# Woud YOU take a Newport 30 offshore?



## TSOJOURNER

I have heard of people doing so... and wonder if anyone here has experience with this boat or similar hull designs... I am considering purchasing a 1984 Mark III, but it's offshore performance concerns me...

thanks for your feedback!


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## chucklesR

Define offshore.
A day sail around Norfolk, sure.
Catalina Island in S.Cali - sure.
Bahama cruise - carefully, watching the weather.

Further than the USCG can come get me in a hurry? 
No.


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## Lostmt

chucklesR said:


> Further than the USCG can come get me in a hurry?
> No.


Would you comment further on this.


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## Jeff_H

I think that Chuckles pegged it.....For the most part, Capital Yachts purchased the tooling for obsolete boats from other manufacturers and produced generally value oriented models. I may be mistaken but I think that the Newport 30 began life as a Mull designed Ranger. As such they were pretty nice coastal cruisers, offering decent accomodations and sailing ability. I've always liked Gary Mulls work.

When you talk about trying to take one offshore, that is far from their original intent when new and very far from their capabilities without heavily modifying them as 25 year old boats. These boats were pretty lightly built when new. Their shoe-box style hull to deck joint was never intended for the rigours of offshore abuse. They had minimal internal framing. Their deck hardware was adequate for coastal sailing but not really sized for the kinds of heavier conditions that one would expect offshore. and so on....

Jeff


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## TSOJOURNER

Newport 30's seemed to be one of the more popular production boats in that size range that did the CA-HI route. But for some reason they never seemed to go any further  Some pretty good deals on those boats over there.


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## sailingdog

Chuckles probably means if you're out past heli range....


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## T34C

Jeff- is correct aobut the Mull design. I've owned a Newport 30 and would not like to have taken it off-shore. All of the opinions above are true. They are not as robust as you would need and gear would really need to be upgraded. The tankage is totally insuficient for off-shore work. In addition, the canoe style underbody does not provide a comfortable motion in a seaway. The Newport is a great boat for daysailing, coastal cruising, and even racing, but the boat will beat your kidneys out going to weather in a blow.


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## KeelHaulin

Jeff_H said:


> For the most part, Capital Yachts purchased the tooling for obsolete boats from other manufacturers and produced generally value oriented models. I may be mistaken but I think that the Newport 30 began life as a Mull designed Ranger.


Don't think so... The Newport 30 and 33 was a separate design from the Ranger; the boat is wider in beam and heavier displacement. Not saying that it is well suited for offshore conditions; just mentioning that it is not a re-cycled Ranger hull.

I think there is confusion about the Capital Yachts boats; they were robustly built boats and I would not call them "obsolete" in their era of mfr. The C&C Redline 41 was the boat that Jeff may be referring to as "obsolete" but really it was just an offshore race boat design that C&C decided to sell the molds of so they could build capital to design others with. C&C was more in the custom race boat market at the time; not the mass market for racer/cruisers. After a failed attempt to convert the 41 to a racer/cruiser by Enterprise; the molds were sold again to Capital Yachts and built for over 20 years as the Newport 41. The hull construction remained the same as the Redline 41.

Mull designed the 30 and 33 to fill out the Newport fleet for Capital Yachts; the 28 and the 41 were C&C designs. The 28 looks more like a scaled down 41 than the 30/33.


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## Stenn

*Define "OffShore"*

I'd say Chuckles is right....define "OffShore" first.

I have an '83 Newport 27-S MKII, and have been in email contact with George Cuthbertson, one of the "C"'s in C&C, who designed the Newport 27, asking that exact question about my 27, and his words were "I would not hesitate to take that model offshore."

Now, of course, he's talking about the design itself, not necessarily what a builder DID with his design. So if Capital Yachts used lighter hardware, etc., than he intended, that would temper George's recommendation.

But I know mine is solid as a rock, solid, non-cored hull, good hardware....and I've been caught in a serious blow or two and she handled them without a whimper or a threat....so I've felt completely safe in my "little" 27.

