of the Nonsuch 30 are balsa cored, and the two 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, a structural scheme that anchors the 4,500-pound ballast within the 10,500-pound displacement. With a beam of nearly 12 feet and a waterline close to that of a modern 36-foot cruiser-racer, her catboat-like hull dimensions produce maximum volume on a minimum length. The forward six feet of the hull is strongly bulkheaded to absorb the forces of the unstayed mast, which is secured by lagging a cast aluminum, hexagonally-shaped female mast step to the hull; the mast butt carries a hexagonal male counterpart joined by stainless steel hex-head set screws, with a deck-level pin through mast and cast aluminum deck collar completing the connection.
Rig and Handling
The unstayed wishbone cat rig eliminates the usual standing and running rigging complexity. Sail shape is governed by the "choker," a line controlling fore-and-aft wishbone trim and acting as a clew outhaul, while permanent lazy jacks hold the 540-square-foot main as it drops and all sail controls lead back to the cockpit. Writing in Practical Sailor, testers found tacking requires no yelling, releasing of sheets, cranking, tailing, or trimming, with the boat quietly sliding through about 85 degrees, and called her one of the easiest boats to sail they had seen. The aluminum mast is quite flexible, its top falling to leeward about a foot in 10 knots and spilling air as the wind pipes up, which is why she avoids the monstrous weather helm of traditional catboats and shows a surprisingly light helm. Downwind she held course with the wheel brake off, and testers called her a stiff boat—a natural candidate for singlehanding. The 27-horsepower Westerbeke diesel introduced around hull 125, or the original 23-horsepower Volvo saildrive, will each drive her to the 7.18-knot hull speed, though her high freeboard makes her susceptible to crosswinds at the dock.
Accommodations
The cockpit is large and deep but not particularly comfortable; without four-inch or thicker cushions a person of average height cannot see over the cabin, and the standard white-on-white gelcoat scheme leaves it sterile with glare on sunny days, not suited to offshore use. There is no bridgedeck, and the companionway drops nearly three feet below the cockpit coaming low point. Three lockers serve the cockpit: deep port and starboard units plus a lazarette propane locker for two ten-pound bottles. Below, the interior volume is an eye opener. The forward six feet hold two huge hanging lockers and ample storage; the galley to port midships carries a gimballed propane stove with oven, a well-insulated icebox with gasketed lid, and a deep near-centerline sink, with the head opposite. Quarterberths lie port and starboard aft, the starboard a standard double and the port a single, while a separate shower stall and seven opening ports, two hatches, and two dorade boxes give excellent ventilation.
Known Issues
Gelcoat cracks are likely to appear earliest on the cockpit seats and coamings, which contain a surprisingly large number of sharply-radiused turns. The aluminum rudder quadrant stops have sharp edges that could easily cut into the exhaust line inside the cockpit lockers. Gate valves are used on most below-waterline through hulls rather than seacocks or ball valves, and no valves at all are fitted on drains and exhaust lines at the transom bottom—a drainage detail worth noting.
The Verdict
The Nonsuch 30 is a thoroughly unconventional 30-footer that trades athletic performance for near-effortless handling and remarkable interior volume. Her unstayed cat rig and flexible mast make her one of the least demanding boats to sail shorthanded, while the Ellis/Hinterhoeller construction delivers a stiff, well-finished hull. The cockpit and certain through-hull details reflect her Great Lakes cruising origins more than offshore ambition.
Pros
- Unstayed wishbone cat rig with all controls to cockpit; exceptionally easy to tack singlehanded
- Balsa-cored hull and deck with C&C-like finish quality and strong forward bulkheading
- Interior volume and beam comparable to a modern 36-foot cruiser, with separate shower and excellent ventilation
- Stiff, light-helmed, and free of traditional catboat weather helm
Cons
- Cockpit uncomfortable, glare-prone, and not offshore-suited without modification
- Gelcoat cracking on complex cockpit coamings; sharp rudder-quadrant edges risk exhaust chafe
- Gate valves below waterline and unvalved transom drains fall short of modern seacock practice
