j130 sailboat reviews

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• Sailboat Guide

J/130 is a 42 ′ 8 ″ / 13 m monohull sailboat designed by Rod Johnstone and built by J Boats between 1994 and 2002.

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)

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Sailboat specifications

• Last update: 10th April 2020

J/130's main features

J/130's main dimensions, j/130's rig and sails, j/130's performances, j/130's auxiliary engine, j/130's accommodations and layout.

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J 130 manufacturer: j/boats designed by: johnstone.

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J/130 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 J/130. Built by J Boats and designed by Rod Johnstone, the boat was first built in 1994. It has a hull type of Fin w/bulb & spade rudder and LOA is 13.01. Its sail area/displacement ratio 25.21. Its auxiliary power tank, manufactured by Yanmar, runs on Diesel.

J/130 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 J/130 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 j/130.

J/130 was designed by Rod Johnstone.

Who builds J/130?

J/130 is built by J Boats.

When was J/130 first built?

J/130 was first built in 1994.

How long is J/130?

J/130 is 11.64 m in length.

What is mast height on J/130?

J/130 has a mast height of 16 m.

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A blog about boats, books, voyages we've made, and yacht design. If you are a designer or builder and would like to have your boat reviewed, send drawings, photos and details to [email protected]

Friday, May 6, 2011

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J 30 good boat ? Jeff, please let me know

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I think I have made my mind about the "new" boat, and the lady seems to like it too. I am looking at a J 30. My budget is 25000 ( thats it, though, I need to get the boat in the water into Lake Carlisle near St Louis and get vc 7 done and so forth inside this budget). What shouldI look for? any problems known ? THANKS Thorsten  

J-30''s are complicated to categorize. They, like the earlier J-24, were real pioneers in the evolution of yacht design. In their day they were about as fast as a 30 footer could get. Compared to other 30 foot race boats of that era they required pretty small crews and were very easy to handle. Over the years there have been (and in some areas continues to be)a strong one design class. Because of their one design status, sail makers know how to cut fast sails for these boats and know how these boats should be tuned. The hardware, sails and deck gear on boats that are raced are often in near perfect condition. The fractional rig is really nice for shorthanding. That is all of the good stuff. On the other hand, this was a very early design of its type. They really require a lot of rail weight to keep this boat on its feet under a full sail plan. The deck layout and cockpit are quite exposed and uncomfortable. They offer a nice interior when compared to a modern race boat but it is pretty spartan by cruising boat standards. The earliest ones lack ventilation. Later ones added several opening ports and hatches. These were reasonably well constructed boats but they were pioneers in using balsa cored hulls and so delamination and core rot are distinct possibilities. I have heard of problems with mast steps and keel sumps but I am not clear on what those problems really were. Many of these boats are approaching 20-25 years in age and so have the usual older boat litany of things that might need work.Unless very well maintained and updated by a previous owner (which these boats often are), as with any boat this age, you might expect to need to address some combination of the following items: · Sails, chainplates, mast step and associated suporting structure, standing and running rigging that are beyond their useful lifespan, · an engine that is in need of rebuild or replacement, · worn out or out of date deck, galley, and head hardware, · worn out upholstery, · Out of date safety gear · electronics that are non operational, or in need of updating, · electrical and plumbing systems that need repairs, upgrades to modern standards or replacement. · Blister, fatigue, rudder, hull deck joint or deck coring problems · Keel bolt issues. · And perhaps a whole range of aesthetic issues. As to sailing these boats, while they were fast for their day, their day has passed and of course there are much faster race boats out there. I really don''t like the feel of the helm on these boats, and frankly as a J-30 owner once said to me, compared to later designs sailing a J-30 is about as thrilling as kissing your sister. Still they sail well. They offer good performance in a wide range of conditions. They are reasonably forgiving. I guess to summarize, they are not my idea of an offshore boat but are reasonably good coastal cruisers and racers, they were reasonably well built but many are now starting to show their age, and they are not state of the art race boats but they still are a raceable boat. Jeff  

J/30 seems to fit the bill in a number of areas. One-design fleets, as JeffH mentions, help them keep their value by maintaining a relatively steady market for used boats. You may be able to get away with a trailer behind a big car the yearly haulout (they''re a bit wide for regular road use, as my brother found out while having his boat moved from Texas to Washington state) . My brother had to repair some bulkhead/chainplate water-entry problems, but hasn''t reported any big-ticket items since. He routinely cruises & races with just his wife aboard, though more is merrier. Practical Sailor has a write-up on the J/30 in their Used Boat Buyers Guide that would be worth reading. You can buy the book, or download the article (and/or others) for a price from their website.  

