Doug Peterson is one of the most respected yacht designers in the world. I previously owned a Peterson 42, IOR 2 tonner and found it to be an amazing yacht.

I am currently looking for another yacht and for reasons of insurance, budget and manageability I want a yacht that is just under 10m in length.

This one caught my eye when it was first listed around July last year. One would think that if it is any good it should have sold by now.

http://www.boatpoint.com.au/boats-for-sale/boatdetails.aspx?R=15154619&Silo=Stock&Vertical=Boat&Ridx=0&eapi=2

She is a handsome looking yacht and there is no doubt she would perform.

Has anybody ever owned one of these or sailed one one or have any knowledge and experience of them??

I also raced out of middle harbour on one ,we always flew the masthead kite in all weather . It wasn't my boat I was up front , I only questioned flying the kite once when it was blowing hard , do you want the small one , I was told if your gonna fly one it may as we'll be big . Up it went , what a ride , the owner knew his boat we'll .
It also was competitive nothing broke or fell off , and I can tell you from experience if you broach with the kite up and the top of the mast hits the water the cockpit stays dry lol. It seemed to be a reasonably tough boat from the treatment it got . The owners son used to take it away in the off season so it was cruised as we'll

Thanks for the encouraging words from Fiesta and oldboy.

From what you are saying it sounds like they are fairly bullet proof and if you are going to have one a big spinnaker is mandatory.

Ramona, you are right, Santana 30s were designed by Shad Turner but I am sure that is only the American Santana 30s which look very different from this yacht. You must be looking at sailboatdata as I am.

I wasn't satisfied so I looked up their list of Peterson designs and their list is missing many Peterson yachts that are sailing around in Australia. If you look at his Chaser 29 you will see that it is almost identical to this yacht and certainly has the same characteristic cabin top line.

sailboatdata.com/sailboat/chaser-29

The other reference I am lucky enough to have is "The Observer's Book of Sailing Craft Of Aus & NZ". 1979. Fantastic little book!!

You are again correct in that Santanas were designed by Gary Mull but it only lists the 22 and the 28 as being designed by he. The book does not list a Santana 30 but does list a Peterson 30 and from the photo it looks as near as dammit to this yacht. They were built by M B Yachts of Bayswater WA.

I reckon the yacht is a Peterson. They are calling this one a Peterson and it looks identical except for the mast being about 500mm further forward.

www.boatpoint.com.au/boats-for-sale/boatdetails.aspx?R=11257104&Silo=Stock&Vertical=Boat&Ridx=3&eapi=2

I may be wrong, and often am if you ask my wife, but from my understanding

Peterson 30 = Santana 30 = northshore 30 ( and northshore 31)

The Peterson 30 was an out & out IOR 1/2 tonner that rated and performed VERY well in it's day.

The others became a little more all rounders and cruisy by different builders. Most likely design re-drawn or altered slightly by other designers.....the north shore stern is very different to fit in a double quarter berth.

This is mostly hearsay, and from years racing against them on the harbour and out of the SASC.

Division 3 CYCA ocean pointscore for many years, there were a couple racing at various times in the mid to late 80's. We could hold them upwind but they would skate away from us down wind, particularly in the light stuff. I was on a Carter 33.

I have seen the one advertised and looks good for the price, but would be concerned about osmosis, and any soft spots in the deck.

Just the ad!

A little bit of boat envy!

Bigger, faster and i suspect nicer than my supersonic!

There is some information in this link from Sailing Anarchy that may help explain the variations in hull shapes of this design.

forums.sailinganarchy.com/index.php?/topic/36288-peterson-santana-30/

Supersonic27 said..

Just the ad!

A little bit of boat envy!

Bigger, faster and i suspect nicer than my supersonic!

I know all about "envy". I had a Peterson 42 called "ENVY II". She was magic but I became very envious of the guy that bought it from me and was able to make a commercial success of it.

