cal 2 29 sailboat review

CAL 2-29 Detailed Review

If you are a boat enthusiast looking to get more information on specs, built, make, etc. of different boats, then here is a complete review of CAL 2-29. Built by Jensen Marine/Cal Boats and designed by C. William Lapworth, the boat was first built in 1974. It has a hull type of Fin w/spade rudder and LOA is 8.84. Its sail area/displacement ratio 16.93. Its auxiliary power tank, manufactured by Farymann, runs on Diesel.

CAL 2-29 has retained its value as a result of superior building, a solid reputation, and a devoted owner base. Read on to find out more about CAL 2-29 and decide if it is a fit for your boating needs.

Boat Information

Boat specifications, sail boat calculation, rig and sail specs, auxillary power tank, accomodations, contributions, who designed the cal 2-29.

CAL 2-29 was designed by C. William Lapworth.

Who builds CAL 2-29?

CAL 2-29 is built by Jensen Marine/Cal Boats.

When was CAL 2-29 first built?

CAL 2-29 was first built in 1974.

How long is CAL 2-29?

CAL 2-29 is 7.32 m in length.

What is mast height on CAL 2-29?

CAL 2-29 has a mast height of 9.65 m.

Member Boats at HarborMoor

Review of Cal 2-29

Basic specs..

The hull is made of fibreglass. Generally, a hull made of fibreglass requires only a minimum of maintenance during the sailing season. And outside the sailing season, just bottom cleaning and perhaps anti-fouling painting once a year - a few hours of work, that's all.

The Cal 2-29 is equipped with a fin keel. A boat with a fin keel is more manoeuvrable but has less directional stability than a similar boat with a full keel.

The keel is made of lead. Compared with iron, lead has the advantage of being 44% heavier, which allows a smaller keel and hence less water resistance and higher speed.

The boat can enter even shallow marinas as the draft is just about 1.37 - 1.47 meter (4.49 - 4.79 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.

The boat is typically equipped with an inboard engine

Sailing characteristics

This section covers widely used rules of thumb to describe the sailing characteristics. Please note that even though the calculations are correct, the interpretation of the results might not be valid for extreme boats.

What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?

The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 6.6 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.

The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level. The immersion rate for Cal 2-29 is about 138 kg/cm, alternatively 777 lbs/inch. Meaning: if you load 138 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 777 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.

Sailing statistics

This section is statistical comparison with similar boats of the same category. The basis of the following statistical computations is our unique database with more than 26,000 different boat types and 350,000 data points.

What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?

What is a Ballast Ratio?

Maintenance

When buying anti-fouling bottom paint, it's nice to know how much to buy. The surface of the wet bottom is about 23m 2 (247 ft 2 ). Based on this, your favourite maritime shop can tell you the quantity you need.

Are your sails worn out? You might find your next sail here: Sails for Sale

If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.

This section is reserved boat owner's modifications, improvements, etc. Here you might find (or contribute with) inspiration for your boat.

Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what you have done.

We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for Cal 2-29 it would be a great help.

If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us . Criticism helps us to improve.

Richard J Anderson

A Sailor Dad With a Systems Engineering, Architecture, and Consulting Problem

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The Cal 2-29 is a Bill Lapworth design and is a cruiser/racer class sloop.

• LWL – 24 ft
• Beam – 9.25 ft
• Draft – 4.5 ft (fin keel)
• Displacement – 8000 lbs
• Ballast (lead keel) – 3350lbs
• Sail Area – 434 sq ft
• Theoretical Hull Speed – 6.6 knots (we’ve clocked 9kts with GPS and knotmeter)
• Sail Area to Displacement Ratio – 17.36 (pretty good ratio for performance)
• Displacement to LWL – 258 (cruiser/racer)
• Farymann A30M Diesel Inboard w/Nanni 2:1 Reduction transmission (12HP 1-Cyl)
• Cal 29 Owners Guide (’75 and ’77)
• Cal 2-29 Standard Equipment List
• Cal 2-29 Mast Spec’s (’77 2-29)
• Cal 2-29 Dimensions and Weights
• Cal 2-29 Prop Strut
• Cal 29 Farymann A30 Prop Shaft
• Cal 29 Rigging Dimensions
• Cal 29 Color Brochure
• Cal 29 (Infamous) Beam Drawing
• Cal 29 Stainless Beam Photo
• Mariposa Sailing (External Website)
• Renewal Time and Me (External Website)