But, again....define "offshore". One old timer who was looking at mine while both of ours were up on the hard, said he would not hesitate to take mine to Bermuda...and he had some monster double-masted thing that was at least 40-some feet...and said he sails there all the time...

The real issue is weather....not just stereotyping the size of the boat....if you're caught out in serious weather, even in something much bigger than a 27 or a 30, size isn't going to save you.

IF you've planned the passage, and have clear weather, the Newport 30 will get you there fine.


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## Pogo-2

*This Qualify as offshore*

A couple years ago a gentleman sailed a N30 from Annapolis around Fla, thru the Panama Canal to Hawaii, then to New Zealand. Met a honey and ended his quest to sail around the world to raise awarness for stoke victums. I've only sailed my 87 N30 on lake erie, and lake ontario, during a few storms with 8' waves, and had no fear the boat wouldn't handel the seas.


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## blt2ski

Being as this post is 5 month old, but none the less, if Robin Lee Graham can get 3/4 of the way around the world in an equal to a Cal 24, and that boat still lived in the Caribbean for another 20 yrs before it was wrecked in a hurricane IIRC, one could probably do pretty good in a boat 30' longer, as long as it was reasonably well built. There are some parts of the design, that one needs to look at and have vs others, anyway. MY 02 that is probably worth .0000000001 these days!

marty


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## nk235

My best friend's father and his buddy actually took a Newport 30 from New York down to the Carolinas and then from the Carolinas to Bermuda and back - Last year I got the oppurtunity to check one out that another friend was looking at and it did not strike me as a boat built for offshore work - had a very light feeling to it - not saying anything was wrong with it but it struck me as a light weight coastal cruiser - just goes to show though that the possibility that anyone can take anyboat anywhere is true- one person can take a Newport 30 to Bermuda and be fine yet someone else has probably taken a 40' plus proven bluewater boat for a coastal cruise and sunk it...a lot more goes into a safe passage then the boat YET if I were going I would make damn sure the boat was up to it!


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## eMKay

Saltygirl777 said:


> I have heard of people doing so... and wonder if anyone here has experience with this boat or similar hull designs... I am considering purchasing a 1984 Mark III, but it's offshore performance concerns me...
> 
> thanks for your feedback!


With some more experience, and if the weather was ok, absolutely.


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## camaraderie

Luck can be a big factor in any voyage. Some boats need MORE luck than others.


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## TSOJOURNER

*better get going!*

No time to waste, if you recognize rangitoto in the back of my pic you'll see tallwaterII racing into new zealand. Finished my crossing from Oregon to New Zealand last year. Went with two great crew and only experienced faulty rigging from mauri Pro, and a whale strike. still made it safe and sound.


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## chgodave

*Could? or Would?*

The Newport 30 Mk III is a blue water cruiser evidenced by a 70 gal water tank and a 32 gal fuel tank. Most boats that size have about 15 and 8 gallon capacities respectively. Didnt get the boat new, so not sure what the original looked like, but at somepoint the hull/deck joint was reinforced with glass mat. Adequate winches, but crappy deck hardware. Replaced traveler and jib cars immediately with garhauer stuff. Robust mast. My boat was weight for ORR at 8850 lbs. Perhaps boats that were considered lightweight were the Mk I or II.

That being said, the boat has experienced 64 knot winds and several other squalls without so much as a wimper. Got a bloody nose from being run aground on an underground mountain and had to be pulled to repair and fair the front and bottom of the keel. No structural damage, no leak. Latest was a meteorological bomb experienced while crossing lake Mich last fall. 16 foot waves for a day, 8 - 10 for most of the trip. The crew suffered, but the boat was fine. So, the short answer is yes I would take the boat offshore. Long answer is, it would not be as comfortable as an island packet, but it would be more comfortable than a T-10. The boat can do it. The real question is the sailor and how comfortable he wants to be. As for size, it doesnt matter here. Any sailor undertaking an ocean passage should know enough weather tactics to avoid a hurricane. Eighty miles from the center is enough to get to winds around 40 knots, which is considered the minimum safe zone. Hurricanes come with adequate warning to do this. There is no luck. Only knowledge


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## mitiempo

The Newport 30 is a good design lightly built. I passed on one for that reason. Large tanks do not make an offshore cruiser - solid construction does. Days of pounding will find the weak points, hull/deck join and bulkhead attachment. A good roomy coastal cruiser but not a good choice when one month of sailing offshore is equal to several years of weekend use.


