BoatsNiagara 31

Niagara 31

Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · First built 1977

A German Frers-designed masthead sloop featuring a performance-oriented sail area-to-displacement ratio of 19.73

Designed by German Frers, built by Hinterhoeller Yachts Ltd.

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

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 21 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 21
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 2.05
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 250
EasygoingPowered-up

19.7 — plenty of sail for her weight; lively and quick to respond.

Sail area / displacement 19.7
TenderStiff

44% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 44%

Powered-up and quick to accelerate — this one likes to sail.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
44.4%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
19.7
Displacement / length
250.4
Comfort ratio
21.1
Capsize screening
2.05
Hull speed
6.6 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
888
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1977
Units built
100
Designer
German Frers
Builder
Hinterhoeller Yachts Ltd

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.

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
Elvstrom 329.56 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA versatile 1/2 Ton masthead sloop offered in flush deck or coach roof versions, sharing a hull with several other designs
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
Granada Yachts 309.18 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA 30-foot fractional sloop with a 1.65-meter draft, designed for balanced, performance-oriented cruising
Hunter Marine 319.55 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Cortland Steck design featuring a B&R rig and a fin keel, built for coastal cruising between 1983 and 1987
Dufour Arpege 309.14 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA record-breaking production of over 1500 units, this MORC-compliant racer-cruiser defined a new standard for the 30-foot class

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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