With a 29.95 ft LOA, 25.58 ft LWL, and 10 ft beam, the Swiftsure 30 falls squarely into the classic small-cruiser range. Her 7,520 lb displacement and 3,450 lb of lead ballast produce a ballast-displacement ratio near 46 percent, making her a comparatively stiff coastal voyager rather than a featherweight racer.
Design and Construction
McCurdy & Rhodes drew the Swiftsure 30 as a monohull with a raked stem and slightly reverse transom. She was built predominantly of fiberglass with teak wood trim, with a solid-fiberglass hull and a likewise solid deck.
Below the waterline, the boat has a skeg-mounted rudder and either a fixed fin keel or an optional centerboard. The fin-keel version draws 4.8 ft. Together with her 10 ft beam, that modest draft gives her the proportions of a beamy cruiser-racer.
Her capsize ratio is 2.04, and her comfort ratio is 20.12. Those figures place her in the conventional family-cruiser envelope rather than at the offshore-racer extreme.
Rig and Handling
The Swiftsure 30 carries a masthead sloop, or Bermuda, rig. Sail-handling equipment includes internally mounted halyards, jiffy reefing, an outhaul, and a boom lift.
The mainsheet traveler sits on the bridge deck, keeping the main trim controls clear of the companionway. Two genoa winches are mounted on the cockpit coaming, while a third winch handles halyards. Two additional halyard winches sit on the cabin roof.
Steering is by wheel to the skeg-mounted rudder. The bridge-deck traveler and wheel steering make singlehanded trim work manageable from the vicinity of the helm. On the racecourse, her PHRF average handicap of 181 places her in the middle of a club fleet rather than among stripped-out thoroughbreds.
Accommodations
Belowdecks, the galley is to port and includes twin sinks and a three-burner alcohol stove. A large chart table is fitted to starboard, just forward of the companionway steps.
The head is forward, immediately aft of the bow V-berth. It includes a hanging locker and two bi-fold privacy doors. Eight opening ports and two fixed cabin ports provide light.
The interior sleeps eight, using the V-berth, dinette settees with a drop-leaf table, and two large quarter berths aft. Ventilation comes from two hatches—one forward and one in the main cabin—and two Dorade vents. It’s an arrangement that favors warm-weather cruising without mechanical assistance.
Engine and Equipment
Factory power came from either a Japanese Yanmar 2GM or a Westerbeke diesel, with the Yanmar 2GM cited as the standard engine.
Cockpit equipment includes the two genoa winches and third halyard winch, supplemented by the two cabin-roof halyard winches. The wheel-steered skeg rudder and bridge-deck traveler keep steering and essential sail controls within a practical working area.
Verdict
The Swiftsure 30 is a straightforward 1970s cruiser-racer. She combines solid-fiberglass construction, a practical masthead rig with sensible winch distribution, and compact accommodations for eight. She best suits a buyer looking for a simple, beamy coastal weekender with some club-racing potential, rather than a complex modern performance hull.
Pros
- Stiff, lead-ballasted hull with a ballast ratio near 46 percent at a displacement of 7,520 lb
- Wheel steering, skeg-mounted rudder, and bridge-deck traveler make sail trim straightforward
- Sleeps eight, with a forward head, large chart table, and good ventilation from hatches and Dorade vents
Cons
- Three-burner alcohol galley stove is dated by modern cruising standards
- Optional centerboard adds complexity compared with the fixed fin keel
- PHRF average handicap of 181 indicates modest contemporary club-racing pace