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## shibbershabber

Has anyone ever documented any offshore trips in one? I hear a lot of people trashing them, but I have never heard of one being pounded to pieces during a crossing...

I figure if someone can singlehand a rowboat across the Atlantic... I could take a Newport 30 on a crossing with a little planning.


So, does anyone have a link to a story where someone lost a Newport 30? 

Now, Im not saying that the N30 is the ideal offshore choice, but I cant see it being a suicide mission either.


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## mitiempo

Any reasonably well built boat can be modified for offshore use. But the less well built the boat is to start with the more work required to prep it for safe, comfortable offshore use. A large number of boats not designed for offshore use are built with bulkheads attached without full tabbing to the hull. These hulls will work a bit in rough going and offshore use translates into more wear and tear than the average weekend sailor will experience in many years. Cabinetry that is attached with a handful of screws and bulkheads that are not fully tabbed, companionways that are too wide, weak hull to deck joins and other weaknesses may never become apparent in a boat sailed in protected waters and lighter winds.

The original poster was in an enviable position as he had not yet purchased his boat. If in that position it makes sense to buy a boat with little work required for offshore use rather than buy an unsuitable boat and spend time and money rebuilding it.


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## seaduced8104

*n33 owner*

I have a 1988 Newport 33 and love the way it handles offshore in New England. Of course off shore to me is really a coastal cruise. I sailed from Block Island to Newport in 10-12 footers on the tail end of a hurricane one year in confused seas and it handled well with wind off the port quarter. I did turn into the wind and sail for about a mile to see how the boat would handle to windward. Once settled in 50 degrees or so off the wind i had little problems. I don't think I would take this around the world but can tell you it handles well and likes a good offshore swell.

Michael in RI


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## KeelHaulin

On the issue of offshore capability; one more data point is that an N-30 was raced from SF to Hawaii in the Pacific Cup. "Water Pik" owned by Bob Nance won the race in 1998 on corrected time. There were modifications to make the boat more robust. IIRC this was in the chainplate bulkhead areas to make them more secure. I'm sure there were other modifications also; as the boat was being raced/pushed for 3k miles.


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## mitiempo

I don't think a Newport 30 is a bad sailing boat, even in rougher weather. Offshore use to me means cruising extensively away from ports and accumulating a decade of wear and tear every year or two. The Newport 30 is not built to withstand this as well as some boats are. Neither would a Catalina 30 be a good choice for this. Both are good sailing boats for daysailing, inshore and for short hops in good weather windows.
Good choices would include Pacific Seacraft's boats, even the Flicka, as well as many others.


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## fredsterling

*Yes*

The older Newport 30 was built by Elgin National Industries, before they were bought out by Capital Yachts in 1971. Capital Yachts started to produce with more cost saving measures. Before and after, the boats are well built. Elgin marketed towards a more affluent buyer, and they were very expensive boats at the time. "It is easy to build an expensive boat but few people are willing to pay the price." I know of a 1969 Newport that was hit stern by a powerboat in an accident. The Newport sustained only minor damage while the powerboat crumbled. In general, many people would agree that the boats built in the late 1960's to early 1970's were stronger and built better then many of the boats built today. They don't make em like they use to.


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## fredsterling

*Yes*

The older Newport 30 was built by Elgin National Industries, before they were bought out by Capital Yachts in 1971. Capital Yachts started to produce with more cost saving measures. Before and after, the boats are well built. Elgin marketed towards a more affluent buyer, and they were very expensive boats at the time. "It is easy to build an expensive boat but few people are willing to pay the price." I know of a 1969 Newport that was hit stern by a powerboat in an accident. The Newport sustained only minor damage while the powerboat crumbled. In general, many people would agree that the boats built in the late 1960's to early 1970's were stronger and built better then many of the boats built today. They don't make em like they use to. Great boats, I love my Newport.