Let's not get too emotional yet. I have nowhere near enough information yet to be making any decisions on it.

If I do end up buying it I will be looking for someone local like yourself with some offshore experience for some shakedown sailing trials and possible delivery assistance. If that is a possibility for you keep it in mind. Cheers.

cisco said..

Supersonic27 said..

Just the ad!

A little bit of boat envy!

Bigger, faster and i suspect nicer than my supersonic!

I know all about "envy". I had a Peterson 42 called "ENVY II". She was magic but I became very envious of the guy that bought it from me and was able to make a commercial success of it.



Let's not get too emotional yet. I have nowhere near enough information yet to be making any decisions on it.

If I do end up buying it I will be looking for someone local like yourself with some offshore experience for some shakedown sailing trials and possible delivery assistance. If that is a possibility for you keep it in mind. Cheers.

I would be happy to help with the delivery! Jus need to know the boat can do it!

Supersonic27 said..

I would be happy to help with the delivery! Jus need to know the boat can do it!

That is a given. I have been involved with a couple of deliveries and if the boat isn't seaworthy it does no go to sea with me on board.

Thank you for your kind offer and I wouldn't be expecting any freebies but this yacht is starting to sound like it needs a truck rather than a crew to get it to Queensland.

I have tried this "long way from home fix a yacht" thing once before and it just don't work.

This is certainly the style of yacht I love but it definitely needs a lot more than "just a tidy up" as the broker says. The brokers must be feeling the pinch and will say anything to get a sale. That brokerage has recently changed hands and the new guys are not up to date with their listings.

This is interesting but it has a "Green Death" Volvo with a sail drive and it is in Melbourne. Sydney to Cairns I can handle but that is just too far away unless it is a ready to go thing.

http://www.boatpoint.com.au/boats-for-sale/boatdetails.aspx?R=14653523&Silo=Stock&Vertical=Boat&Ridx=57&eapi=2

Ramona said he would own an S&S 30 Defiance in a heart beat if it was set up the same as his Currawong. His words are worth heeding so I have been looking at these two.

What do you reckon mate. Which would you pick??

yachthub.com/list/yachts-for-sale/used/sail-monohulls/sparkman-stephens-defiance-30/115056

www.boatpoint.com.au/boats-for-sale/boatdetails.aspx?R=15972016&Silo=Stock&Vertical=Boat&Ridx=0&eapi=2

They are built either side of the 80s cheap Chinese resin period with 26 years between them.

Banshee has the extra quarter berth but seems to lack a dunny but has the better stove and engine (shaft drive Perkins) and a really great look to the interior and a great name.

Temerair has the ensuite shower and head, fancy electronics and shade gear needed for my part of the world. Also she is an Aus Reg Ship by the looks. Is she worth $15k more than Banshee and are they both $15k overpriced??

Defiance or Peterson?

Both good designs.

I believe the Peterson was a bit later and would perform a bit better.

The one with the newish engine might be worth a good look, but I suppose if you factor in the transport, that is a significant extra cost

+ 1 for savage defiance 80s full fibre glass yachts . They sail very nicely .

The first Defiance at Coffs is not a Savage. It was from a builder up the North coast somewhere and has a lot more fibreglass furniture than the older boats. Its been for sale for a long time, I can remember when the asking price was 65 thousand! Has a twin spreader mast and good gear but wheel steering. Second one looks like a Savage, you will have to chase up when they sold the moulds on.
Bought windvane like a Fleming is going to cost $4000 new. The Santana might need that prop cleaned before sailing back to Qld. Looks like it can be cleaned just snorkeling though. New windvane would be a bit of over capitalization on the Santana. I would be buying the Santana and sailing it home. I used to use a piece of rope tied to the tiller on the weather side to sail my boat till I built the vane. Clove hitch on the tiller with enough tension to hold the slight weather helm and she would sail straight all day. Looking at the pictures I would say the Santana is in about the same condition as my boat cosmetically. I have more sailing stuff but that's what you get buying a serious racing yacht, they may be a bit tired but all the gear is top shelf stuff. It all boils down to what your after in a boat.
Do you need a glossy topside? I bought an electrical head a few months ago and have not installed it yet. Owned the boat more than 3 years, still have not used the heads! I don't need perfectly varnished furniture.

