Am looking to purchase a Cape Dory 30

[sluta]

Hello. Am looking to purchase a Cape Dory 30. I am previous owner of Pearson 365 Ketch, Ericson 32 and Atlantic City 24 Catboat. I am 59. I intend to spend the next year on the water cruising and have chosen the CD30 as idea for my needs. I will be solo for the majority of the time. I live in SW Florida and intend to begin in the Bahamas in January 2013. Any insights or advise would be appreciated. Are there any particular items or issues I should be looking for in the various versions of the CD30? Also is anyone is thinking of selling please do contact me directly. Sincerely, Stephen Luta, SW Florida

[Steve Laume]

Welcome to the board and congratulations on a fine choice of boats.

Raven is a 1984 CD-30 and she had been serving me very well. I think you are making a fine choice for your situation.

In regards as to what to look, or look out for, I would suggest that the most important thing is a boat in good condition verified by a competent surveyor. Cape Dorys all have cored decks and that can be an issue. The earlier boats have mild steel chain plates and can have rust problems. Raven has aluminum chain and bow backing plates. I am not sure exactly which year they switched over but it seems like a good idea.

Some CD-30s have a V drive and others like Raven have a straight drive. The straight drive seems like a better arrangement but others might have different opinions. I believe they also had different engines. The Universal engine seems like a good fit for the boat unless you can find one that has been re powered.

The fuel tanks on all of these boats are getting to the point that they are beginning to need replacement. Then there is the usual stuff like standing rigging and sail condition to consider. If you are going to be off and away you are probably going to want to replace the standing rigging unless it has been recently done. I think I was the first to do this on Raven after about 25 years. There were no apparent problems but I would have felt like an idiot if I lost the mast for lack of new wire.

You could also expect to do some re wiring of the electrical system if a PO has not spent some time on it.

Check the rudder shoe.

When I write all of this it sounds like these boats are a mess but this is far from the case. Cape Dorys are incredibly well built and much of what I mentioned could be applied to any older boat.

Good luck in your search and keep asking questions on this board as it is one of the greatest values of owning a Cape Dory, Steve.

[sluta]

Steve

Thank you for the reply.
Stephen ~~_/)~~

[Bruce Dart]

Steve, you mentioned your 1984 CD30 doesn't have the V-drive. Do you (or anyone else) know when that change took place?

[Bill Goldsmith]

CD made some B layouts which are rarer than the A layout, but worth considering for a solo cruising boat. The A layout has a v-berth in the forepeak, then going aft, a head, main salon, galley. The B layout has a large head in the forepeak, a larger main salon, including a navigation table and a quarter berth. You lose some settee sitting with the nav table, but that is to a degree made up by the larger main salon. For a solo or a couple where you may not want a v-berth, this is a nice alternative.

Here is one on the market now if you want to look at some pictures:

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1984/Ca ... ted-States