Cal 2-29 Line Drawing

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32 comments on “ Cal 29 ”

November 2, 2016 at 10:37 am

Hi Richard, My name is Ken and I believe I contacted you maybe 7 months ago with questions about my Cal29. I now have a new problem. About 2 months ago, I grounded it on some rocks. After getting pulled off, I looked for any damage and found under the step/access panel to the battery/ engine compartment, some separation of the sides to the front panel, also, a little more water than normal coming in. Upon pulling the boat out for winter storage, the only visible damage was two dings in the keel about the diameter of a softball. There were no visible cracks.The invisible problem, the keel is now loose to where it will swing sideways. Not to where it looks like it will fall off, only maybe an 2 inches in either direction. After posting this issue on the Cruisers and Sailors forum, one of the responders stated that to his knowledge, the keel is built right into the hull and the 3400 lb lead ballast is dropped into the keel and filled over with whatever material they used. Being involved in the construction industry, the various ways that I figured out to repair this issue, such as stripping all the glass off the ballast and then trying to re-glass it to the hull, all appear to be expensive to the point where the insurance company would consider it totalled considering the age and agreed value. I would love to avoid this for various and obvious reasons to which I’m sure your aware of. With that said, I have come up with another solution I would like your opinion on, especially considering your architectural and engineering background. What if we drilled let’s say,eight or ten long holes down into the keel from the bilge and then filled them with metal rods. Does this sound like a feasible, effective repair for this situation? What diameter and length should the rods be? What type of metal? Any other suggestions would be much appreciated. This is a great boat that we have we paid $3500.00 for and have invested another 5 or 6K in upgrades. I would hate to loose her. Thanks for any input.

[email protected]

November 7, 2016 at 8:57 am

Wow, Sorry to hear about this.. First, I must provide a disclaimer that I am in no way qualified to recommend structural repairs to a boat. You should probably consult a naval architect or reliable boat yard..

However, I will comment on a couple things from my own experience with our Cal 2-29..

1.) On our boat, the bilge area under the batteries and engine is completely isolated from the rest of the bilge. There is no way for water to drain out, so ANY water that gets in there is stuck there. Ours had a big manual bilge pump mounted in front of the batteries that we periodically used to empty that section when there was water. To my knowledge the only sources of water in that area are: a.) The prop shaft packing b.) The raw water lines and pump for the motor

So my suggestion there is to pump out that area and see if more water is coming in, and try to identify the source. I believe the reason for the isolation is in the event of oil or fuel leaks, the oil/fuel won’t drain down to the lower bilge and get pumped out to sea.

2.) Regarding the keel. Ours had a little wobble, maybe an inch or two, the entire time we owned it. IT was never an issue. The hull fiberglass form includes the keel area and the lead is encapsulated inside. The structural reinforcement for the keel seems to be primarily the stringers across the bilge and the fiberglass itself. There are several cases of people running into issues with the keel wobble becoming excessive and having to repair it. Our naval architect contact suggested that we could build/reinforce the stringers under the floor, possibly with some carbon fiber, if it became a problem.

I don’t believe there is any need to internally reinforce the lead itself. If I recall correctly, some owners stripped the bottom paint off and found cracks around the keel to hull joint area, so they reinforced with fiberglass, faired, and repainted. If you have separation of stringers inside the boat, you may need to tighten that all up and reinforce the joints with glass or carbon.

I don’t see any reason to strip all of the glass off the keel, and in fact I would think that would cause structural impairment beyond what you might have currently.

All that said, you may not actually have any structural issues, the keel movement may be normal for the age, so work through the easy stuff first (stuffing box and engine raw water system to identify any sources of water), and possibly strip away some of the bottom paint around the area that the keel meets the hull and check for cracking and flexing there.

Also, I believe the Cal_List on Yahoo Groups has several members that have dealt with this themselves.

bill palmer

April 16, 2019 at 2:49 pm

I saw the note about keel wobble. My Cal 29 suffers the same malady. I am the third owner and have had the boat since the 1980s. It has been checked by a glass/structural repair shop. They did not seem overly concerned, though I am becoming uncomfortable with it as it makes the deck unstable to stand on and it seems to be worsening.

