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Cape 30 Hood
Designer: Ted Hood  ·  Builder: Cape Dory Yachts (Usa)  ·  First built: 1972
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About the Cape 30 Hood

Designed by legendary naval architect Ted Hood in 1972, this rare 30-footer represents a fascinating piece of sailing history with only six hulls ever produced by Cape Dory Yachts. Hood's design philosophy shines through in the boat's balanced proportions and seaworthy characteristics, making it a capable coastal cruiser with offshore potential. The masthead sloop rig and fin keel configuration provide excellent sailing performance, while the substantial displacement of 9,350 pounds and generous ballast ratio contribute to stability and comfort in challenging conditions. With a beam of 9.21 feet, the Cape 30 Hood offers reasonable interior space without sacrificing the clean lines typical of Hood's designs. The boat's comfort ratio of 32.47 indicates a motion that favors seakindliness over speed, making it well-suited for extended cruising rather than racing. The capsize screening formula of 1.75 suggests good stability characteristics for coastal and near-offshore sailing. Hull speed reaches just over 6 knots, respectable for a cruising boat of this size. Given its rarity and Ted Hood's reputation for creating robust, well-balanced designs, the Cape 30 Hood represents an intriguing option for sailors seeking a distinctive, capable cruiser with proven offshore DNA.

Core Dimensions
LOA (Length Overall) 30.00 ft / 9.14 m
LWL (Waterline Length) 20.17 ft / 6.15 m
Beam 9.21 ft / 2.81 m
Max Draft 4.46 ft / 1.36 m
Displacement 9,350.00 lb / 4,241 kg
Ballast 3,300.00 lb / 1,497 kg
Ballast Type Lead
Sail Area (Reported) 409.00 ft² / 38.00 m²
Design & Construction
Hull Type Fin Keel
Rigging Type Masthead Sloop
Construction FG
Designer Ted Hood
Builder Cape Dory Yachts (USA)
First Built 1972
Number Built 6
Associations Cape Dory Sailboat Owners Association
Related Sailboats Rawson 30 · Buccaneer 305 · Moody 30 · Coaster 30 Pearson · Comet 30
Owner Reviews

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Performance Ratios
SA/Displacement Sail Area to Displacement ratio measures how much sail power a boat has relative to its weight. Higher values mean more performance and speed.
Under 14 — Heavy cruiser, slow14–18 — Cruising sailboat18–22 — Cruiser/racerOver 22 — Performance racer
 14.79
Ballast/Displacement Ballast to Displacement ratio shows what percentage of the boat's total weight is ballast. Higher values generally mean better initial stability and stiffer sail carrying.
30–35% — Typical cruiser35–45% — Stiff performance boatOver 45% — Racing oriented
 35.29
Displacement/Length Displacement to Length ratio measures how heavy a boat is relative to its waterline length. Lower values mean a lighter, faster boat.
Under 100 — Ultralight racer100–200 — Light cruiser/racer200–300 — Moderate cruiser300–400 — Heavy cruiserOver 400 — Very heavy
 508.68
Comfort Ratio Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio predicts how comfortable a boat will feel in offshore conditions. Higher values mean a steadier, more comfortable motion in a seaway.
Under 20 — Uncomfortably rough20–30 — Acceptable coastal30–40 — Good offshore comfortOver 40 — Very comfortable offshore
 32.47
Capsize Screening Formula The USHS Capsize Screening Formula estimates offshore capsize risk. Lower is safer — values under 2.0 are considered acceptable for offshore sailing.
Under 2.0 — Safe for offshore2.0–2.2 — Borderline offshoreOver 2.2 — Coastal use recommended
 1.75
Hull Speed Hull Speed is the theoretical maximum speed of a displacement hull, calculated from waterline length. Most cruising sailboats reach this speed in moderate conditions. 6.02 kn
S# (Speed Number) The Speed Number (S#) is a quick performance index. Higher values indicate a faster, more powerful design relative to its size.
Under 3.0 — Slow cruiser3.0–5.0 — Average cruiser5.0–7.0 — Performance cruiserOver 7.0 — Racer
 0.63
Pounds/Inch Immersion Pounds per Inch Immersion (PPI) tells you how much weight is needed to sink the boat one inch. Useful for calculating how additional gear and stores affect waterline. 663.76 pounds/inch
SA/Displacement (Calc) Calculated Sail Area to Displacement ratio using actual measured sail dimensions rather than reported values. More precise than the reported SA/Disp figure. 14.75
Rig Dimensions
I (Foretriangle Height) 36.96 ft / 11.27 m
J (Foretriangle Base) 11.00 ft / 3.35 m
P (Mainsail Luff) 31.46 ft / 9.59 m
E (Mainsail Foot) 13.00 ft / 3.96 m
SA Fore 203.28 ft² / 18.89 m²
SA Main 204.49 ft² / 19.00 m²
SA Total (100%) 407.77 ft² / 37.88 m²
Est. Forestay Length 38.56 ft / 11.75 m
Engine & Accommodations
Engine Make Universal
Engine Model Atomic 4
Engine Type Gas
Fuel Capacity 30 gals / 114 L
Water Capacity 50 gals / 189 L
How It Compares

