Sparkman & Stephens 30 Buyer's Guide
The Sparkman & Stephens 30 on the used market is a foam-core fiberglass reinterpretation of Olin Stephens' 1935 racer Babe, built by C&C Fiberglass Components as a daysailer and PHRF racer with weekending potential. Introduced in 2012 from a design by Daniela Abbott working with the original Stephens drawings, she pairs a narrow 8-foot-3-inch beam and tiller steering with a 5-foot-6-inch bulb fin and deep separated rudder. A buyer shopping used Sparkman & Stephens 30s is looking at a light, 5,640-pound boat with 2,400 pounds of ballast and a 460-square-foot high-aspect rig — not a heavy cruiser, but a responsive coastal sailboat with a minimalist interior.
Layouts on the Used Market
Belowdecks the S&S 30 is deliberately minimalist, with no galley or refrigeration, yet carries long settees and a proper enclosed head with frosted Lexan folding doors. The designers protected the long cockpit at the expense of interior volume, but the cabin still reads as high-volume for the beam, with an extra-long companionway and dodger that lets a person stand inside and look out. On deck the boat presents a clean, open feel with no superfluous gear, and the expansive cockpit is sized to tend a top-down furling spinnaker without crowding the crew.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Most boats you will find carry the commonly fitted inventory for the class: chartplotter, autopilot, cabin heating, inverter, and hot water. A frequent owner upgrade cluster centers on downwind and short-handed sailing — gennaker or asymmetric spinnaker, furling main, and electric winches — which build on the boat's optional top-down furler and keep wet sails clear of the interior. Canvas and comfort additions such as bimini, dodger, teak decks, and cockpit shower appear less commonly, as does radar, so a buyer should verify which of these a specific boat actually has rather than assume the class standard.
What to Inspect
The construction is a laminate of E-glass and vinylester over a divinycell foam core with very good finish quality per Sailing World's judges anchor, and the structure is a modern production build rather than a wooden revival. The 14-horsepower Yanmar diesel with saildrive is the specified auxiliary, so check the saildrive seal and diaphragm as you would on any such installation anchor. A standard survey of the foam-core hull for impact or moisture and a look at the tiller steering and high-aspect rudder bearing are the practical focus.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats turn up across the United States, Switzerland, France, Germany, and Australia. For a shopper, the takeaway is a short list: confirm the Yanmar saildrive condition; verify whether the spinnaker and furling upgrades are present or owner-added; check the foam-core hull and rudder for ordinary wear; and accept that the minimalist no-galley interior suits daysailing and light weekending rather than extended cruising.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Sparkman & Stephens 30. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 7 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 25 | 1 | $66,049 | — |
| Sep 25 | 2 | $65,000 | -1.6% |
| Oct 25 | 1 | $10,796 | -83.4% |
| Dec 25 | 1 | $4,798 | -55.6% |
| Feb 26 | 2 | $90,000 | +1775.8% |
| Apr 26 | 2 | $52,710 | -41.4% |
| Sep 26 | 1 | $11,272 | -78.6% |
Where they're listed
Sparkman & Stephens 30 listings appear across 4 countries. United States has the most listings with 3 (50.0%), followed by Australia and Switzerland.
Country view
6 listings · 4 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $90,000 | 3 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Australia | $15,419 | 1 | 0 | 16.7% |
| Switzerland | $4,798 | 1 | 0 | 16.7% |
| United Kingdom | $11,272 | 1 | 1 | 16.7% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
2 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tartan 30 | 29.92' | $ 10,200 | 18 | 3 |
| Sparkman & Stephens 30You are here | — | $ 52,710 | 6 | 1 |