The Petersen "Blue Eagle" is tempting too, shame about the wheel steering but it does have a Volvo. Certainly has marina presence and I don't think Syd would buy a dud.

The Santana 30 is definitely a Peterson design. In the UK it was known as the Contention 30. Shad Turner designed the US Santana 30 but there was no relationship between the companies apart from the fact that the Oz company had brought out the Gary Mull designed 22 and 27 (which was extended into the 28 here). The only Santana Shad Turner design built out here was the Crossfire 20, which was a copy of the very popular Santana 20 built by an unrelated company which collapsed after a mysterious fire.

The boats normally sold in Oz as a "Peterson 30" are either NZ Cavalier 30s (designed by Peterson) or WA builds, also (not surprisingly) designed by Peterson. They are in the style of the Chaser 29/North Star, which won the world 1/2 ton titles in 75 and 74 respectively. In dimensions and style such boats are very similar to the Holland 30 although the Petersons sold here had larger cabin tops.

The Santana 30 is a newer boat that came out around '78 with the wider stern that Peterson brought to light with his Dida/Yena 2 tonners in the Sardinia Cup of 1978, which were of course similar to the Envy/Marloo types. Reports of the time (and my own memory as a kid who started racing offshore around this time at 17) indicate that the '78 vintage was faster downwind in the light and moderate stuff than the old narrow-stern designs.....cue memories of trying to get downwind in various pintail Kaufman and Peterson designs!

Australian Sailing indicates that the first Santana 30 was on Lake Mac; I think she was called Austral but that name went to a Davo 36. I raced my half against her once; I think she was a competently sailed masthead version which fits in with my recollection of reports. She got my '68 half on the beat to the finish after 45 miles (as she should!) IIRC and beat most of the half tonners home. I seem to recall her being owned by a Tim Mayo of RMYC Toronto but I'm not sure if she is the boat pictured; her windows looked more like one piece ones but that is unreliable as it relies on perspex tinting.

The Santana 30s rated faster under IOR and JOG than the older Peterson and Holland designs, and of course higher than S&S 30s/Currawongs/East Coasts although there was only a few percent in it. Some were soon fitted with an optional fractional rig and probably went even quicker although I recall that in JOG nationals even good boats (as I assume the Wilmot's Vayu was) were beaten by top Farr half tonners like Springloaded. A custom Peterson of similar design, England's Green Dragon, was one of the best in the world for a couple of years in the '70s, able to beat anything her type at times.

Nice boats. If well sailed, able to beat just about any half designed before the '80s, IMHO.

Thanks also Chris. I was fairly sure the Santana 30s are Petersons.

Don't go trying to panic me into buying this yacht Ramona. I am just going to check the car today to make sure it is ready for the trip down there.

Fiesta said..

Why drop out the midwire in the section back to the cockpit?
Those stanchion bases will need to have a rod gusset to sustain more than your regulation size 65kg bowman holding onto them.

I thought the same thing.

Some of the stanchions have had a bit of a hard life but no real dramas & could be straightened & strengthened.

Also some of the running rigging is getting on a bit as well - some is new tho.

The windows are a bit crazed too.

More modern boats such as the Farr 1020 (for example) are selling for what the half tonners were not all that long ago:

http://yachthub.com/list/yachts-for-sale/used/sail-monohulls/farr-1020/110745

A design such as the Farr 1020 isn't compromised as are IOR boats with their big bulges amidships and crazy pinched sterns to fit in with the handicap rules of the day. IOR boats don't perform downwind. A Farr 1020 will plane and surf downwind, leaving the old IOR boat in its wake, and with a nice fractional rig