Contest 31 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a Contest 31 means looking at a compact Dutch van Essen design built by Conyplex N.V. from 1971 to 1974, with 110 produced. She is a solid-fiberglass fin-keeler of roughly 10,500 pounds displacement and a 53 percent ballast ratio, a heavy-cruiser profile that rewards careful inspection of age-related structure over flashy updates.
Layouts on the Used Market
The Contest 31 carries a masthead sloop rig on a 31-foot hull with six berths, a galley, and a head below a mahogany interior. The fin keel draws about 4.6 feet, so most boats you meet will have spent time in shallow harbours. Expect the original lead-ballast solid-glass hull and skeg rudder; the small size keeps layouts consistent rather than varied across a model range.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Most Contest 31s on the market come with a practical cruising fit. A chartplotter, autopilot, and solar with an inverter form the navigation and power core that lets a couple handle the boat without shore power anxiety. An asymmetric spinnaker is a common addition that addresses the design’s underrigged reference sail, while hot water and a cockpit shower round out the comfort side for extended stays aboard.
What to Inspect
The immersion rate of 760 pounds per inch and a wetted surface of about 247 square feet mean any hull blistering or osmosis on the solid fiberglass hull below the waterline is a real structure-weight concern anchor. Check the shaft-drive transmission and the Volvo Penta MD2B diesel for original-mount fatigue, and confirm the fin keel-to-hull joint and skeg rudder stock for movement given the boat’s 1970s build date.
Availability and Buyer’s Takeaway
Contest 31s typically appear in the Netherlands, Ireland, Portugal, and Poland. For a buyer, the short list is: verify the solid hull below the waterline for osmotic damage, confirm the shaft drive and MD2B are sound, and assess whether the genoa or asymmetric spinnaker fit compensates for the light reference rig. A sound example rewards the inspector with a stable, genuinely heavy little cruiser of limited production.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Contest 31. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 4 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 25 | 1 | $8,738 | — |
| Feb 26 | 1 | $24,467 | +180.0% |
| Apr 26 | 1 | $20,971 | -14.3% |
| Jun 26 | 1 | $11,185 | -46.7% |
Where they're listed
Contest 31 listings appear across 4 countries. Ireland has the most listings with 1 (25.0%), followed by Netherlands and Poland.
Country view
4 listings · 4 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ireland | $11,185 | 1 | 1 | 25.0% |
| Netherlands | $8,738 | 1 | 0 | 25.0% |
| Poland | $24,467 | 1 | 0 | 25.0% |
| Portugal | $20,971 | 1 | 0 | 25.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
7 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremy Rogers 32 | 32' | $ 31,457 | 71 | 16 |
| Moody 31 Mk I | 30.75' | $ 27,180 | 27 | 3 |
| CAL 31 | 31.5' | $ 10,500 | 16 | 4 |
| Rustler 31 | 31.42' | $ 17,672 | 14 | 0 |
| Tartan 31 | 31.33' | $ 34,000 | 14 | 3 |
| Conyplex 33 | 32.25' | $ 24,500 | 13 | 2 |
| Conyplex 31You are here | — | $ 16,078 | 4 | 1 |