Design and Construction
The hull and deck are fiberglass vacuum-bagged over a balsa core, a method the builder claimed had been refined to the point that each finished hull weighs within ten pounds of the standard. The deck omits plywood inserts at winch mounts, relying instead on external backing plates for local strength. Where hull meets deck, an inward-turned overlapping flange is glued with Reid’s adhesive and mechanically fastened with closely spaced bolts through a slotted aluminum toerail. The lead keel is faired with auto-body putty, fully wrapped in fiberglass to seal it from the sea, then painted — and on the boats seen, remarkably fair. Rudder strength comes from stainless straps wrapped around the blade and fastened to the post. Tapered aluminum stanchions are socketed into the deck and glassed to the hull interior, a clean leak-proof boundary, while a paint-roller non-skid is molded into the deck. A deck port sits directly over the bilge lifting eye.
Rig and Handling
As a masthead sloop, the Olson needs a broader sail inventory than a fractional rig would — class rules permit one mainsail, six headsails counting jibs and spinnakers, and a 75 percent storm jib. The 380 square feet of main and 100 percent foretriangle is backed by a 761 square-foot spinnaker, the sort of area that demands the crew keep the 1,800-pound keel planted. A tie rod links deck to mast, tensioned by a turnbuckle, and the mast step moves to set spar prebend. The yoked backstay adjusts from either quarter, one side a 2-to-1 gross and the other an 8-to-1 fine. A babystay runs to a ball-bearing track with 4-to-1 purchase. Like most ULDBs she races best at the wind extremes — under ten knots and over twenty — and the builder claimed she has pegged speedometers at 25 knots in California’s big swells and strong westerlies.
Accommodations
Below, weight saving shapes the layout. Quarterberths are thin cushions sewn to vinyl and hung from pipes. The portable head sits under the forward V-berth, a placement Practical Sailor judged unsuitable for a sailboat. The Origo 3000 stove slides up and out of a seat locker on tracks. The single companionway drop board latches from inside — a real necessity offshore — and a man-overboard pole tube in the stern is standard.
Equipment and Deck Systems
All halyards and pole controls lead aft through Easylock I clutch stoppers, while older boats used Howard rope clutches. Primary winches are Barient 22s, described as barely adequate. Schaefer headsail track cars and a Headfoil II are standard. The bilge pump, a Guzzler 500, is mounted in the cockpit, and the cockpit itself has two drains of adequate diameter. Most boats sold were without inboard power; only a few carried the 154-pound, 7 hp BMW diesel, whereas a 4–5 hp outboard is the practical maximum for a healthy sailor, and even a 7.5 hp outboard is needed to make 6.5 knots in flat calm.
The Verdict
The Olson 30 is a purist’s ULDB: brutally light, meticulously built to a tight weight tolerance, and fast at the wind extremes where heavier boats lose their composure. She rewards a racing-minded owner who accepts sparse cruising accommodations and a demanding spinnaker.
Pros
- Vacuum-bagged balsa construction with tight weight control and fair, sealed lead keel
- Explosive downwind and light-air performance as a ULDB
- Cockpit-led controls, internal latch board, and standard MOB tube for offshore intent
Cons
- Portable head under V-berth judged unsuitable; quarterberths minimal
- Primary winches only barely adequate; few boats have inboard power
- Masthead rig demands large sail inventory and skilled spinnaker handling