Thank you for your kind words. I try to be helpful. In many ways a J-30 might actually be a good boat for what you are doing. The compartively small jibs are easier for a small crew to handle. J-30''s are easier to handle than many of the ''brute strength race boats'' that are out there and for casual racing you might get by with the two of you as long as you are willing to pick the right sail for the conditions meaning stepping down to a #2 or # 3 when things pick up. In many ways a Laser 28 would be a good boat in the light air conditions. I raced mine as a couples boat and it was great in that role. Laser 28''s are easy to tow being 4100 lbs vs the J-30''s 7500, and the Laser is a legal width as well. In a breeze the Laser takes a bit more skill and an understanding how to ''shift gears'' but the nice thing is that all of the tools are there to do so quickly on the fly. Another good choice might be an S2 9.1. These are well rounded boats with good sailing ability in a wide range of conditions. They generally require a stronger crew but if you aren''t racing with a spinacker they can be raced by a couple. Kirby 30''s make good bargain racers and offer a middle ground between the Laser 28 and the J-30. Regards, Jeff  

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• By Bill Lee And Sheila Mccurdy
• Updated: October 31, 2001

We motored away from the dock in Newport on a calm pretty morning. The GPS agreed with the speedometer — flat out we were doing a respectable 8.6 knots on this 40-footer powered by a 38-horsepower Yanmar driving a Martec two-blade folding propeller. Optimal cruising speed would be a little less.

Under Sail We headed for a light breeze and hoisted the long-battened mainsail on Harken slide cars with ease. The boat was responsive and maneuverable under main alone and came alive when we unfurled the jib. This J/120 was equipped with an optional carbon mast by Hall Spars. The reduced weight aloft made possible by a carbon spar increases the range of positive stability as well as performance overall. The mast is stepped through the deck for extra stiffness in the rig and better control of sail shape.

Off the wind, the boat sailed very well under the asymmetrical spinnaker. Once essential line attachments were made on the foredeck and the spinnaker pulled out of the forward hatch, all spinnaker operations, including using the snuffer, were possible from the cockpit. In light air the 120 moves fast enough to bring the apparent breeze well forward and thus, even with this sail tacked out on the extended seven-foot sprit, one needs to think like a catamaran sailor and tack downwind.

The boat we sailed had the standard seven-foot lead keel; a 5’9″ shoal-draft keel is offered optionally. Both keels are narrow fins with an elephant-foot style bulb on the bottom for good stability and lift.

The Cockpit The cockpit is very comfortable with well positioned foot bracing for the crew when the boat is heeled. The double-ended mainsheet has Harken 44 self-tailing winches on each side of the cockpit reached easily by either the helmsman or the crew — as is the traveler. All halyards and reef lines lead aft on the cabin house and all winch handles clear the dodger comfortably. The 48-inch-diameter lightweight Edson aluminum wheel permits the helmsman to get well outboard on either side for maximum visibility. The helmsman seating is comfortable both when level or heeled. All of this provides a good balance between shorthanded and crewed sailing.

The Interior Below, the ladder had a generous 60-degree slope and side rails kept one’s feet from sliding off when heeled. The interior was light and airy with double staterooms fore and aft. No Dorades were provided; however, the cabin ports opened. Both double berths were a little on the small side and the inboard end of the J sprit did occupy a portion of the forward stateroom; however, given the interiors of most 40-foot race boats, this cruiser/racer had very nice accommodations. The two main cabin settees were long and straight, and could easily function as sea berths with lee cloths in place. While the galley is compact, it is very adequate and the six-cubic-foot icebox is bigger than on many boats. An Origo non-pressurized alcohol stove with oven is standard. The stove gimballed well and was equipped with a protection bar.

