BoatsHunter Marine 31

Hunter Marine 31

B&R · Fin keel, spade rudder · 1983–1987

A Cortland Steck design featuring a B&R rig and a fin keel, built for coastal cruising between 1983 and 1987

Designed by Cortland Steck.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/spade Rudder

See her sail

The Hunter Marine 31, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Sailing Nomadika

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a moderate beam gives 22 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 22
CoastalBluewater

2.05 — right around the 2.0 line, the edge between coastal and offshore.

Capsize screening 2.05
LightHeavy

239 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 239
EasygoingPowered-up

16.2 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 16.2
TenderStiff

41% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 41%

A balanced, easily-driven cruiser — comfortable and forgiving for coastal work.

What the fleet has seen

The Hunter Marine 31, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Hunter Marine 31 is a 9.6-meter cruising sailboat designed by Cortland Steck and built by Hunter Marine from 1983 to 1987, featuring a B&R rig and a fin keel with a spade rudder.1:21 Its 3.3-meter beam and 4399 kg displacement contribute to a high-volume interior.1:39 Aboard *Sailing Nomadika*, a 1986 model features a galley with a three-burner stove and oven, a top-loading fridge-freezer, and custom teak paneling.1:53 The main salon converts to a primary berth, supplemented by a V-berth and an aft quarter berth.8:27 The crew uses a portable dehumidifier, a Dry-Z-Air moisture absorber, and electric heaters for winter living in Canada, and a sun lamp to counter dim interior lighting.7:11 The head includes a manual Jabsco toilet but no shower. *Practical Sailor* notes the Hunter 31 offers a stable, high-volume interior suitable for lake sailing.9:44 When purchasing, buyers should prioritize structural integrity, inspecting for water intrusion in cored decks, compromised keel-to-hull connections, and soft spots in the cabin sole.9:25

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 2 times across 2 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Hunter Marine 31 on video

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model come up for sale.

1seen for sale
1channel looked into buying

  • A specific 1986 Hunter 31 is presented as an example of a boat available for under $20,000

    from Practical Sailorseen January 2025watch

From the fleet's own footage — our observed signal, not broker listings.

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
41.2%
Rig & sail area
Rig
B&R
Ratios
SA / displacement
16.2
Displacement / length
239.4
Comfort ratio
22.4
Capsize screening
2.05
Hull speed
6.9 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1024
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1983–1987
Designer
Cortland Steck
Builder
Hunter Marine

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Spirit 329.48 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Jacques De Ridder-designed IOR 23-footer built for nearly two decades as a stiff, masthead-rigged fin-keel sloop
Pimp My Ride! Installing New Solar and Batteries in French Polynesia WHS 680:53from Wind Hippie Sailing
Maxi Yachts 959.50 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 9.5-metre masthead sloop produced for a decade, featuring a skeg-hung rudder for predictable coastal handling
Maxi 95: The world's largest 31-footerfrom SEILmagasinet
Beneteau Oceanis 319.66 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Finot-Conq designed fractional sloop balancing a modern hull form with a stable 1.8-meter bulb keel
Sailboats at Every Budget: What You Get for $10K, $100K, $500K & $1M9:36from The Sailing Doodles Podcast
Pearson Yachts 319.45 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA William Shaw-designed fractional sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, built for performance between 1977 and 1981
HOW TO BUY A CHEAP SAILBOAT - $20,000 or less!7:03from Practical Sailor
Sabre Yachts 329.81 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA masthead sloop with a skeg-mounted rudder, designed for balanced performance and stability in a mid-sized cruiser
Cheap Sailboat to Live On? 38 Foot Sailboat for $30,000 - Ep 299 - Lady K Sailing6:16from Lady K Sailing
Dufour Yachts 38009.35 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterMarketed in the US as the Dufour 31 Frers, this 9.35-metre sloop was offered with both fractional and masthead rigs
It seems that this time we did find our boat!! 🤩💪 | Ep. 34 - Chez Team18:51from Chez Team

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

Hunter Marine 30/31 (2005)A shoal-keel cruiser featuring a B&R fractional rig and an in-mast furling system, renamed from 30 to 31 mid-productionMarlow-Hunter 31A 2015 Glenn Henderson design featuring a bulb-weighted fin keel and a beam of 3.61 metres for interior volumeHunter Marine 28.5A nimble B&R rigged cruiser featuring a high ballast ratio and fin keel, designed for efficient coastal performanceHunter Marine 34A 10.49-metre cruiser offering a shoal-draft option of 1.30 metres for versatile coastal accessHunter Marine 310A 9.4-metre cruiser featuring a backstayless B&R rig designed for simplified handling and ease of sail trimHunter Marine 38A 38-foot cruiser featuring a Glenn Henderson-designed hull and B&R rig, optimized for coastal stability since 2004

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Hunter Marine 31, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Hunter Marine 31

The newsletter

New boats, new stories, from everywhere.

One email from the fleet — boats newly added, videos newly analyzed. No noise.

Report an issue