[CarbonSink62]

Thanks for all the feedback; it's too early in the process to be looking at individual listings. I'm hoping to use this thread to narrow the field from 'any 30 foot boat that I can afford' to a short list of maybe 6-8 designs that I'm likely to be able to find and afford.

My last three boats have been Catalinas and when the time to upgrade came I really thought it would be a choice between the C27 & the C30. Now that my wife is involved and really wants to be part of it, I'm thinking more of her comfort and safety; that leads me to consider more seaworthy boats. Also now that it is 'our' project, I can spend a little more.

The Pacific Seacraft and Island Packet designs fit the bill, but are much too expensive.

The Hunters, Catalinas and Beneteaus are affordable, but I want a boat just a little more rugged than those.

My list so far:

Bristol 29.9 (no design has yet knocked this off the top of the heap)
Sabre 30 MkIII (might be too pricey)
Pearson 30/303/31 (are these all the same boat?)

Those designs were chosen in part because they are all built local to me (Northeast USA) so I should be able to find one (or more) easily when I am actually in the market.

Ken