Design and Construction
Carl Andersson's early-sixties design reflected the yard's transitional era. The Vindö 30 was one of the earlier boats in the Vindö line, and the hull was originally wood before the yard converted to GRP material in 1965, updating the existing range thereafter. The hull is made of wood and some boats have a fiberglass hull — a split that places individual early hulls on either side of the material change. The boat carries a long keel and a shaft-drive transmission, with a ballast ratio around 41 percent and a displacement-length ratio near 269, figures that describe a heavy, steadfast coastal cruiser rather than a lightweight racer.
Rig and Handling
The Vindö 30 is built with a masthead rig, and the reference sail plan of mainsail plus jib covers 30.0 square metres. With the ISO 8666 reference sail the SA/D ratio is 14.6, rising to 17.3 with a 135 percent genoa, and the design carries more rig than 79 percent of similar sailboats. Standing and running rig dimensions are well documented: halyards run 23.1 metres at 10 mm diameter, sheets for jib and genoa are 9.1 metres at 12 mm, and the mainsheet is 22.8 metres. The capsize screening value is 1.63 and the Motion Comfort Ratio falls between 28.4 and 29.2, marking her as a stable, comfort-oriented hull. The theoretical maximum speed of a displacement boat this length is 6.5 knots, and the wetted surface is about 20 square metres.
Accommodations
Below, the Vindö 30 is laid out with two cabins and four to five berths, a galley, and a toilet facility, finished in teak like most boats of her class. Headroom is below average for the type, a constraint worth noting for taller owners. Fresh water capacity is 60 litres and the fuel tank holds 30 litres, supporting modest coastal cruising rather than long offshore passages.
Power and Performance Under Engine
The boat may be equipped with an inboard Volvo Penta MD11C diesel at 27 horsepower, with a calculated maximum speed of about 6.7 knots, or alternatively an Albin O-22 gasoline engine at 12 horsepower giving 7.5 knots. The shaft-drive transmission and the immersion rate of about 652 pounds per inch describe a hull that settles predictably under load. The Relative Speed Performance index is 4, consistent with a steady cruiser.
The Verdict
The Vindö 30 is a product of a Swedish yard's pivot from wooden craft to fiberglass, designed by Carl Andersson and built in some hundreds. She offers a heavily rigged masthead sloop on a long-keel hull with teak interior accommodations, but pays for that ballast and comfort with below-average headroom and limited tankage.
Pros
- Several hundred built; long production history from 1963 with GRP hulls from 1966
- Masthead rig with sail area exceeding 79 percent of similar boats
- Stable, comfort-oriented numbers: capsize screening 1.63, comfort ratio ~29
- Choice of diesel or gasoline inboard power
Cons
- Below-average headroom below decks
- Small water (60 L) and fuel (30 L) capacity
- Mixed early hull materials complicate survey expectations
