Sub-30ft off shore performance cruiser
Duncan Kent, yacht tester for 25 years, checks out the used boat market
A number of our younger readers have asked us ‘What are the best, reasonably priced, high-performance yachts under 30ft that could be safely singlehanded across oceans?’
Well, apart from convincing them that staying ‘safe’ in any yacht is primarily down to the skipper, we have chosen a selection that we believe, if equipped properly, could indeed fulfil this quest.
They obviously need to be light, well-built and very strong. Most of these readers say they don’t have to be luxurious, but should have the basics to make life bearable, such as secure sea berths, some rudimentary cooking and washing facilities, a little electrical power for instrument and device charging, and should be easy to handle by hand and autopilot in all weathers and conditions.
One prospective solo racer/cruiser, Paul, says he’s looking for the least number of items on board to fail. He’d be happy with a small outboard and few, if any, holes in the hull. ‘Power generation for the navigation and communication instruments will likely be from solar panels’, he says,