vs. Buccaneer 305, Coaster 30 Pearson, Comet 30, Moody 30, Rawson 30

This boat Similar boats
Dimensions
LOA
Cape 30 Hood ★
30.0 ft
Buccaneer 305
30.0 ft
Coaster 30 Pearson
30.0 ft
Comet 30
30.0 ft
Moody 30
30.0 ft
Rawson 30
30.5 ft
LWL
Cape 30 Hood ★
20.2 ft
Buccaneer 305
26.3 ft
Coaster 30 Pearson
23.3 ft
Comet 30
22.0 ft
Moody 30
26.0 ft
Rawson 30
22.0 ft
Beam
Cape 30 Hood ★
9.2 ft
Buccaneer 305
10.2 ft
Coaster 30 Pearson
9.3 ft
Comet 30
9.9 ft
Moody 30
10.1 ft
Rawson 30
9.0 ft
Displacement
Cape 30 Hood ★
9 lbs
Buccaneer 305
10 lbs
Coaster 30 Pearson
9 lbs
Comet 30
7 lbs
Moody 30
8 lbs
Rawson 30
12 lbs
Ballast
Cape 30 Hood ★
3 lbs
Buccaneer 305
3 lbs
Coaster 30 Pearson
3 lbs
Comet 30
2 lbs
Moody 30
2 lbs
Rawson 30
5 lbs
Sail Area
Cape 30 Hood ★
409 sq ft
Buccaneer 305
543 sq ft
Coaster 30 Pearson
—
Comet 30
371 sq ft
Moody 30
399 sq ft
Rawson 30
424 sq ft
Performance
PHRF Rating (lower = faster)
Cape 30 Hood ★
—
Buccaneer 305
210 s/nm
Coaster 30 Pearson
—
Comet 30
183 s/nm
Moody 30
189 s/nm
Rawson 30
275 s/nm
SA / Displacement (higher = more powerful)
Cape 30 Hood ★
14.8
Buccaneer 305
18.8
Coaster 30 Pearson
—
Comet 30
16.0
Moody 30
15.9
Rawson 30
13.0
Ballast / Disp (higher = stiffer)
Cape 30 Hood ★
35.3 %
Buccaneer 305
35.0 %
Coaster 30 Pearson
36.8 %
Comet 30
36.9 %
Moody 30
36.4 %
Rawson 30
41.7 %
Comfort Ratio (higher = more comfortable offshore)
Cape 30 Hood ★
32.5
Buccaneer 305
25.7
Coaster 30 Pearson
—
Comet 30
21.4
Moody 30
21.2
Rawson 30
40.5
Capsize Screening (lower = safer)
Cape 30 Hood ★
1.75
Buccaneer 305
1.89
Coaster 30 Pearson
—
Comet 30
2.06
Moody 30
2.01
Rawson 30
1.58
Displacement / Length (lower = lighter)
Cape 30 Hood ★
508
Buccaneer 305
246
Coaster 30 Pearson
337
Comet 30
300
Moody 30
205
Rawson 30
503
Hull Speed
Cape 30 Hood ★
6.0 kts
Buccaneer 305
6.9 kts
Coaster 30 Pearson
—
Comet 30
6.3 kts
Moody 30
6.8 kts
Rawson 30
6.3 kts
Speed Number (higher = faster)
Cape 30 Hood ★
0.6
Buccaneer 305
2.1
Coaster 30 Pearson
—
Comet 30
1.7
Moody 30
2.5
Rawson 30
0.6
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