Ovni 30

1987–2001 · built by Alubat

One of Alubat's early production Ovni models from Les Sables-d'Olonne, built on the marque's established integral lifting-centreboard aluminum cruiser concept (Alubat's first Ovni prototype dates to the mid-1970s, so this is an early expression of the formula rather than the original one): a shoal-draft, puncture-resistant pocket bluewater boat meant to dry out upright on her flat run and go places a fin-keel fiberglass boat of the same length could not (tidal estuaries, reef-strewn anchorages, high-latitude ice and rock). Reputation is as a tough, go-anywhere small cruiser rather than a performance or luxury design, consistent with the formula Alubat carried forward into the later, larger Ovni range.

Check this first — Designer attribution for the OVNI 30 is unsettled in the sources we can reach: Philippe Briand is credited most often, Michel Joubert is also named. Treat any designer named in a listing as unverified.

This is a general read on the Ovni 30 class — informed background, not a verdict on any individual boat. Condition, refit history, and how a particular hull was sailed and stored matter far more than class reputation. Use it to know what to look for; for a read on a specific listing, run a free FairKeel report on that boat.

At a glance

Hull form: Other
Ballast type: Internal Iron
Rudder: Transom Hung
Mast step: Deck Stepped
Hull construction: Aluminum
Production: 1987–2001
Built in: France

What the Ovni 30 is known for

Welded round-bilge aluminum hull gives real impact and puncture resistance against groundings, ice and floating debris, a genuine offshore asset at this size.
Ballasted lifting centreboard gives very shallow minimum draft and lets the boat dry out upright on her flat bottom, opening tidal and gunkholing anchorages a fixed-keel 30-footer cannot use, plus easier trailering and haul-out.
Simple, robust early-Alubat build philosophy with few exotic systems, which keeps routine maintenance straightforward for an owner willing to learn aluminum-specific care.
Long, continuous Ovni lineage in France means alloy-boat expertise, spares culture and resale familiarity exist even though this specific early model is scarce.

Known trade-offs

30ft hull on a late-1980s accommodation plan is tight for full-time liveaboard use compared with later, roomier Ovnis.
The centreboard case, pivot pin and lifting pennant are a maintenance-critical, failure-prone system: a jammed or leaking board is a known Achilles heel of the type.
Aluminum construction demands active galvanic-corrosion management (bonding, anodes, isolating dissimilar metals) and specialist welding knowledge for any hull repair, which not every yard has.
Original-era engine, standing rigging and electrics on a boat this old are very likely past or near end of service life and should be assumed to need renewal rather than assumed sound.

Age-related quirks to expect

Galvanic corrosion / electrolysis exposure from decades of marina mooring on an unmaintained bonding system severity: High affects: 1987-2001 (all surviving hulls)

Centreboard pivot pin, case and pennant wear from decades of cycling severity: Medium affects: 1987-2001

Original or first-generation small diesel approaching or past typical rebuild/repower age severity: Medium affects: 1987-2001

Standing rigging and chainplates original and unreplaced on unrestored hulls severity: Medium affects: 1987-2001

Deck core moisture on glass decks over the alloy hull, especially at stanchions and chainplates severity: Medium affects: 1987-2001

Systems to check before you buy

Centreboard case, pivot pin and lifting pennant priority: offshore, coastal, weekending

The single highest-leverage inspection item on this class: check for case leaks, pennant chafe/failure, pivot-pin wear and corrosion, and that the board lifts and drops freely under load.

Hull galvanic/bonding system and thru-hulls priority: offshore, liveaboard

Aluminum hulls need a correctly isolated bonding system and sacrificial anodes; look for pitting at thru-hulls, the prop shaft, and any stray-current damage from poorly isolated dissimilar metals or shore power.

Engine, shaft seal and fuel system priority: motor, liveaboard

Original-era small diesel is now decades old on surviving hulls; assume likely repower or major overhaul exposure rather than a sound original unit.

Standing and running rigging priority: offshore, coastal

Rig age on an unrestored early hull is a real unknown; check for original wire standing rigging, terminal corrosion and mast step/compression post condition.

Deck-to-hull joint and deck core (where deck is cored fiberglass over the alloy hull) priority: liveaboard, coastal

On Alubat's typical alloy-hull/glass-deck construction, check for core moisture at stanchion bases, chainplates and the hull/deck joint sealant line.

How it fits your plans

Offshore: The alloy hull's impact resistance is a real offshore asset, but 30ft and a late-1980s layout make her a modest, slow-passage boat rather than a serious bluewater passagemaker by modern standards.
Coastal: Excellent fit: shoal draft plus the ability to dry out upright on the centreboard makes her unusually capable in tidal and skinny-water coastal cruising grounds.
Liveaboard: Workable short-term but cramped for full-time liveaboard; storage and tankage are limited relative to later Ovni models.
Weekending: Well suited: simple systems, easy to singlehand or short-hand, and shoal draft widens the usable anchorage list.
Motor: Not a motoring design; expect modest range and a small original engine likely needing renewal.

This guide is the class. A report is that hull. Paste the listing you're looking at and FairKeel grades every claim in it against what's known about the Ovni 30 — where the evidence is thin, the red flags worth a second look, the costs likely to land in your first season, and whether the boat suits the plans you describe in a few short questions.

It won't read the photos or put a number on the boat — that's the $249 Deep-Dive, and for the real answer, a surveyor. It will tell you when a Deep-Dive isn't worth buying. Free, no account, usually a minute or two.

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