Buccaneer 295

Description

The Buccaneer 295 is a 29-foot coastal cruising sailboat produced by Buccaneer Yachts (a division of Bayliner) in the late 1970s, designed for family weekends and moderate passages with an emphasis on interior volume over outright racing performance. Derived from a performance-oriented hull but adapted for comfort, it features a wide beam for stability and a spacious cabin layout sleeping 5–6, making it a budget-friendly liveaboard option for inland or protected waters. While not a blue water heavyweight, its moderate displacement and fin keel provide reasonable handling in light to moderate conditions, though it's critiqued for dated styling and variable build quality from high-volume production. A variant, the Buccaneer 300, offered upgraded interiors. Approximately 100–200 units were built before the line's rebranding and eventual discontinuation. The Buccaneer 295 entered production in 1977 (some sources cite 1978), based on a three-year-old hull design originally intended as the Chaser 29—a production International Offshore Rule (IOR) 1/2-ton racer. Bayliner, seeking to bolster its sailboat division during the 1970s fuel crisis-driven demand for economical alternatives to powerboats, adapted the hull with a new deck, coachroof, and accommodations focused on cruising appeal rather than racing. Naval architect Doug Peterson is credited with the original hull, though he had no involvement in the modifications or production, and no royalties were paid—a common practice for Bayliner's "recycled" tooling strategy.