1986 Nonsuch Ultra

The Nonsuch Ultra is a 30-foot fiberglass cat-rigged cruiser designed by Mark Ellis and built by Hinterhoeller in Toronto to exacting standards. Despite its unconventional appearance, the design merges traditional Cape Cod catboat styling—distinctive shear, highly cambered roofline, and nearly plumb bow—with modern efficiency through a moderate-aspect-ratio fin keel, low wetted surface, and partially balanced spade rudder. The hull carries its 11-foot-4-inch beam well forward and aft, creating interior volume and waterline length equivalent to much larger modern designs.

The accommodations reflect this spacious envelope. A single cabin includes a separate stall shower, an unusual amenity for a 30-footer. The cockpit comfortably seats eight, making the boat well-suited to social cruising. The design prioritizes simplicity and ease of handling, with straightforward systems and sail plan scaled for single or small-crew operation.

This example features custom-fabricated and polished stainless steel mainsheet fittings that improve the lead angle and handling over the original design. The yacht is equipped with a shaft-through-packing gland configuration, a more robust solution than the earlier sail-drive models found on some Nonsuchs. Power comes from a 27-horsepower Westerbeke diesel engine.