US Yachts 303

seajunkie · #1 (**permalink**) 02-05-2011

Anyone sail a US Yachts 303? There isn't much information available on the web. The one Im looking at has a 25 hp diesel and looks to be built well enough for coastal cruising and overnighting. The layout is nice, the cockpit is a little small.

I'm wondering how it sails in different conditions or if anyone has any experience with them.

Here is a link to the boat: http://diysailor.com/attachments/005...es%20flier.pdf

Faster · #2 (**permalink**) 02-05-2011

These boats are based on the Doug Peterson designed Chaser 29 - US purchased the molds and modified the deck/interior into more of a cruiser.

Typical IOR influenced design of the era, good upwind, requires a range to headsails due to small high aspect main for good performance in a variety of conditions. This is probably not a boat you'd want to put a 150 genny on a furler and try to get by with that.

It's going to be a bit skittish downwind in a breeze with a spinnaker, but with careful sail selection it may be an OK coastal cruiser. There were some issues with construction.. IIRC bulkheads were not tabbed in place, etc, but for fair weather summer sailing it might be fine.

One of US/Buccaneer/Bayliner yachts' better designs (within its inherent limitations) but as you've noted with limited cockpit space due to it's pinched ends.

seajunkie · #3 (**permalink**) 02-06-2011

Faster, Your reference to IOR boats and pinched ends made me realize that I sent a link to the wrong 30'. Here is a link to the 303:

BUCCANEER 305 Sailboat details on sailboatdata.com

If anything the aft of this boat is disproportionately wide. The boat felt pretty solid and although it lacked baking plates, the hardware was substantial.

Faster · #4 (**permalink**) 02-06-2011

Ahhh... a completely different boat indeed.

This one is a Bill Garden design, shoal draft/longish keel that will not be a stellar performer. However there are plenty of these around our waters that seem to be getting the job done.

These boats have cored hulls and I know of one that had a bad case of saturation in the hull core. The boat has been 'repaired' and is back in the water but I'm not sure just how well the job was done, or how certain one could be that it was all done.

Frankly these boats do not have a stellar reputation and I think you could do better. The layout is very similar to the Catalina 30, for example, which would be a better boat all around.