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## fstuart

I have a 1976 Mk II and it is a great boat for So Cal Catilna etc. I have had it in some mid 20's wind and it did fine but reef early The T pac not me but i could see the boat doing it certainly Cabo and back But like all things plan it


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## oldragbaggers

I was a little surprised to see the comments by people that would not hesitate to sail this boat offshore. 

We owned, sailed, and lived aboard a Newport 30-II in Southern California for 3 years. While we found it to be a nice, fun, lively, light air boat for that area, once we had moved aboard with all of our belongings, the boat loaded down was an absolute dog that didn't sail worth a darn (in our opinion). Since long-distance cruising would necessitate a heavily loaded boat, you would be starting out at a disadvantage. They were designed to be racer/cruisers, not heavily laden cruising boats.

With that nice wide beam it was definitely a roomy livaboard for a 30 footer though, and we did enjoy living on it. 

And it rolled in an anchorage like nothing I'd ever experienced. Something about that big round bathtub shape. 

In addition, we did find it to be lightly built. From inside the v-berth you could literally see sunlight faintly shining through the gelcoat and fiberglass.

That being said, it is true that significant ocean passages have been made in a Cal 20, so with a masterful enough skipper and with a boat in sound condition, it can definitely be done. But I personally would not want to do it. For offshore work there are plenty of more suitable boats to be had. Unless someone is giving you the boat, why???


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## mitiempo

oldragbaggers said:


> In addition, we did find it to be lightly built. From inside the v-berth you could literally see sunlight faintly shining through the gelcoat and fiberglass.


While I am not defending the Newport 30 in particular, except for the gelcoat the layup is most often clear resin - it is stronger than pigmented resin and allows the crew to confirm that the roving is wet out thoroughly. I have seen the sun shining through the hull of boats from many different builders including my own CS27. It is not an indication of strength or lack of it.


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## oldragbaggers

mitiempo said:


> While I am not defending the Newport 30 in particular, except for the gelcoat the layup is most often clear resin - it is stronger than pigmented resin and allows the crew to confirm that the roving is wet out thoroughly. I have seen the sun shining through the hull of boats from many different builders including my own CS27. It is not an indication of strength or lack of it.


Point taken. I will just say that out of the 8 sailboats we have owned, it seemed to be one of the more lightly built.

We owned a very sweet Cape Dory 28 that we paid less for than we did the Newport. Much more of a cruising boat, the major downside was the narrow beam gave you much less living space (but was also what made it such a stable and comfortable ride).

I was just pointing out that the Newport, while a nice boat, might not be the most logical choice given that more offshore capable boats can be had within the same budget. (Actually probably less when you figure in the modifications that might be needed to the Newport to make it offshore capable.

I do however have a great deal of respect and admiration for anyone who is out there doing it and making it work and have no desire to judge anyone's choice of boat.


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## mclouse

When I think of offshore, I'm thinking of survivability. Is that what you mean, or are you talking about durability over a long period of time. A circumnavigation in which you may want to think twice about a relatively flat bottom or are you just making a dash to the Bahamas or Hawaii where the weather window can be strictly considered and waited out. One side is the durability and if your adventure will be interrupted rudely by a significant repair bill, or if you are truly in an unacceptable rage of danger? So I'm in a quandary if a heavy and deep V hull typical offshore cruiser is necessary in these days of data communications via SSB A kind of turtle and hare comparison. Slow durable hare vs a faster rabbit. We can always fall back on the minimum risk profile, but can the risk be offset by significant improvement in offshore planning and strategy? I don't have the answer and I doubt if anyone else has a factual answer, but I would guess the answer lyes in the skippers judgement skill. I like allot of the characteristics of the Newport 30 III, just need to learn more about them.


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## Somekindofaviking

If it has been done before in a similar boat, and you think you have the guts/experience to do the same.. Go ahead...
Make sure the boat is in as good shape as it can get..
Rigging, sails and a sound hull etcetera...