However, your discussion is about a 2-29, which apparently has some manufactured structural framing under the floor that adds strength to the keel-to-hull area, is of interest. I believe all the 29s were manufactured as a one piece hull layup in the mold. Ballast was then placed inside the keel and glassed over. There is no joint between the keel and hull. My 29 (hull 133) has no framing at all other than the bulkhead and inside liner located over the front and rear of the keel. Could you confirm that the 2-29 has some cross-hull framing under the cabin sole, aft of the mast step and forward of the companion way step? If so, I might pursue the glass shop installing some similar structure. I know it would be expensive, but the current situation is more than annoying.

John Stricklett

January 13, 2017 at 1:53 pm

Hello Richard, I recently purchased a 1978 Cal 2-29 and I found the standard equipment list on your site very helpful. I have a 1978 with the dining table that swings up and bolts to the main bulkhead and two settees. Is that the version of the 2-29 that you have? I also have the Atomic 4. – John

January 14, 2017 at 1:07 pm

Do you have a starboard side inline galley and two quarter berths? Or an L galley and one quarterberth? If you have the L galley, and a single quarterberth only, along with a swing up dining table, I believe that means you have a 3-29, which a handful were made near end of production.

I am not aware of any swing up tables on 2-29’s, though I could just not be remembering correctly.

Our 2-29 had a table on a post, and we had a short post to swap in for converting to a dinette. We had the Farymann A30M in ours, single cylinder 12HP diesel. Very simple but worked well.

January 16, 2017 at 10:31 am

Richard, I must actually have the Cal 3-29. It is the L-Galley with one quarter birth. It is Hull # 1005. Probably one of the last ones made. It has the Atomic 4 – which must have been an option instead of the Diesel. The L-Galley opens up the interior and was probably done to counter competitors, who were opting for this design. It does complicate access to the engine. The boat needs some upgrading, but the overall fit and finish is very good. The boat had a FAMET furler, which is still functional, but I may go with something of newer design. I think your site is very helpful, especially if you end up with a boat with little background information from the owner. – John

Steve Kibble

July 7, 2017 at 11:08 am

I’m looking at buying a 29 with wheel steering, that I would like to convert to tiller. Do you have any info about this type of job, or can you point to any online resources? Thanks in advance.

Darrell Street

January 23, 2018 at 5:02 pm

The rudder stock port for a tiller vessel, is a heavy tube of GRP between the the hull up to the cockpit sole where the tiller cap is mounted to the top of the rudder stock which is schedule 40 SS pipe). This GRP rudder tube must have a segment chopped out for the installation of the wheel steering quadrant and a stuffing box bonded in to seal out seawater. I assume the cut out and the stuffing box are not included on a tiller boat, but not sure. The rudder’s stock is likely cut down a bit to make it flush to the cockpit sole for the wheel steering installation (since it is only accessed for an emergency tiller use), so you would want a rudder with a full length stock and the trunnion fitting for the top to take the tiller. As you would probably not want to modify the rudder port, you would want to add some sort of seal mechanism where the rudder tube emerges through the sole to keep deck water out of the boat.

May 17, 2018 at 6:57 pm

Some useful info, here. Thanks! FYI, these links no longer work: Mariposa Sailing (External Website) Renewal Time and Me (External Website)

May 17, 2018 at 6:58 pm

PS. I believe the standard prop shaft diameter for a Cal 29 was one inch, yes?

September 7, 2018 at 10:59 am

Hello all, I am a sailor, and I am reaching out for a dear friend. He recently bought a Cal 2-29 without spreaders. We are looking for specs so he can have them built. Bit of a daunting task, lol.

He has a 1974 Cal 229 with HIn CAB 29573 0474 573

If any of you have or know of a 1974 CAL 229 he would like to get dimensions of the spreaders and particularly if boat is in the pacific northwest. He would happily come out and do measurements. Best would be a boat with HIN starting with CAB. i suspect a CAL 29 would do as well!

GTW Richard I appreciate your spec page and have printed out a couple for my friend!!

Many thanks and I hope to hear from you!!! Any advice much appreciated!!!

September 14, 2018 at 4:23 pm

Have you tried “sailboat wrecking yard” In Lynden Wa? I believe he has a cal 29 on there lot.

