'Tumblehome' Sparkman & Stephens 30

About her

'Tumblehome' is a Sparkman & Stephens 30: a 30-foot (9.2 m) GRP fin keel sloop, on hard standing near Levington in Suffolk, where she has been out of the water for some years. Her owner is giving her up because of ill health and needs her gone soon; he is frank that she is probably not saleable as she stands, so before she is condemned to the scrapyard we are listing her one last time. The hull is reported to appear sound, but the deck is spongy in places and damp has found its way into the topsides. She is offered as a restoration project for someone who wants a well-bred classic cruiser-racer and is prepared to put the work in.

The S&S 30 is Sparkman & Stephens design no. 2014, built in GRP by Aquafibre in the UK from 1971 (some hulls were exported to the United States and sold as the Palmer Johnson 30). She has the sweeping stern and the mix of boxy and curvy in the coachroof that mark S&S boats of that period, and underneath, the fin keel and skeg-hung rudder that S&S had introduced on the Swan 36: 9.17 m overall, 7.0 m on the waterline, 2.74 m beam and 1.52 m draught, displacing around 4.1 tonnes with roughly 1.9 tonnes of ballast. A stiff, nicely proportioned boat of her era, the class has a reputation for responsive handling and a comfortable motion at sea, proven inshore and offshore.

Condition

Her owner reports that the hull itself appears sound, but that the deck is spongy in places, and his son-in-law found some evidence of damp creeping into the topsides, particularly around the windows. The headlining needs replacing, as the photographs show. Small amounts of rainwater are said to run down the mast track onto the mast step, from where it drains into the bilges. Her engine, a 2002 Volvo Penta, was winterised when she was lifted out, but that was some years ago, and whether it will still run cannot be confirmed.

What she comes with

She comes with a roller reefing genoa and a mainsail, which have been stored off the boat, and we are aware of a VHF and a depth sounder fitted. Her owner also mentions her mast, cooker/oven, and anchor and chain among the gear, and there is an inflatable dinghy on board. Photographs taken in September 2026 are available.

Before you apply

If you have any questions about the boat or the re-homing process, please ask before filling in this form. However, please note that this advert contains all the information we currently have on this vessel.

Disclaimer

We offer the details of this vessel in good faith but can neither guarantee the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. Any potential new owner should take independent steps to investigate and validate key details.