Peterson 30 Buyer's Guide
Shopping for a Peterson 30 on the brokerage market means chasing a scarce 1977 Doug Peterson design built by Chita Inc. in fewer than 20 hulls, usually listed under its Chita 30 name. These are light racer-cruisers with a fin keel and spade rudder, and the used fleet is small enough that any example deserves a careful look before commitment.
Layouts on the Used Market
The Peterson 30 was conceived as a high-performance offshore contender and the interior reflects that lineage: a V-berth forward, saloon settees, a galley, and a head arranged for four or five crew. Buyers should expect a spartan but functional cabin rather than a cruising interior, with volume traded for the low-displacement hull that planes easily in building winds.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
On the Australian used market the Peterson 30 commonly carries a spinnaker, chartplotter, EPIRB, and a short-handed setup suited to solo or two-person sailing. For a buyer, the spinnaker and short-handed rigging matter most: they speak to the boat's reaching performance and whether she can be handled without a full race crew. The chartplotter and EPIRB are baseline safety and navigation fittings rather than indicators of heavy modification.
What to Inspect
Because fewer than 20 hulls were built and the boat is now decades old, the principal inspection burden falls on age-related wear rather than a documented design defect. The sources record no structural or systems fault specific to the Peterson 30, so a viewing should focus on the usual items for a 1977 solid-fiberglass racer: keel-to-hull integrity at the fin, spade rudder stock and bearing condition, and the state of the masthead rig and halyards sized at 10 mm over 27.2 m runs.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The typical market for the Peterson 30 is Australia. For a buyer, the takeaway is straightforward:
- Verify the fin keel and spade rudder for age cracks or play
- Check halyard and sheet condition against original 10–12 mm specs
- Assess the short-handed setup for safe single or double-handed use
- Expect a spartan interior and budget for period-correct race gear
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Peterson 30. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 1 row
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 26 | 2 | $19,009 | — |
Where they're listed
Peterson 30 listings appear across 1 country. Australia has the most listings with 2.
Country view
2 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | $19,009 | 2 | 2 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
5 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beneteau First 30 (Mauric) | 29.36' | $ 79,785 | 44 | 13 |
| Pearson 30 | 29.79' | $ 7,000 | 20 | 8 |
| Sparkman & Stephens 30 | 30.5' | $ 62,500 | 8 | 0 |
| Peterson 34 | 33.92' | $ 23,400 | 6 | 1 |
| Peterson 30You are here | — | $ 19,009 | 2 | 2 |