Plan a little ahead..
Have spare parts for essential equipment...
And make sure you have the means to keep the water on the outside of the boat.....
I have read hundreds of posts here during the last few years..
And i must say.....
The majority seems to focus on Comfort.....
Full keel vs fin keel and so on...
Don't know if it is a age thing or what??
(I know i will get some pepper for that one...)
But I am one of those fortunate ones, who has never been seasick...
And i have spent considerable time on medium size boats in open seas...
(30-40 foot)

But you must keep in mind....
Most of these "statements" are in fact opinions.....
So is what I have written above....

I say SAFETY first.....
Liferaft, Ditchbag, Flares and Epirb...
Prepare for the worst..
And hope for the better....

Fair winds....


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## eoffermann

This doesn't exactly fit the main question from a few years ago, but it's a crazy anecdote so I'll tell it.

I have one of the little Newport 20s as my smaller boat (very few were made - you can sometimes see the same boat with minor accessory differences as a Neptune.) I have sailed the everloving hell out of that little thing - added solar panels, a raymarine ST1000 autotiller, a color chartplotter and sonar, harnesses, auto-inflating PFDs and assorted radios. She even has a dinghy that's nearly as big as she is that I tow behind. I joke that she's the best equipped 20 on the west coast but it's probably not really a joke.

While I wouldn't necessarily call this offshore, it's much farther than most casual sailors take much larger boats: I've taken that little boat from MDR to Santa Barbara Island three times - around 40 miles offshore - and close to San Nicolas once (about 66 miles but I only went as close as I dared - it's a a naval base and once I could see the silhouettes of large naval ships catching light in the sunrise, it seemed like a good time to turn around and head back to SBI).

It's a little mortifying - I've raced storms and fog back to Marina Del Rey for the whole trip, surfing down swells the size of that little boat. Those long weekend adventures are why she's equipped so well for such a small vessel. The solar panels are enough to keep the batteries topped off with the chartplotter and autotiller running. I've steered her for the entire trip before but that's close to 12hrs each direction, usually, unless the wind is just perfect or I run the engine. There's usually a long lull in the middle of it where I'm just bobbing around wishing for a breeze. It's grueling - and doing it solo (as I have all but once) is a lonely but wonderful trip.

I have an Ackerman Newporter that I've taken out there a couple times as well and the difference is phenomenal. The trip becomes utterly effortless in a big cruising sailboat.


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## christian.hess

I dont like to badmouth designs...for the most part production boats with some decnet and thoghtfull mods are fine for offshore...racing is another story.

having said that when I was in san francisco there was big news when a newport 30 lost its keel out the gate I beleive, or after hitting something inside the bay, Im trying to find the article but it was published in latitude 38

they are one of a very few distinguished boats to have that happen...


just my 2 cents fwiw


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## eoffermann

If that Newport 30 is "Sea Ya" (from a Jan 2006 Letters column) she had run aground - but that was down in La Paz not SF. There were comments to the effect that the area of the hull around the keel may not be sufficiently robust.


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## christian.hess

eoffermann said:


> If that Newport 30 is "Sea Ya" (from a Jan 2006 Letters column) she had run aground - but that was down in La Paz not SF. There were comments to the effect that the area of the hull around the keel may not be sufficiently robust.


THATS IT!

sorry

for the not exact accuracy but I followed up on that story while it was happening and they say a lot of them suffered from bad layup aft of the keel contributing to a very flexy and wobbly rear end if you will

that and pay attention to the galvanised bolts...if there is a big gap then its possible to have severely rusted bolts

I clearly remeber though seing the hull with no keel laid up on the beach front

thanks for the refresher


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## benesailor

No, i wouldn't take a Newport 30 off shore. Just not built for it as cited previously. 

I was under the impression that Newports couldn't be stored on their keel while in storage due to the lack of structural support. I could be wrong. I see a few in special cradles suspended off the ground.


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## christian.hess

I read up they lack longitudinal stringers aft of the keel and if on the hard you must make sure no stands are placed there...

this applies to many boats btw...


