Design and Construction
Both the hull and deck are steel, while the interior joinery is mahogany. It’s a conventional combination for the period, pairing straightforward construction with a warm-looking cabin.
The Wibo 930 measures 30.5 feet overall and 23.3 feet on the waterline, with a beam of 9.5 feet. Its length-to-beam ratio is 3.21, a moderately beamy proportion that provides useful interior volume without making the hull especially slender.
Displacement is 10,251 pounds, including 3,417 pounds of iron ballast, for a ballast ratio of 33 percent. The fin keel draws between 4.5 and 4.8 feet, depending on load, allowing the boat to enter even shallow marinas as the draft is just about 1.38 - 1.48 meter. Wetted surface is near 269 square feet, and the immersion rate is about 1,011 pounds per inch, describing a hull that responds predictably to changes in crew and payload.
Rig and Handling
The 930 has a masthead sloop rig and a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 14.09—a modest but workable figure for a cruiser of this weight. It points toward relaxed sailing rather than racing performance, particularly in light air without engine assistance.
The jib and genoa sheets are about 30.5 feet long and half an inch in diameter. The mainsheet is 76.3 feet, while the spinnaker sheets are 67.1 feet; these lines are also half an inch, or 12 mm, in diameter. These documented dimensions simplify replacement planning and indicate that cockpit loads were never extreme.
The capsize screening value is 1.75. By the standard formula alone, that figure would admit the boat to offshore events, though it remains a screening index rather than a guarantee of seaworthiness.
Accommodations
Below deck, the mahogany-finished cabin provides six berths. The hull’s 3.21 length-to-beam ratio gives the interior useful width for a 30-footer, while the steel deck above keeps the cabin dry in normal service. The beamy hull supports that interior volume without stretching the hull slender.
Fitting six berths into this footprint implies a saloon set and forward or aft sleeping spaces suitable for a small family or two couples cruising along the coast.
The Verdict
The Wibo 930 is a straightforward steel Van de Stadt cruiser. It’s easy to handle and draws little enough for modest marinas, while its moderate rig suits relaxed cruising rather than campaign racing.
Around 200 hulls were built from 1972 onward. The steel hull and deck offer impact resistance, but they also require vigilant coating maintenance and ongoing attention to corrosion.
Pros
- Durable steel hull and deck
- Shallow-draft fin keel provides access to modest marinas
- Six berths and a mahogany interior within a beamy 30-foot hull
- Documented rigging dimensions simplify replacement planning
Cons
- The 33-percent ballast ratio is modest for a coastal cruiser
- Steel construction requires ongoing corrosion oversight
- The sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 14.09 is underwhelming in light air without engine assistance
