Hello all,

Hate to admit this, but I'm thinking about moving from my wonderful Tartan 30 into a J30. I'd just like something with a bit more speed.

Thing is, I've never been on a J30. I'm located in Norwalk, CT and wonder if there might be an owner within driving distance so I could come take a look. Better yet, I will provide cases of beer (or equivalent) in exchange for a ride!

My main concern is how touchy the helm is. A T30 has a skeg rudder which really keeps her on track and I'm wondering if the free hung rudder of a J30 makes them a bit squirrelly ?

Any other comments about a J30 would be most welcome. Also interested if any might be for sale in the general East Coast area.

Many thanks,
Dax

Dax,

The J/30 helm is "responsive" not touchy. It doesn't take much helm with the sails properly balanced and trimmed to keep the boat sailing in the groove.

The J/30 will turn on a dime in tight places when needed. This is particularly helpful in marinas with narrow approaches.

Rhapsody is in Newport RI and you are welcome to make the trip here if you like, but I know there are J/30s closer to you in Milford and Westport that would probably be more convenient.

Dax,

I agree with Bill. The J/30 is no where near squirrelly. They track extremely well and are fairly easy to get into a groove. On the J/30 the helm is a great indicator of trim and when sails are properly trim the helm will be neutral.

I picked up my boat from Cedar Point and I believe a few still race out of Cedar Point Yacht Club. Presto is now in Raritan Yacht Club in Perth Amboy, NJ and we have three other J/30 here. Three of us (J/30s) actively race and would welcome you to come out with us on Wednesday night. Weekends are also a possibility. My boat will be making it's second cruise up to the Vineyard, but will be back in NJ at the end of the month.

If you are looking at the J/30 as a cruiser, the J/30 is a fast comfortable cruiser. The beam provides a stable platform with plenty of room down below. The J/30 is also pretty easy to maintain and this site is one of the best one design sites with plenty of information. If you simply follow Rhapsody,Vee Jay's and the other contributor's tips you will be able to maintain your boat.

Long story short, I would highly recommend the boat (but I might be a bit biased). If you are looking for a ride and get to NJ let either myself, Mike (Belle Faster) or Steve (Blue Meanie) know. We will make sure you get out and see what the J/30 is all about.

John

Hi Dax,

I am the owner of MAGAN #389 out of Branford, CT. We keep the boat at the Branford Yacht Club. You are welcome to come by any time to check the boat out. We will be down at the boat today (8/4) all day doing some general maint. Feel free to stop by (boat is on C-Dock). We will also be racing Sunday August 12th and you are welcome to come out with us. I know of a boat in the area for sale and can give you the details.

860-304-3701

Best wishes,

Thanks to all who replied. All that's left now is the mechanics of selling / buying a boat .... easy peasy :0

My two cents is that the J/30 is a great boat. I downsized from a Baltic 39 and don't regret it for a minute. My wife maybe a different story. What I like the most among many things is the way she sails - close hauled, on the high side, playing the main - some fun.

To add to John's comments. 3 J/30s are raced at Raritan Yacht Club. And you'll also see that they are actively day sailed and cruised! I can't think of a better all around boat!

Hi Dax,

I truely loved the boat, and we bought Foot Loose after a few cruises on the two that the Boston sailing Center had.

After 3 years, there is a couple of important aspect worth sharing:
- The J/30 is still a rather tippy boat which clearly behaves very differently when you are short-handed (My wife and I total up 300 pounds) or full weigh crew (1440) which I never was able to reach, even 2/3 of this, with our crew... This shows when you sail offshore when the regular Jib #3 and 2 reefs still easily shows you overpowered double or single handed (with our weigh, that happens at 25 Kts steady). It also has a huge impact on your OD or PHRF performance :-)
- The 30 feet limits the kind of offshore race you have access to: for instance the Newport and Marion Bermuda - are minimum 32'... The stability coefficient starts also to be an issue on those races.
- It is indeed very nice to be able to sail with main only, but of course this in no way is a situation a smart pilot handles nicely - except close hauled.
- The balsa core construction, and how to monitor its state is always a bit of a anxiety to me. And this has a huge impact on the resale value of the boat.

This said, my wife and I enjoy the boat, it is so fast and responsive, even in very light air - with all the cruising amenities we could wish (at least when your electricity standard is set for one commodity 80amps battery and no marina nor engine for days...).

And the community is so active and helpful... It makes a huge difference in crafting/servicing the boat your way...

Cheers,

Georges is correct on the need for sufficient weight on the rail (although this is also true for most racing boats-it's hard to get reasonable light air performance, sufficient beam for cabin volume, and low sensitivity to weight/positioning in the same package). I would add that if you are primarily looking for a "fast cruiser", the post 1984 model is a better cruising set up, with coamings in the cockpit, no "bridge deck" by the companionway, and a much nicer galley. There is one listed on "Yachtworld" in Florida that looks very nice.

Dax,

Why don't you come to New Orleans, hop on a J/30 at North American's. The regatta is October 18-21.

Dave@j30.us