Design and Construction
Sharp's 1976 design sits on a fin-keel hull with a spade rudder, a 26-foot-6-inch waterline carried inside a 31-foot overall length and a beam of 10 feet 4 inches. The ballast ratio runs about 27 percent against a displacement near 8,900 pounds, and the solid fiberglass hull and deck are finished inside with teak. Yachting Monthly described the boat as well built and finished, a sentiment consistent with her reputation as a substantial coastal and offshore cruiser rather than a featherweight racer. Her wetted surface measures roughly 301 square feet, and the immersion rate is about 1,116 pounds per inch—figures that speak to a moderately loaded cruising hull that holds her lines without dramatic trim change as stores go aboard.
Rig and Handling
The Dolphin 31 carries a conventional masthead rig. The running rigging follows period cruising norms: jib and genoa sheets of about 31 feet at half-inch diameter, a 77.5-foot mainsheet, and a 68.2-foot spinnaker sheet, all in 12 mm. With a fin keel drawing about 4 feet 10 inches—slightly more under load, up to roughly 5 feet 1 inch—she can still tuck into shallow marinas while retaining enough lateral plane to stand up to a breeze. Yachting Monthly found her a powerful seaboat in service, though owners and testers alike noted she was not, perhaps, as fast as hoped given the lively promise of her profile.
Accommodations
For her era the Dolphin 31 is a roomy boat. She sleeps six, including a dinette that converts to a double and an unusual twin quarterberth arrangement stacked in two tiers. The galley is large for the times and the forecabin is well proportioned, giving a charter-grade footprint that translated well to private ownership. The teak interior, standard for the period, wears as a warm and serviceable companion to the fiberglass structure rather than a luxury statement.
Ownership Profile
Built with the charter market in mind, the Dolphin 31 was only modestly successful in that role, but a number were sold as solid, fast cruising boats and have since served first-time buyers well. Yachting Monthly recommended her as an economical all-rounder for first-time buyers, a judgment that fits a 55-unit production run of straightforward, repairable cruisers.
The Verdict
The Dolphin 31 is a thoughtfully laid-out 1970s cruiser with a real seaboat character and a generous interior for her length. She is not a speed demon, but her construction and accommodations make her a sensible step-up boat for newcomers to cruising.
Pros
- Well built and finished solid fiberglass hull with teak interior
- Roomy six-berth layout with convertible dinette and twin tier quarterberths
- Modest draft for a fin-keel 31-footer, marina-friendly yet seakindly
- Economical all-rounder well suited to first-time buyers
Cons
- Not as fast as hoped given her masthead-rig profile
- Only modestly successful in original charter intent
