31' Southern Cross 31 Sloop

The Southern Cross 31 is a no nonsense double-ender Classic, designed by Tom Gillmer, a professor of naval architecture at the US Naval Academy. The design takes influence from shapes dating back to Colin Archer’s work nearly a century earlier, and the hull in many respects is similar the straight transomed Allied Seawind 30, an earlier Gillmer milestone creation noted for being the first fiberglass boat to circumnavigate the globe. (This was popular enough to be updated to the Allied Seawind II)

 She’s a full keeled sailboat with an outboard rudder and tiller combo, a configuration often praised for its simplicity and quick reaction to the helm.The cockpit is quite small, but easy accesibility to all sheets and lines makes her suitable for ocean passages. The cutter rig with bowsprit has 447 sq. ft. of canvas, plenty for its displacement, but being a heavy displacement she shows she is a Blue water cruiser in light airs. That is what she was designed for and the weight gains dividends with a comfortable motion while underway.

 Two interior layouts were offered, one with a stand up navigation station over a large locker and one with quarter-berth (She has the more desirable Nav station). The overall construction quality was of a good standard, suitably strong for offshore work. The hulls were built in fiberglass with the topsides cored in Airex foam, while the deck and cabin house was cored in balsa.

 In total 130 boats were built between 1976 and 1987.

 Extras and Upgrades:

Force four dinghy with a Yamaha 8 hp motor and a galvanized trailer

6 wenchs, barient and lewmer

Eight sails new in 09jib,flying jib,main,drifter,working jib,storm sail,genoa, and last is a yankee sail.

Carry on Cruis-air conditioner

dl/ev