April 16, 2019 at 2:03 pm

Did you receive dimensions for the spreaders? I have a pair I took off of mine and can measure if you like. Its the original 29, but I expect the dimensions are the same, at least in terms of length. I patterned and made new ones from the old ones using Sitka Spruce. They have been on the boat for at least 5 years, no problems.

April 16, 2019 at 2:32 pm

I don’t have dimensions for the spreaders, if you could send along that would be great and I’ll get the details online for others.

Bill palmer

October 18, 2019 at 7:17 am

Sorry, just noticed your mail. Dimensions for spreaders: 38 3/4 x 4 1/4 x7/8” Aluminum plates bolted to spreader reinforce wood at mast end and attach to mast with SS pins secured with cutter pins. Outer end has brass strap around end of spreader for shroud to fit into, this secured by small SS wire.

October 27, 2020 at 8:52 pm

Did you get those spreaders made? I could use a pair too and I’m in the PNW.

Carl Brooke

November 14, 2018 at 2:20 pm

Hello John. I just snapped the rubber coupler on the drive line where the prop shaft connects to the back of the engine. Do you know a source for replacements? 1974 Cal 2-29 Faryman A 30.

November 14, 2018 at 4:34 pm

The supplier (PRP-Inc) that used to have the flex coupler (Part#159-0075) seems to be out of business. Their website is gone now. Other than them, the only other option I know of is to find one from an old motor, which may be hard to do. You could have something similar custom made, or possibly get a newer style and modify the mount to make the newer poly disc fit in there.

November 15, 2018 at 7:04 am

I cant find the part anywhere. Do you think it would be ok to just eliminate it and bolt direct to the shaft without it. Cant seem to find any manufacturers who make something equivelent.

Frank Mitchell

October 17, 2019 at 5:51 pm

I have one that I’m not using because I repowered my Cal 2-29. It was a replacement about 18 years ago but was only used for about a year or two.

April 16, 2019 at 8:59 pm

The rubber flexible couplings used for the Farymann model A30M are unusually long (about 4″ ) and if deleted, the prop will probably locate ahead of the P-bracket. There is mention in the Farymann repair manual (pg. 73) that if the shaft has a flexible stuffing box, a flexible coupling should not be used. A basic engine installation theory states that only two of three items should be flexible. These include the engine mounting, the shaft stuffing box and the prop shaft coupling. Since most all recent installations include flexible mounting for the engine, this requires a flexible stuffing box so by this rule the shaft coupling should be a solid one. When I converted to a Yanmar 2GM20F engine/transmission replacing the Farymann (an interesting story on its own), I decided to go with a solid shaft coupling. This has worked well for us with a very flexibly mounted engine. It saves money and space too. Having a flexible coupling there to act as a safety fuse to limit torque should the prop get wrapped is another matter. Protection for the transmission is a selling point but I am more concerned for the shaft or P-bracket getting bent. If the flex coupling is the ‘expendable’ type, then a spare should be carried or space available for the shaft to slide forward when it is removed. The Farymann flex coupling tears in two unlike some modern flex couplings (PYI, etc.). Perhaps an email to the present Nanni company through the USA engine importer could find answers or maybe a source of couplings. I know that the dimensions of this Nanni coupling is quite unlike those of more common engines which flex couplings are made for. I wonder if it might match with a modern Nanni engine.

April 18, 2019 at 11:16 am

Just to finish up an this tricky coupling problem, PYI is a dealer for R&D Marine who makes more typical flexible couplings (but not apparently for the Nanni/Farymann coupling). Since going to a solid coupling is suggested above by me, it would require, in most cases, a longer propeller shaft or an adapter made to fill in the space of the original coupler. This could be made of strong aluminum (if kept as a full cylinder) by a good machine shop. If a longer shaft is planned then you might use a split shaft coupling by R&D as they probably can custom machine the coupling face to the Nanni specs. To read up more on this broken rubber coupling dilemma (from 2008), see http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f114/replacement-flex-coupling-14047-2.html It may still be feasible to buy these from Germany. Note that there are both 3 bolt and 4 bolt versions.

Luis Adrian Gonzalez

October 23, 2019 at 1:03 pm

Hello, Richard. My buddy and I have a 1969 Cal 29, currently on the hard in Gloucester Va. We’re preparing it for passage down to Costa Rica, where we currently reside. We just discovered an important leak in the potable water holding tank. As far as we can tell so far, the only way to get to the tank so we can repair it calls for removal of the fore bulkhead..all the way down to the hull. So I’d like to ask you, and / or any other sailor here, before we go tearing into it…is there any other way to access and repair the tank? I thank you in advance for your kind reply , insight and advice.

