Dehler 31 Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

Owner three-cabin arrangements are the more common layout on the used market, though both configurations turn up, and ex-charter boats are common. Either way the saloon is aisle-like with mahogany veneers under white surfaces, and the heads have a sliding door overlapping the chart table at the starboard berth's aft end with a generous wet locker aft of the toilet. Expect cramped spatial conditions relative to larger-volume brands, a foreberth that runs uselessly to the bow, and no ability to sit upright on fore or aft bunks—facts of the design rather than signs of poor upkeep.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

Autopilots are commonly fitted, and heating with a chartplotter are often seen; the TOP model left the yard with spinnaker fittings and heating already installed. A gennaker or spinnaker is a less common owner upgrade, as are radar and AIS, while a bimini and teak decks appear occasionally. For a buyer, the load-bearing clusters are power and energy—autopilot and cabin heating shape liveaboard comfort—and sail handling, where spinnaker or gennaker gear signals a sailing-focused owner rather than a bare charter return.

What to Inspect

The aft ceiling paneling is a velvet-substitute that picks up dirt over time and looks unsightly, and yellowed plastic trim is a known issue across these boats. The plastic molded headlining itself should be checked for sagging, though writing in Yachting Monthly it was found free of stains in review. Most important, confirm the boat carries a tiller: a wheel conversion was never intended by the layout, being too narrow and not rigid, and converted boats show a wobbling pillar with a cramped, mainsheet-starved helmsman. The bonded hull-deck joint and solid laminate hull mean osmosis is not a concern, but verify the shallow bilges remain dry.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

These boats typically appear in the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, Croatia, and Austria. For a buyer, the short list is: confirm tiller helm and avoid wheel conversions; inspect aft ceiling and plastic trim for soiling; verify dry bilges and bonded joint integrity; favor TOP-model spinnaker fittings if sail range matters; and treat ex-charter examples with the usual charter-wear scrutiny.