More than 250 Golden Hinds have been built. The type is a proven bluewater boat and was said for many years to hold the record for the most transatlantic crossings by a production sailboat. At least one has rounded Cape Horn, and many have completed circumnavigations.
Design and Construction
The original design was commissioned in 1965 by the British coffin manufacturer Hartwell’s. The company built 120 plywood Golden Hinds over six years. In 1971, yard manager Terry Erskine took over and began producing the boat with a fiberglass hull and wooden deck and cabinhouse. Most surviving examples were built by Erskine.
Erskine closed his yard in the early 1980s. Production resumed in 1995 under Golden Hind Marine, which built only a few fancier, more modern “Mark II” versions before selling out to Newson Boatbuilders in 2006.
The fiberglass boats are strong and quite durable. They have a double-chined, solid-laminate hull, solid mahogany cabinhouse sides, and hardwood deck and coachroof beams. The deck and coachroof beams are covered with marine plywood sheathed in 6-ounce cloth and epoxy resin.
Cast-iron ballast is fully encapsulated within the central full keel. The heavy steel bilge plates are through-bolted to a substantial steel support frame inside the hull, allowing them to carry the boat’s weight aground without unduly stressing the hull shell.
Keels, Handling, and Motion
With a long full keel and two small bilge plates in the water, the Golden Hind presents considerable lateral area in three different planes. As a result, she tracks extremely well and doesn’t like to change direction. That makes her particularly easy to sail singlehanded, even without self-steering gear, and she points to windward better than one might expect.
The bilge plates also help dampen motion in a seaway. Their extra wetted surface hurts light-air performance, however, particularly on boats with the shorter rig. One owner removed the plates before a transatlantic passage and reported that the boat rolled much more and became more tender. The plates are removable, but there is a real trade-off.
Yachting Monthly notes that the Golden Hind’s triple-keel underwater profile restricts sailing speed, while the boat keeps going in strong winds and is tough, sea kindly, and well suited to sturdy offshore cruising.
Rig and Sailing Performance
Most Golden Hinds carry the “standard” sloop rig, which is very short at just 32 feet from deck to masthead. These boats tend to be slow under sail and rarely reach their potential hull speed except in boisterous conditions.
The more modern Mark II has a much taller cutter rig, measuring over 39 feet from deck to masthead. These boats routinely sail much closer to their potential, although their greater weight lowers that potential speed. A few older boats have also been converted to taller rigs.
The Mark II carries a redesigned rudder with more surface area forward of the pivot, set within an oversized propeller aperture. This helps reduce the Golden Hind’s sometimes heavy weather helm.
Accommodations
For a small, traditional boat with a narrow beam, the Golden Hind has a remarkably roomy interior. Standing headroom exceeds 6 feet throughout the main cabin.
The traditional layout includes a full-size settee berth to starboard. To port is a love seat that converts to a full-length berth through a small hatch in the forward bulkhead. The forward V-berth can serve as two singles or, with the middle section filled in, a roomy double. An optional dinette layout provides a double berth in the saloon.
A dedicated navigation station and a proper wet locker beside the companionway are standard, and Yachting Monthly describes the chart tables as good. The galley is generally somewhat undersized, with inadequate counter space, and can be difficult to use underway.
Known Issues and Structural Care
Many of the original all-plywood Golden Hinds have deteriorated over time, but the fiberglass boats avoid that fate. On those boats, structural maintenance chiefly involves keeping moisture out of the wooden components. Any leak can allow water to wick quickly along the plywood’s horizontal sections.
The wooden deck and cabinhouse structure isn’t complex, and every deck section is readily accessible from inside. Cutting out and replacing saturated areas is therefore relatively easy.
Later Mark II boats were built to a finer standard, with a more modern hull-laminate schedule and better interior joinery.
The Verdict
The Golden Hind 31 is a thoroughly traditional shoal-draft cruiser. Her triple-keel underbody and removable bilge plates make her a forgiving offshore companion that tracks straight, dries upright on a sandbank, and has the bluewater record to support her reputation.
She’s no light-air rocket, particularly with the short standard sloop rig. She is, however, durable, roomy for her beam, and singularly easy to sail short-handed. The wooden deck calls for disciplined leak prevention, but repairs remain accessible.
Pros
- Proven bluewater pedigree, including transatlantic crossings and a Cape Horn rounding
- Shoal draft of less than four feet for creek cruising
- Stands upright when aground
- Tracks exceptionally well and is easy to sail singlehanded without self-steering
- Roomy interior with generous headroom, a dedicated navigation station, and a wet locker
- Durable fiberglass hull
- Accessible deck structure simplifies moisture-damage repairs
Cons
- Short standard sloop rig is slow and sluggish in light air
- Undersized galley has limited counter space and is awkward to use underway
- Wooden deck and plywood components are vulnerable to leaks and moisture wicking
- Reluctant to bear off, making changes of direction laborious
