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Sail · Used

1980 Cape Dory 30

Sarah

$29,000

Riverside, RI · 30 ft

1980 Cape Dory 30 sailboat on stands, blue sky background.

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34 photographs

Overview

Type
Cutter, Cruisers

Specifications

Year
1980
Make
Cape Dory
Model
30
Condition
Used
Category
Sail
Nominal length
30 ft
Length overall
30.17 ft
Beam
9 ft
Max draft
4.17 ft
Location
Riverside, RI

Description

Classic Cape Dory 30 Cutter — Beautifully Maintained & Ready to Cruise

This Cape Dory 30 Cutter is a particularly well-kept example of a classic New England cruising sailboat, with a beautifully maintained interior and a thoughtful collection of cruising upgrades. Her low-hour Nanni 250 HE diesel was installed as a replacement for the original raw-water-cooled engine and was refurbished prior to installation, including servicing of the cooling system, raw-water pump, fluids, filters, belt and valve clearances.

The boat received a major refit in 2014, and more recent improvements include refinished interior woodwork, dripless shaft seals, a replacement Lewmar windlass, and largely renewed running rigging. A Norvane windvane provides reliable self-steering for extended passages—a system that proved its worth when she was cruised from Boston to St. Croix in 2015.

With a cutter rig, good tankage, windvane self-steering, propane galley, refrigeration, solar, and a well-equipped cruising interior, she is a capable and comfortable platform for coastal cruising and longer passages. The electronics and some of the sails are older, but the boat's overall condition and equipment reflect a long history of thoughtful ownership and maintenance.

Key Features

  • Low-hour Nanni 250 HE 14 HP diesel, refurbished prior to installation, with heat exchanger
  • Beautifully maintained and updated interior with wood trim refinished in 2025
  • Norvane windvane self-steering system for offshore and long-distance cruising
  • Dripless shaft seals for both propeller shaft (2025) and rudder shaft (2018)
  • Lewmar Pro-Series 1000 electric windlass (2020)
  • Major refit work in 2014, including barrier coat, chainplate hardware, bow structure and pulpit work
  • Harken headsail furler and largely renewed running rigging
  • 65W solar panel
  • 35-gallon holding tank and 60 gallons of fresh water
  • Dodger and custom boom-mounted sun cover
  • ACR GlobalFix EPIRB and Lifesling
  • 8.8' WaterTender rowing dinghy

Additional details

Disclaimer

The Company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice.

Features

Accommodations

Number of Single Berths: 2

Number of Double Berths: 1

Number of Cabins: 1

Number of Heads: 1


Mechanical:  

Engine Brand/model/Year : Nanni 250 HE, 14 HP

Engine Hours: <100

Propeller: 13” 2-bladed prop

Drive Type:  V-drive transmission 

Service history: reportedly low hours, refurbished prior to installation. New fluids, filters, belt and gauge panel; valve adjustment; heat exchanger inspection; rebuilt raw-water pump; fresh paint. Test-run to operating temperature.


Tanks 

Fresh Water Tanks: 2 (30 gal each)

Fuel Tanks: 1 (20 gal) – Fuel Polished 2026

Holding Tanks: 1 (35 gal)


Rigging

Standing Rigging Age: 

Forestay/Backstay – Original

Sides stays / 2009

Main Stays / 2014

Bobstay / 2017

Running Rigging Age: Various/All replaced in the last 5-10years                                     

Furler: Harken 

Winches:

2x Lewmar  #40 two speed cockpit for jib sheets

2x Lewmar #6 on mast for haylards

2x Lewmar #6 in cockpit for mainsheet and staysail sheet


Sails

Scott Mainsail, Fair Condition, 2006

Yankee Jib: Good condition, 2006

Asymmetrical Spinnaker with Sock: 10yrs/ Good Condition

Stay-sail: Unknown / Good Condition

Storm-jib: 10 years / Excellent condition


Canvas - Year:

Dodger: 2016

Custom sun-cover hung over boom


Outside Equipment

Anchor Brand/type, size-weight: 35lb CQR

Fortress Mud Anchor

Rode: Chain / 5/16”180ft

Windlass: Lewmar Pro Series 1000

Cockpit Cushions

Cockpit table:

Swimming Ladder

Mast steps


Electronics

Compass: Ritchie / Rebuilt 2026

GPS: Raymarine / C70 /2009

VHF: Apelco/ VHF 8500

Radar: Raymarine / C70 / 2009

Depthsounder: Standard Horizon

Speedometer: Standard Horizon

Stereo: Clarion AM/FM Radio and CD player


Electrical Equipment Brand/Size/Year

Batteries: 1 Starting Battery / 1 House battery (2x 6V in series) ~250Ah

Battery Charger: Xantrex True-Charge Multi-stage 

Inverter: Xantrex Prowatt Inverter

Shore Power Inlet: 1x 120V inlet

Solar: 1x 65W Rigid Panel

Wind: Air-breeze with Silent wind blue blade retrofit (generator not installed)


Additional Inside equipment:

Plumbing: Trident Marine Sanitation Hoses

Galley: Two burner propane stove with oven 

Refrigeration: Adler Barber 


Safety Equipment:

EPIRB: ACR GlobalFix Category 2 EPIRB

Man overboard recovery devices: Life-Sling


Spares:

Norvane  Windvane – Spares Vanes, Pulleys and Bearings


Additional: 

Watertender 8.8 Rowing dinghy

Engines

Nanni 250 HE

Type
Inboard
Fuel
diesel
Power
14 horsepower
Drive
V
Propeller
2 Blade, Bronze
Location
Center
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