Construction The hull and deck are fiberglass with balsa core and the boat is built to ABS-approved plans. The boat is laminated using the resin-infusion process, which gives superior quality over conventional production layup techniques. The hull-to-deck flange joint is extra wide at 4.5 inches, and it is glued using a urethane elastomer adhesive. While strength is gained wherever rail hardware is bolted through and where bulkheads are attached, the glue does most of the job. The lack of mechanical purchase in this hull-to-deck joint may make some nervous, but for reassurance one only need consider that most of the boat — in fact most of any FRP boat — is held together by various types of resin and glue in the first place. The new series of “J sprit” boats represents an excellent balance between cruising boats you can race and racing boats you can cruise coastally. Certainly, the boat can be made even faster by removing the lazy jacks, replacing the jib furler with a foil and adding a conventional spinnaker for square running. But that’s not the point. The point is to create a shorthanded cruising boat that can perform, and J/Boats has done a superb job. — Bill Lee

To cruising sailors who seek out new models at boat shows, the J/120 is something of a quiet dove among pouter pigeons — built more for flying than roosting. There are no button-tufted armchairs, vanities or mood lighting. There are powerful and easily managed sails, a responsive helm, a light but well-built hull and efficient maintainability throughout.

At the dock, the lack of frills gives the boat a Spartan or simplistic appearance, but a sailor’s appreciation builds immediately when under way. Almost invisible details make the boat a pleasure to be aboard. The cockpit is configured for convenience of steering and sail handling. The big wheel and semi-balanced rudder create a fingertip helm, and when I nudged it less than a half turn to leeward while we churned upwind, the boat fell off instantly without any need of easing the large-roached mainsail. An additional benefit of the light helm is that it puts a small load on an autopilot; the blade is powerful, balance point spot on.

Form and function take precedence over styling statements on Rod Johnstone’s designs. Moving around the boat is easy and there are handholds and foot braces just about everywhere they are needed. The winch placements are logical and the wide side decks have good non-skid. The deep cockpit locker has a gasketed lid and is also accessible through a door aft of the galley, which allows you to avoid the sometimes painful contortions involved with getting a sail or inflatable dinghy out of the nether regions. There is no awkwardness in getting below. The companionway ladder is sturdy and safe to use even when the boat is heeled and bounding over waves.

The J/120, as delivered, lacks a quilted homeyness found on many 40-foot cruisers.It does not lend itself immediately to long-term live-aboards, but there is certainly enough space and stowage for two couples to cruise for a fortnight or more. A few accommodation innovations are worth a closer look. Bedding on this boat can be stowed inside throw-pillow covers — solving the problem of what to do with bedding during the day and piles of pillows at night. Also dual-purpose seat back cushions on the settees serve as cockpit cushions. This solves the bulky stowage problem of deck cushions, but introduces some new concerns about lack of waterproofness and whether bringing damp, salty cushions below creates more of a problem than it actually resolves.

One of the few space conflicts on the J/120 is created by the asymmetrical chute in its snuffer, which can remain hooked up to its sheets and halyard and be stowed conveniently inside the forward hatch. This puts it on the forward bunk. The crew must decide whether sail stowage or human comfort wins out in the forward cabin.

The value of the J/120 comes from building costs that have gone into substantive structures and quality gear. The base price of $162,600 is certainly attractive, but typical buyers opt for a variety of extras that boost this figure up to anywhere from $220,000 to $230,000. The boat that we sail tested cost about $247,000, which included the carbon fiber rig, radar on a removable pole, full sailing instruments, and autopilot, among other things. It is worth noting that the following items are also on the option list: hot and cold pressure water, 110-volt shore power, refrigeration, propane stove and oven, opening ports in cabin trunk, molded anchor well and removable bow roller. Certainly, the advantage of this is that a buyer does not pay for items not needed.

Overall, I agree with Bill Lee’s comments about this boat. I found the J/120 handsome, fun and easy on maintenance. — Sheila McCurdy

J/120 SPECIFICATIONS:

LOA 40’0″ (12.2 m.) LWL 35’0″ (10.7 m.) Beam 12’0″ (3.7 m.) Draft (deep) 7’0″ (2.1 m.) Draft (shoal) 5’11” (1.8 m.) Ballast 6,000 lbs. (2,722 kgs.) Displacement 12,900 lbs. (5,852 kgs.) Sail area 780 sq.ft. (72.5 sq.m.) Mast above water 62’7″ (19.1 m.) Ballast/Disp .47 Disp/Length 134 SA/Disp 22.7 Fuel tankage 27 gal. (102 l.) Water tankage 75 gal. (284 l.) Auxiliary Yanmar 3JH2-E 38-hp. 3-cyl. diesel Cabin headroom 6’2″ (1.9 m.) Designer Rod Johnstone Base price $162,600 (alum spar) $173,600 (carb spar)

J/Boats Inc. 557 Thames St. Newport, RI 02840 Phone (401) 846-8410

• More: 2001 - 2010 , 31 - 40 ft , Bluewater Cruising , J/Boats , keelboat , monohull , racer / cruiser , Sailboat Reviews , Sailboats
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CLT Marine proposal: 'Boat people doing boat stuff' on New Bedford State Pier

NEW BEDFORD — Ed Anthes-Washburn is very familiar with the Port of New Bedford.

