BoatsBar Harbor 31

Bar Harbor 31

Gaff Head Cutter · Fin Keel · First built 1902

A 1902 gaff-rigged cutter by Nathanael G. Herreshoff, featuring a deep 2.23-metre draught and a heavy displacement hull

Designed by Herreshoff & Nathanael G. Herreshoff.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin Keel

Is it for you?

Character

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

LivelySea-kindly

Her heavy displacement on a narrow beam gives 61 — a heavy, notably soft motion offshore.

Comfort ratio 61
CoastalBluewater

At 1.29 she sits well under the 2.0 line — a solidly ocean-capable hull for her size.

Capsize screening 1.29
LightHeavy

480 — very heavy for her waterline, a serious load-carrying cruiser.

Displacement / length 480
EasygoingPowered-up

9.2 — modest power for her weight; easygoing rather than lively, and happier with a breeze.

Sail area / displacement 9.2
TenderStiff

31% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 31%

Built heavy and sea-kindly — a boat made to cross oceans and forgive a rough night.

  • Heavier than ~83% of boats her size on file
  • Narrower than ~97% of boats her size on file

Compared with 1846 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
31.3%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Gaff Head Cutter
Ratios
SA / displacement
9.2
Displacement / length
479.5
Comfort ratio
61.2
Capsize screening
1.29
Hull speed
7.5 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1135
Hull
Hull type
Fin Keel
Construction
Wood
Production
Years built
First built 1902
Units built
13
Designer
Herreshoff, Nathanael G. Herreshoff
Builder
Herreshoff Manufacturing Co

Boats like this, on the water

Nobody has filmed this one — but these are close.

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.

Swan 50 MS15.11 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA Sparkman & Stephens masthead ketch designed for blue-water comfort, later evolving into the Nautical 52
Oyster Marine 48514.78 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA robust cutter-rigged blue water cruiser developed from the 461, featuring a skeg-hung rudder for offshore security
Caliber Yachts 47 LRC14.81 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA long-range cruiser with a 52.92-foot overall length and a high comfort ratio for extended offshore passages
Hallberg-Rassy 4614.78 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA German Frers-designed bluewater cruiser built for stability and comfort with a high ballast ratio and skeg-hung rudder
Oyster Marine 47514.81 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Holman & Pye designed masthead sloop evolved from the 46, offering a high comfort ratio for blue water cruising
Hallberg-Rassy 4914.96 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA versatile staysail ketch or sloop offering a high comfort ratio and a stable fin keel with skeg-hung rudder

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

Two ways to keep looking — both search what the fleet has actually recorded.

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