BoatsIsland Packet 31

Island Packet 31

Cutter · Long Keel · 1983–1989

A 10.46-metre cutter with a shallow 1.22-metre draft, engineered for stable, long-distance cruising in shoal waters

Designed by Robert K. Johnson.

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

See her sail

The Island Packet 31, on the water

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

Footage from Lady K Sailing

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

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

Capsize screening 2.07
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 230
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 17.2
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.

  • Draws less than ~83% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~78% of boats her size on file

Compared with 429 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Island Packet 31, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Island PACKET 31 is a cutter-rigged sailboat with a long keel, designed by Robert K. Johnson and built by Island Packet Yachts from 1983 to 1989. It measures 10.5 meters LOA, has a 3.5-meter beam, a 1.2-meter draft, and displaces 4989 kg.6:15 Johnson, a mechanical engineer with an MIT master's in naval architecture, founded Island Packet Yachts in 1979, developing a full-foil keel using NACA airfoil sections for stability and lift, counter to the fin-keel trend of the late 1970s.1:25 The company constructed its boats with a one-piece, hand-laminated solid fiberglass hull-and-keel molding, avoiding keel bolts, and used a proprietary Polyclad gel coat system.7:53 Introduced at the 1983 Annapolis Boat Show, the Island PACKET 31 sold 262 units, establishing the brand's reputation for robust construction and a comfortable motion.5:46

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Island Packet 31 on video

Who's been looking

Market signal

Crews the fleet has filmed weighing this model up — no sale seen, and no asking price.

1channel weighed buying one

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
40.9%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Cutter
Ratios
SA / displacement
17.2
Displacement / length
229.8
Comfort ratio
22.1
Capsize screening
2.07
Hull speed
7.1 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1140
Hull
Hull type
Long Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1983–1989
Units built
262
Designer
Robert K. Johnson
Builder
Island Packet Yachts

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.

Vindo 5010.65 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 10.65-metre masthead sloop with a 46% ballast ratio, engineered for a stiff, predictable motion in open water
Erling Kagge - It started with sailing1:22from SEILmagasinet
Hallberg-Rassy Rasmus 3510.52 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA long-keeled cruiser that transitioned from mahogany to GRP construction, offering a stable platform for blue-water sailing
Full Sailboat Tour: Hallberg Rassy 35. Full time live-aboard boat ready to sail offshorefrom WhiteSpotPirates
Island Packet 3210.67 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 32-foot cruiser with a 1.32-metre draft, optimized for shallow-water access and offshore stability
Learning to Sail a Cruising Boat1:49from Maryland School of Sailing
Vancouver 34 Classic10.44 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Robert B. Harris-designed cutter featuring a long keel and a balanced hull form refined with lead ballast for stability
EP#283 Circumnavigating the Atlantic with Simon@theoddvoyage14:09from Sailing Into Oblivion
Vancouver 34 Pilot10.44 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Robert B. Harris-designed cutter featuring a deck saloon for protected cruising on a stable, long-keeled hull
GGR Entrant Live interview NO. 19 with Italian Entry Guido Cantini 06/10/20204:30from Golden Globe Race Official
Island Packet 35010.57 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 10.57-metre cutter featuring a 1.3-metre draft and a 47% ballast ratio for stable, shallow-water exploration
BEST Cruising Sailboat for $130,000 - Ep 324 - Lady K Sailing6:58from Lady K Sailing

The family

Boats like this

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

Island Packet 32A 32-foot cruiser with a 1.32-metre draft, optimized for shallow-water access and offshore stabilityIsland Packet 29A 9.75-metre cutter with a 1.3-metre draft, offering a stable, heavy-displacement platform for coastal explorationIsland Packet 35A 10.77-metre cutter featuring a 45% ballast ratio, engineered for heavy-weather stability and extended offshore rangeIsland Packet 38A 38-foot cutter with a 1.52-metre draft, balancing a heavy 4535-kilogram ballast for offshore stabilityIsland Packet 37A 37-foot cutter with a 1.37-meter draft, balancing offshore stability with the ability to explore shallow anchoragesIsland Packet 45A 45-foot cutter with a 1.47-metre draft, balancing substantial displacement with shoal-water accessibility

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

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