Philip Spuler

March 25, 2020 at 8:18 pm

Luis, Just saw this post. Did you fix your tank? I also have a 1969 Cal 29 #110. I have been putting off maintenance on my water tank but will probably be getting to it this season. My plan was to start hacking up the V berth sole till I could get to it then patch it back together. I’m would be interested in hearing your approach.

April 22, 2020 at 10:38 am

I removed my water tank by opening up the berth. Trickery but will come out and back in. (Had a leak in weld) Norway’s Ark, Hull #3

February 1, 2021 at 10:01 am

Hello everyone. I have a 1970 Cal 29 and I am trying to restore the windows. Any Ideas as to where to get the rubber extrusion that is on the inside part of the frames. All the window repair companies here in Cleveland are clueless.

March 27, 2022 at 4:40 pm

Ken, I salvaged as much of that as I could when I removed the old lights. It was all stiff and worthless BUT I cut a few small pieces that seemed to still resemble rubber and used them as spacers to position the new acrylic in the frame. Taped everything off and sealed it with a good calk the acrylic shop recommended. No leaks yet. Good luck getting them out next time though 😬. I’d rather fight that than leaks, so we are happy.

March 19, 2022 at 4:53 pm

Anyone know what the bore diameter on the prop strut is for a 1976 cal 2-29? It’s not on the drawing linked above

March 20, 2022 at 8:02 am

Also the stern tube od?

March 20, 2022 at 4:25 pm

My 1973 model the strut uses a cutlass bearing with 1.25″ OD. I run with a 1″ stainless shaft for a yanmar 2GM20F.

August 3, 2022 at 9:50 am

Hi I’m looking for engine parts for my ‘76 cal 2-29, specifically a head gasket. It’s got the ‘74 A30 Farymann diesel. I’m not having much luck finding parts

August 3, 2022 at 10:41 am

Have you tried these guys? http://www.farymann.com/service.php

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• Sailboat Reviews

Bill Lapworth's mid-'70s racer/cruiser is still active today, and a bargain to boot.

Jack Jensen formed one of the country’s most successful fiberglass boatbuilding companies in 1959—Jensen Marine—when it introduced the Lapworth 24 centerboarder. Not long after, the name was changed to Cal. Based in Costa Mesa, California, the model name stood for the state of its origin. The Cal 24 got the company going, no doubt helped by the much publicized circumnavigation of teenager Robin Lee Graham, documented in book and film by the name of Dove.

The famous ocean racer, the Cal 40, with its divided keel and rudder, came along about 1965. Our story begins in 1970, with the introduction of the Cal 29, another of the company’s many successful designs. Looking for something similar but a bit smaller, the company asked designer Bill Lapworth for a 27- footer, which at first was the Cal 27, a fin keel, spade rudder design with a convertible pop top; another incarnation of this basic hull was the T/2. But the concept of the 29 found its full expression in the Cal 2-27, which began production in 1975 and continued to 1977, after which it was again modified and called simply the Cal 27…again. Production of it ceased in 1986. In the mid-’70s Jensen Marine was bought by Bangor Punta and moved east to Fall River, Massachusetts. O’Day was part of the company business, too, run by Jim Hunt, son of yacht designer C. Raymond Hunt. By the end of the 1980s operations ceased, due to the severe downturn in boat sales, the same tailspin that caught Pearson and many others.

Design & Construction The Cal 2-27 (and the 1980s Cal 27) is somewhat different than the first Cal 27 and T/2. Where the earlier design had a relatively flat underbody, the 2- 27 shows a somewhat beamier and fuller hull, with a displacement/length ratio of 278, compared to 218 for the initial design. The 2-27’s displacement of 6,700 lbs. was up from 5,400 Lbs., beam was 3″ greater, and the waterline 3″ less. Where the T/2 had a funny fixed cabin to provide headroom (a problem with the pop-top 27), the 2-27 gave 6′ 2″ headroom throughout. So she was conceived to appeal more to family sailing than racing. Like the 27, the 2-27 also incorporated a small skeg to provide a bearing for the rudder, a feature of many Lapworth designs of that period.

