Cape Dory 31 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a Cape Dory 31 means looking at a small fleet — fewer than 100 were built by Cape Dory Yachts, Inc. in the early eighties to Carl Alberg's cutter design. These are heavy, narrow, long-keel cruisers with traditional lines and a comfort-oriented character, and the used boats you meet will reflect owner care more than factory option packages.
Layouts on the Used Market
The Cape Dory 31 was produced in a single Alberg configuration as a long-keel cutter with a solid fiberglass hull and a 9.75-foot beam over 31.33 feet overall anchor. She is an ultra-heavy cruiser by displacement-length ratio, so expect a traditional interior volume shaped around sea-kindly motion rather than a modern open-plan layout.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
A dodger and an autopilot are commonly fitted on these boats, the kind of additions that signal a boat used for extended coastal or offshore cruising rather than day sailing. Beyond those, the equipment picture stays general — focus your own survey on the condition of the cutter rig and the original bronze deck hardware rather than a checklist of gadgets.
What to Inspect
Verify the cutter rig's standing and running gear against the halyard and sheet lengths of 28-meter, 10 mm halyards and 12 mm sheets near 24 meters on the mainsheet — since stretched or undersized replacements are a frequent owner shortcut. Confirm the long-keel fiberglass hull shows no evidence of impact damage at the keel root, and check that the lead ballast remains encapsulated as built. The wetted surface of about 258 square feet means any bottom blistering or poorly executed barrier coat is a large area to remediate, so inspect the hull below the waterline carefully.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats are typically found in the United States. Before you commit, run through this short list:
- Confirm the cutter rig matches documented halyard and sheet dimensions.
- Inspect the long-keel hull-to-keel joint for impact or separation.
- Check the encapsulated lead ballast for signs of voids or repairs.
- Survey the full 258 square feet of wetted surface for blistering.
- Verify the commonly fitted dodger and autopilot are sound.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Cape Dory 31. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 6 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 25 | 1 | $24,500 | — |
| Apr 25 | 1 | $26,000 | +6.1% |
| Sep 25 | 3 | $29,500 | +13.5% |
| Nov 25 | 1 | $45,000 | +52.5% |
| May 26 | 3 | $20,000 | -55.6% |
| Jul 26 | 1 | $10,000 | -50.0% |
Where they're listed
Cape Dory 31 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 8.
Country view
8 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $20,000 | 8 | 1 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
8 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Island Packet 31 | 34.33' | $ 40,950 | 36 | 8 |
| Cape Dory 30 C | 30.21' | $ 17,000 | 19 | 4 |
| CAL 31 | 31.5' | $ 10,500 | 16 | 4 |
| Gozzard 31 | 36.17' | $ 69,450 | 16 | 1 |
| Rustler 31 | 31.42' | $ 17,584 | 14 | 0 |
| Cape Dory 33 | 33.04' | $ 31,750 | 10 | 2 |
| Cape George 36 | 36' | $ 89,500 | 9 | 1 |
| Cape Dory 31You are here | — | $ 20,000 | 8 | 1 |