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## ericb760

eoffermann said:


> If that Newport 30 is "Sea Ya" (from a Jan 2006 Letters column) she had run aground - but that was down in La Paz not SF. There were comments to the effect that the area of the hull around the keel may not be sufficiently robust.


I googled your boat because I had never heard of it. The first thing that came up was a video of you and the boat on youtube (nice lime green camel toe!). Anytime you need a crew, let me know. I'm in Wilmington, just down the coast a bit. I'll bring the beer!


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## souljour2000

Been onaNewport 34 alot...solid boat from what I could tell. Don't know about hull-deck joint.. great interior layout...great handling fin keeler..


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## Capn Jimbo

You might want to hear what a number of owners have to say about the N-30...

capitalyachts.info/Reviews/new30review1.html


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## hpeer

Just to be a smarty pants.......would you take an Oyster 90 offshore?


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## mitiempo

hpeer said:


> Just to be a smarty pants.......would you take an Oyster 90 offshore?


Definitely not!


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## mcmillanart

*Re: Define "OffShore"*

:cut_out_animated_em


Stenn said:


> I'd say Chuckles is right....define "OffShore" first.
> 
> I have an '83 Newport 27-S MKII, and have been in email contact with George Cuthbertson, one of the "C"'s in C&C, who designed the Newport 27, asking that exact question about my 27, and his words were "I would not hesitate to take that model offshore."
> 
> Now, of course, he's talking about the design itself, not necessarily what a builder DID with his design. So if Capital Yachts used lighter hardware, etc., than he intended, that would temper George's recommendation.
> 
> But I know mine is solid as a rock, solid, non-cored hull, good hardware....and I've been caught in a serious blow or two and she handled them without a whimper or a threat....so I've felt completely safe in my "little" 27.
> 
> But, again....define "offshore". One old timer who was looking at mine while both of ours were up on the hard, said he would not hesitate to take mine to Bermuda...and he had some monster double-masted thing that was at least 40-some feet...and said he sails there all the time...
> 
> The real issue is weather....not just stereotyping the size of the boat....if you're caught out in serious weather, even in something much bigger than a 27 or a 30, size isn't going to save you.
> 
> IF you've planned the passage, and have clear weather, the Newport 30 will get you there fine.


Thank You......Newport Yachts were a class group. I had a Newport 30 MKll and sailed it for 10 years without a problem. Traded up to a J105 and loved that also but both had their place. 
I would never make a statement that downgraded a manufacturer especially when I didn't know what I was talking about.


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## Coyle

I had the "opportunity" to test out the hull strength of my 1975 Newport 30 shortly after getting it tried anchoring on lee shore, ran aground, boat got anvilled 3-5' waves for a good couple hours; set anchor and winched it off but after that all I could do is wait; the sound from inside as the boat dropped was quite the experience. I think they used more fiberglass in those days. It was exactly what was called: a racer-cruiser; in good weather running a 180 genoa it outperformed any other sailboat I knew; could maneuver within inches of what I wanted, tack on a dime--though would fall back quite a bit after tacking due to wide beam and fin keel; that fin keep and fairly flat bottom really did make for a good racer; and couldn't be beat for comfort; I had the most liveable sailboat of anyone in our anchorage; even larger boats felt narrower in the middle and most companionways had to be descended down into. But for offshore I'd have to say no, except maybe light offshore; I sailed around Gulf Coast of FL w' no problems; but my comfortable open companionway would've flooded and sunk the boat if it heeled over enough--it also would've turtled anyways in that situation. Once early on I ran my spinnaker singlehanded, wind shifted and in that instant I saw the design flaw of the open entryway; spinnaker shredded before capsized. The Newport doesn't heel much which makes for very comfortable sailing in good weather; the width and fin keel makes it hard to hold a course offshore. If you were going to sail open water more than living on I'd go with a boat that's made to cut thru waves and handle rough seas; full keel. I loved my Newport, it was affordable and just what I wanted (keel a bit deep for Central West Coast FL's lot of shallows.


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