The hull is solid fiberglass and ballast is internal lead, dropped into an “envelope keel.” The deck was cored with plywood sections set in a mish-mash of resin and glass, held down by sandbags until cured. Fred Cook, vice-president of Schaefer Marine, who worked for Cal during those years, jokingly said they called it “early vacuum bagging.”

The hull-to-deck joint was sealed with putty and glassed over on the inside. The interior incorporates a half pan which would include the cabin sole and hull stiffeners; above that the berths and other furniture were wood. Unusual in a production boat, the bulkheads were bonded to the hull and deck (this means a soft liner to cover the overhead, instead of a fiberglass molding). These are real pluses.

Most owners rate construction as excellent, employing the term “overbuilt.” One owner said, “The Cal 2-27 has been well-designed and constructed and rigged with good quality materials.” Cook said he knows of one 27 that cruised the South Pacific. “They’re bombproof,” he said.

There are some complaints, however, one of the more common being inadequate backing plates for stanchions and deck hardware. A number of owners said they fabricated their own to correct this weakness. Other criticisms include gelcoat crazing (which is common to most older boats), difficulty in sealing chainplates at the deck, need for ground tackle system (e.g., bow roller, chocks, anchor well, etc.), hulldeck joint leaks, gate valves on through-hulls, lightweight companionway drop boards, loose rudder post, and opening ports in head that hold water. There always are a few detractors of any design, it seems, and we did receive a response from one owner who said the boat “is not well built (leaks, poor hatches, siphoning effect through head, poor adjuststanchions).

I installed backing plates, new hatches, electronics, traveler, etc.” After which he concluded it is a good family boat, suitable for day racing “if upgraded.”

The interior is roomy, with a V-berth forward, settees amidships, and the galley aft, under the companionway and bridge deck (nice feature).

The only wrinkle is that the head is part of the forward cabin, so there are some complaints about lack of privacy. “There is an upside,” wrote one owner. “The forward cabin is truly a mini-stateroom, much less claustrophobic than other boats of similar size.” On the later model 27s, a folding door was added to separate the head from the V-berth. The same owner also mentioned that with the galley athwartship, companionway traffic crosses over it. Storage space is a bit limited, and though the counter is long and provides some good uncluttered space for working, some aspects of it are awkward, such as the ice box, which requires putting a knee on the port settee and sticking your head under the overhead to look inside.

The berths are all of good length at 6′ 4″. (In the late-model 27s, the galley was given an L-shape, taking space from the starboard settee, so that the foot of the berth was shoved into the hanging locker; it’s doubtful a tall person would be comfortable on it.) Pilot berths were offered as options, so that the boat could sleep six persons.

Performance Owner comments about sailing performance range from criticism to jubilation. The owner of a 1976 model says the boat is probably 1,000 lbs. overweight and slow. Others said it is the “fastest moderate displacement 27-footer I know of,” and it is an “extremely fast boat rarely beaten, then only by some pure racers.” The majority of survey respondents, however, rate the boat’s speed upwind and downwind as average to above average. Most owners seem to agree that the 2-27 is quite stable, heeling to 20 degrees and settling in. Regarding balance, again responses vary widely; a few say it is skittish, needing “a high degree of sail adjustment to balance.” But most say it handles nicely until higher wind speeds are experienced, when weather helm can become a problem. One owner said, “Weather helm can be minimized by proper rigging and sail trim adjustments.” On the whole, owners seem to feel the boat behaves well, even in the blustery conditions of the San Francisco Bay area. “A good sailing boat,” seems to sum it up.

The Atomic 4 gasoline engine was installed in many boats, with a single-cylinder 12-hp Farymann diesel as an option that few chose. Some boats were fitted with outboards instead. We have also heard from owners with Volvo MB10A and 11-hp. Universal diesels. A number of owners said accessibility was less than ideal. And not many Farymann diesel owners had much good to say about it—“Electrolysis just ate it up and it was difficult to get parts.” Diesel owners also said they felt their boats were underpowered. The owner of an outboard model said, “Inboard engine is a must; do not recommend outboard.” And there were the usual complaints about control when backing.

Conclusion Despite what may appear to be a litany of gripes from owners of the Cal 2-27, they appear, by and large, to be a happy lot. None reported major problems with the boat, rather small stuff that can be corrected. Overall integrity of the hull and deck structures seems to be above average.

