Nonsuch 30 Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

The Nonsuch 30 was offered in more than one accommodation arrangement, and both surface with regularity on the brokerage market. The more commonly encountered plan places the galley and enclosed head amidships at the point of maximum beam, with quarterberths flanking the companionway — one a double to starboard, one a single to port — and the main saloon settled into the forward third of the boat with facing settees and a centerline drop-leaf table. The forward six feet of the hull is devoted to hanging lockers, a bureau, and structural bulkheading required by the freestanding mast rather than a conventional V-berth, which means this is not a boat with a traditional forward stateroom. A second, less frequently seen plan nudges the galley and head slightly forward, freeing more space aft and lending the head compartment a bit more elbow room. An optional slide-up partition and bifold teak door between the main cabin and the galley-and-aft section allows the interior to be divided into two sleeping zones, a practical feature for couples who charter occasionally or sail with guests. Both layouts share the same generous standing headroom, excellent ventilation through seven opening ports, two hatches, and two dorade boxes, and a teak-and-holly cabin sole that has aged gracefully on well-maintained examples.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

Boats that have passed through active cruising ownership arrive on the market well equipped. Autopilots are commonly fitted, which makes obvious sense given the singlehanding character of the rig. A chartplotter, bimini, and dodger are similarly widespread, and many examples carry hot water systems — often the compact on-demand propane units that were offered as a factory option. Electric winches appear with meaningful regularity, reflecting the shorthanded ethos that owners have consistently reinforced over the years.

Boats from more recent ownership often carry solar panels and occasionally air conditioning, and heating systems of one kind or another are a frequent find. Owner-initiated upgrades lean toward electronics — radar and AIS appear on a fair number of examples — along with inverters and cockpit showers. Swim platforms have been added to some hulls, and the occasional boat will surface with lithium batteries, reflecting how thoroughly some owners have modernized older hulls. A furling mainsail conversion, while departing from the original slab-reefing arrangement, has been fitted to some examples by owners who wanted even simpler sail handling. Hardtops in place of the standard bimini are an occasional upgrade that meaningfully improves cockpit livability.

What to Inspect

The balsa-cored hull and deck construction is Hinterhoeller's trademark and a genuine asset when sound, but moisture intrusion into the core demands careful scrutiny. A professional survey with a calibrated moisture meter across the hull sides, deck, and especially the deck hardware penetrations is not optional on a boat of this age. Early hulls — those built before approximately spring 1984 — used a deck-level pin through the mast and cast aluminum deck collar as the primary mast tie-down. Hinterhoeller subsequently redesigned this to a below-deck system and ran a factory repair program to retrofit existing boats, so the vast majority of examples you will encounter have already been updated, but it is worth verifying during inspection. The mast step itself is a hexagonal cast aluminum fitting; confirm it is sound and that the stainless set screws securing the mast butt have not corroded or loosened.

The aluminum rudder quadrant stops have sharp edges that can cut into the exhaust line inside the cockpit lockers if the upper rudder retaining nut is loose and the rudder drops slightly. Check this area carefully. Gate valves rather than seacocks or ball valves were used on most through-hull fittings below the waterline on early production, and some drain and exhaust lines at the transom were fitted without valves at all — confirm that any surviving gate valves have been replaced with proper seacocks and that all below-waterline penetrations are properly protected. The propane locker drain hose should be inspected to ensure it is short enough that water cannot pool in it and block the intended overboard drain path; a hose that is too long can trap water and prevent propane from venting safely.

The cockpit gelcoat deserves close attention. The cockpit seats and coamings contain a surprisingly large number of sharply radiused turns, and gelcoat cracks are likely to develop here earlier than anywhere else in the hull. Surface crazing here is common and largely cosmetic, but deeper cracks should be probed for moisture. The early hulls used a Volvo MD 11C saildrive; the saildrive's integral aluminum lower unit requires a special Volvo-supplied zinc for corrosion protection, not a generic yard zinc, and this is not universally understood by boatyards. Hulls from approximately number 125 onward switched to a conventional Westerbeke diesel and shaft arrangement, which is more widely serviceable and generally preferred. Whichever engine is fitted, check hours, service history, and the condition of the cooling system, as these are now seasoned powerplants.

The wishbone boom and its attachment hardware, the lazy jack system, and the sail's attachment points along the mast should all be inspected for wear. The aluminum mast is intentionally flexible by design — some upper mast deflection under load is normal and not a defect — but check the mast base, the deck collar, and the bulkheading in the forward compartment for any signs of movement or stress cracking.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

The Nonsuch 30 trades most actively in the United States and Canada, with the Great Lakes region and both coasts of the US being the most productive hunting grounds. The International Nonsuch Association maintains a dedicated marketplace, which is often the most direct route to a well-documented example whose history is known within the community. The active ownership culture means many boats have been carefully maintained by engaged sailors who understand the idiosyncrasies of the rig and have invested in keeping them sound.

This is not a boat that appeals to everyone, and that selectivity works in a buyer's favor: the used market rewards patience, and examples in good condition represent a genuinely unusual combination of ease-of-handling and interior volume that is difficult to match at any price in this size range.

Before making an offer, work through the following:

• Commission a full survey with particular attention to moisture in the balsa core throughout hull and deck
• Confirm the below-deck mast tie-down retrofit has been completed if the boat is an early hull
• Verify all through-hull fittings below the waterline have proper seacocks, not gate valves
• Inspect rudder quadrant stop clearance from the exhaust line and confirm the upper rudder nut is properly torqued
• Identify whether the engine is the original saildrive or the later conventional shaft installation, and adjust your service expectations accordingly
• Check the propane locker drain hose length and confirm it drains freely
• Inspect cockpit seat and coaming gelcoat for cracks, and probe any deeper ones for moisture
• Review all mast base hardware, deck collar, and forward bulkheading for signs of stress or movement
• Confirm membership transferability with the International Nonsuch Association for access to technical resources and the owners' community