His background includes 11 years with the New Bedford Port Authority, the last six as port director.

Today, he's the managing director of Coast Line Transfers, or CLT Marine , which is one of the seven firms seeking to become part of the New Bedford State Pier's redevelopment.

CLT is a commercial marine service provider to the expanding offshore wind industry, as well as the marine industry in the Northeast.

Their focus is on crew-transfer vessels, as well as offshore supply vessels, and they provide support to marine services in southern New England.

Servedwell: Could a restaurant on New Bedford State Pier bring 200,000 people downtown? What to know.

Proposing use of existing Buildings 1 and 2

In simple terms, Anthes-Washburn said during a presentation hosted by MassDevelopment in May, "We're boat people who want to do boat stuff on the east face" of State Pier.

MassDevelopment , the state’s development finance agency and land bank, manages the state-owned, 8-acre pier.

A MassDevelopment review committee is evaluating the proposals.

The seven proposals before the committee could be approved together, separately or denied altogether. A decision deadline has not been announced.

CLT, which is operating from the State Pier now, proposes the use of existing Buildings 1 and 2, including about 2.3 acres of pier space in all.

BASE: New Bedford State Pier proposal makes fishing a destination attraction. What to know.

What does CLT want to do at the New Bedford pier?

They want to continue to develop their relationship with the offshore wind industry while providing a hub for marine industrial activity, as well as rejuvenate the cargo offloading in the facility.

Anthes-Washburn said CLT would be acting as the anchor tenant, "but we do want to operate it as sort of an open terminal."

He added, "We do think that construction support and maintenance can happen here on the east face so we want to continue to develop that version of construction support and operations and maintenance."

Anthes-Washburn said, "We envision using the facility that's there, using the infrastructure and the utilities that are there, and doing very little differently from what you see now."

Cuttyhunk: New Bedford State Pier's Cuttyhunk Ferry is a 'lifeline' to tiny Cuttyhunk Island

'We can work with Seastreak'

He said there is 20,000 square feet on Building 1's first floor they're focused on. The other 5,000 square feet is occupied by Seastreak, he said.

They don't want to push Seastreak out, he said. "We think we can work with Seastreak."

The building's second floor would be used for warehouse space.

They also want to use the cold storage capability in Building 2.

"It's a real asset. There's a big opportunity to continue to provision offshore and fishing vessels" with fresh food through the cold storage capability.

Cruise Lines: New Bedford State Pier park facility proposed by American Cruise Lines

Will generate direct and indirect jobs

Their proposal will generate about 120 new jobs, he said.

Anthes-Washburn added, "We think it's completely reasonable to expect 270 indirect jobs from our operations over there."

He added, "The activity that is generated on this pier really does trickle down. Whether it's fuel, provisions, the hotels."

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Completed over 2,000 safe transfers to date

They've been very successful in the offshore wind industry's opening chapter.

"We did the first [crew] transfer for the Vineyard Wind project back in November 2022."

They've completed over 2,000 safe transfers to date.

"It's been a lot of fun, and we continue to want to invest in new vessels and new facilities to be able to provide that service in a more comprehensive way," Anthes-Washburn said.

CLT will also perform consulting work

They will also be doing consulting work, "helping developers in the supply chain figure out how offshore wind is going to happen in the U.S."

The company's background provides it with a firsthand knowledge of local port communities throughout the Northeast.

The company also started a joint venture in 2019 with HST Marine, out of the United Kingdom, to build new vessels in the United States.

State Pier proposal: Train New Bedford kids for a future in offshore wind industry.

HST was purchased by Purus Wind over the course of the last 18 months, he added.

"We're looking forward to building vessels here in the U.S. and hopefully operating them out of New Bedford."

In other words: "Boat people doing boat stuff."