As the years went by, the interior was upgraded with more teak veneers, opening ports and better equipment.

Owners feel the boat stands up well to windy conditions, stating they feel safe in the boat because she is stable, does not heel excessively, and remains under control when the usual precautions have been taken (i.e., shortening sail).

The more serious considerations for a potential buyer will be general condition, and in that regard a number of respondents said they’d never seen a really ratty Cal 2-27, adding that the owner group has a sense of pride and camaraderie. Indeed, in California there are a number of very active fleets that turn out in double figures for scheduled racing events.

For cruising, the boat seems best suited to two persons-a number of owners said so. The cockpit, which seems to be of sufficient size, again is most comfortable with just two to three persons, especially when tiller steered. But for weekend and short cruises, the boat is more than adequate.

Price of the Cal 2-27, when new in 1975, was $11,950 base, but this did not include sails and many other essential accessories. Today that boat sells for about $14,000 to $15,000.

The “Price History” chart, using data from the BUC Research Used Boat Price Guide, shows a large increase in prices in 1986; remember that during the late 1970s and into the mid-1980s, new boat prices accelerated, drawing used boat prices along, so that one could occasionally make money on an older boat. But the market collapsed in the late 1980s, accounting for the dramatic decrease in 1988 values. As we have discussed before, during this period BUC generally depreciated values until, in the early 1990s, brokers protested that because the used boat market was to a large extent cleared of mediocre boats, those that remained were actually commanding somewhat higher prices than a few years before. BUC responded by saying it had adjusted values for some boats slightly upward based on spot identification of those particular boats.

In fact, it seems to us that BUC has increased values across the board in 1993 and 1994, which is reflected in the slight upturn in prices for last year. We’re not convinced this is justified. When we checked other publications for asking prices, we found surprisingly few 2-27s and 27s listed.

Those mid-70s models we did find ranged from a low of $9,000 to $15,900. So while we think the BUC prices for these boats are pretty much on target, we do think you can find some boats for less. We doubt BUC would disagree.

RELATED ARTICLES MORE FROM AUTHOR

CROWN 28 is a Lapworth built & designed boat, that is based off the CAL-2-27 molds. Lapworth is Canadian and took the CAL design and improved upon it in CANADA, then unleashed the CROWN 28 in 1975 or so. The CROWN 28 is an undervalued boat when you consider the improvements on the CAL 2-27, it is built from and how the CAL 2-27 with worse capsize ratings and worse speed ratings, well, the CROWN 28 is the upgraded CAL 2-27, but people don;t know or realize!!!

Look in CANADA and find a CROWN 28, it’s the improved CAL 2-27 from the early to mid 70’s!!!!

Iam still looking for information on the Cal 2-30 Made by Jensen. Did find a sales brochure but nothing like a review or one for sale.I found one I can buy but would like to know more about it.

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Cal 29 is a 29 ′ 0 ″ / 8.8 m monohull sailboat designed by C. William Lapworth and built by Jensen Marine/Cal Boats, Calgan Marine Ltd., and Bangor Punta Corp. between 1968 and 1974.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

The CAL 29 was one of this builders most popular models. The CAL 2-29, introduced somewhat later, was the same boat but with a number of extra features that came as standard equipment. (see CAL 2-29 for more details.) It appears that, for a time, both versions were being built simultaneously. Including both versions, more than 1000 were built. Special thanks to CAL 2-29 owner David Burnham for providing the information that finally solved this mystery.

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New Cal 29 Owner!

• Thread starter Sambo420
• Start date Jun 23, 2016
• Forums for All Owners
• Ask All Sailors

SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John

Welcome. Congrats on your boat. Great dock lines. There is a lot going on with you boat picture. Share your observations of the boat. Did you get a survey? Any issues stand out? In what year was she made? Cal used wood spreaders on some of there boats. This can become an issue.  

Needs new shrouds as I mentioned, spreaders may just need to be refinished. Could use new paint everywhere but as far as getting sail ready it should be soon! Got the hull cleaned yesterday and boy does she cruise pretty quick now (tons of growth as the previous owners did not take good care at all..)  

Cleaning the bottom is always a rewarding experience. I restored my 1974 mast this January. When I took the mast down the wood spreaders were rotten. Collapsed like a squeezed sponge. Good luck on the rigging. Smart to do it and know your starting with a sound system.  

