Design and Construction
Thames Marine built the Snapdragon 29 during the same heavy hand-laid GRP era that produced the rest of the in-house Snapdragon range, with solid fiberglass below and a solid fiberglass deck. The 3,000-pound iron ballast sits at a 40 percent ballast ratio against that 7,500-pound displacement, and the length-to-beam ratio of 3.05 on a 9.5-foot beam gives her a moderately narrow, seakindly footprint for the length. The displacement-length ratio of 242 places her firmly in heavy-displacement territory, while the 21-square-meter wetted surface keeps the bilge-keel drag penalty contained. With a capsize screening value of 1.94 and a Motion Comfort Ratio of 22.4, the design reads as a stable, reassuring coastal cruiser rather than a lithe racer.
Rig and Handling
The Snapdragon 29 is a masthead sloop carrying 300 square feet of sail area, which yields a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 12.53 — modest, favoring control over outright acceleration. Her theoretical hull speed is 6.6 knots. The standing and running rigging dimensions show jib and genoa sheets running 29 feet at 3/8 inch diameter, the mainsheet 72.5 feet of the same diameter, and the spinnaker sheet 63.8 feet. The immersion rate of 796 pounds per inch means she sits heavily and changes trim slowly under stores and crew, a trait consistent with the 242 DL-ratio and the bilge-keel steadiness.
Accommodations
No interior arrangement, berth count, or joiner detail is available for the Snapdragon 29. The 9.5-foot beam and 7,500-pound displacement suggest a volume budget typical of a 1970s bilge-keel family cruiser, but no layout claim can be supported here.
Known Issues
The Snapdragon 29 shows no structural defects, osmotic breakdown, rigging failures, or flooding paths in her service history.
Refits and Ownership
Thames Marine ceased manufacturing in 1981, with Maplin Marine briefly continuing distribution before also closing, and Boating Scene later acquiring rights to other Snapdragon and Mirage ranges — but none of that names the 29 specifically.
The Verdict
The Snapdragon 29 is a straightforward early-1970s British bilge-keel cruiser: heavily built, shallow-draft, and numerically conservative in her performance profile. She suits a sailor who values stability and marina access over speed, and who is comfortable with a simple masthead rig and modest sail plan.
Pros
- Twin bilge keels give 3.25–3.55 ft draft for shallow access bilge keel draft
- Solid fiberglass hull and deck from heavy hand-laid GRP era
- Capsize screening 1.94 and comfort ratio 22.4 indicate steady motion
Cons
- Sail-area/displacement of 12.53 is low for sparkling performance
- Displacement-length ratio 242 means she is no lightweight responder