Cal's are great boats. My first boat... So well balanced. Bill lapworth knew how to make a boat  

Good luck!  

whitecap26w

you can order new shrouds from a co like rig right on line. I would get the same size that is on there, you are going to have to take the mast down to install new stays. About paint, depends You can get a new algrip job top of the line but expensive. or you could go for a roll and tip job and do it yourself you didnt tell us anything about the engine ? good luck  

Cal 29's are GREAT boats - excellent sailing, especially in heavy weather (although be prepared for lots of heel!). The one Big Thing to watch out for is the infamous "beam": There's a (NON STAINLESS) steel beam in the hull which is basically the mast step (it distributes the load over the hull). They rust and must be replaced with a SS one. Google it: I'm sure you'll get lots of stories! But apart from the beam, they ARE indestructible, fully capable of going to Hawaii if you like. Does she have any sails at all? Raise them - I'll be you'll be surprised how well she sails even with old, bagged-out sails. And get a chute (spinnaker) for her! druid  

Druid nailed it..... Cal's Rock.  

Have a look at this site for blue water sailing a CAL 29 and a good cruising guide for our south west coast. http://www.user.dccnet.com/rdarcy/calvoyage.html  

Roadking Larry

Another echo on Cal's being great boats. Sailboatdata.com says it came with the Atomic 4 for power. If yours still has the A4 then you need to take a visit to http://www.moyermarine.com/ When I bout my Cal 2-27 I made new spreaders out of White oak, the originals as I understand it were made out of Spruce but you can find replacements made out of aluminum. Congrats on the "new" boat.  

Thanks for all the replies and info! She is definitely getting there. About the inboard, it is indeed an Atomic 4 (30 hp). Starts to turn but doesn't turn over. Will be serviced soon, that'd be a lot of power! I have lightly sailed my dirty (but working) jib and I have 2 mains in decent shape. Had to exchange the included spinnaker and tall boy for the jib..  

A properly maintained A4 is a fine power plant. The forums on Moyer's website are a wealth of information on the beast. Good luck getting it in running order.  

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Cal 29 Beam of death

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Just read a post on beam of death. Have an offer in on a Cal29 and am wondering if it is a problem with all cal 29s and if so how would you check for the problem. I would prefer not to pay for a survey if i could check myself. any help in this reguards would be gratefully received Thanks fossil2010  

I'm assuming you were reading this post; http://www.sailnet.com/forums/cal/58317-cal-29-beam-rot.html I looked at a Cal 29 and there was a spot (can't recall exactly) either in the shower sump or a sole hatch where you could find a stream of rust that signified the rusty beam problem. I found the rust and bought a different boat. There is a guy who is, or was, making up stainless beam replacements in the PNW. The above thread has a link to a guy who fixes the beam. It's too bad Cal dropped the ball on this one, the 29 is a great boat otherwise, might be worth the hassle if you can whittle the price down to correspond to the work required. Good luck either way, goat  

It seems that given the material they used it is not if, but when they go bad. As long as you know it ahead of time it does not have to be a deal killer. Kind of like buying a Honda Odyssey with a V6, you know you will be replacing the transmission at some point or a Subaru head gasket. Sure it is a big pain in the neck but if the boat meets your needs otherwise and if you can do it yourself then go ahead. Now if you are not a DIY it might not be a good idea, but all boats have there issues and this is just one of them and likely not the most expensive.  

"Beam of Destiny" sounds much sexier: Beam of Destiny & Jockstraps  

Thank you very much for your responses. What a great community this is. Ihave contacted the owner and found out that he forgot to mention the beam has been replaced with a stainless steel one. My god what a relief, I really like the boat and would hate to have lost it over this problem. Thank you all for your help  

Here's a great cal 29 link Wilkie's Sailboat Page  

I've owned a Cal 2-29 for eight years, and sailed in 30kt - 4ft chop conditions with no cracking, leaks, etc. I did replace the beam with stainless, though, because I plan on coastal cruising along the Oregon-Washington coast. I wanted to save as much of the pan as possible, so I used a different approach: I cut a hole in the forward side of the mast step/pan, inserted the pieces of a stainless steel assembly, and bolted them together. Details at "savingshearwater.blogspot.com"  

My apologies. Pix on "savingshearwater.wordpress.com"...  

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