Herreshoff 31 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The H-31 was produced in two distinct hull flavors. Originally almost half of the boats were cold-molded of mahogany plies with wooden spars; the rest were built of fiberglass cored with Airex, and on some of those the house and deck carried Klegecell coring to resist heat deformation. The fiberglass boats almost all carried fiberglass/carbon fiber spars. The designer noted the wooden boats were lighter but less durable in abrasion and impact, while the fiberglass-Airex hulls were somewhat stronger but a bit heavier. The fiberglass layup ran in graduated thicknesses thinning from the bottom up, with a thin mat layer between roving and cloth. Deck and hull are both cored to the edge, chemically bonded, and then glassed inside and out at the corner — a joint no surveyed owner reported leaking or crazing. Bulkheads are foam-fiberglass composites, veneered in the living areas. None of the owners surveyed reported hull blisters.

Rig and Handling

The cat-ketch rig with free-standing spars is the boat's defining trait, unlocking a split sail plan meant to reduce sail loads. Most boats used the standard double wishbone boom, though Herreshoff preferred the half-bone shape for simplicity and looks. The masts are designed to flex and shed excess wind load, and the running rigging is simple — only outhaul, halyard, downhaul, and sheets for each loose-footed sail, with booms high and to starboard; there are no sheet winches and none are required. Reefing is engineered for speed: the rig allows quick reduction to 30% of full area, and the heavy-air progression runs mizzen, then main and mizzen, then douse the mizzen, then double-reef the main. Throughout that sequence the center of effort changes very little. Working sail area grew from an original 403 square feet to a later 466, while displacement dropped from 8,640 to 7,560 pounds, lifting the SA/D from 15.5 to 19. With a 28-foot waterline and a rudder protruding nearly a foot aft of the transom, she takes perhaps a boat length to gain steerage in moderate air, moves very cleanly, accelerates surprisingly fast, and has a powerful motion in waves.

Accommodations

The standard layout leans on open volume, with head and galley aft and a saloon/forecabin stretching forward; a second arrangement puts the head between forecabin and saloon, better suited to two-couple cruising. Below, the space is large and lacks a forward bulkhead between main and forward cabins. Headroom reaches 6 feet 2 inches at best. There are two big hanging lockers, abundant drawer space, and eight opening ports; berths all have drawers beneath. The galley to starboard includes a two-burner stove but is cramped by the companionway ladder, with the head opposite to port. One owner described the supplied bulkhead table as fit only for a calm anchorage — lightly built, unstable, and without fiddles. The chart table is creaky but adequate.

Known Issues

Practical Sailor's survey found surveyor Alan Vaitses declined to recommend any of the cold-molded boats because the fiberglass covering the hull to just above the waterline was not mechanically fastened to the wood. Owners of wooden examples have reported regluing spars after the original wood glue failed around 13 years out. On the fiberglass hulls, several owners reported the Airex foam was left in place rather than swapped for solid laminate where through-hulls penetrate, which the designer stated should not have happened. One owner found the skeg-to-hull bolts in tough shape; the rudder assembly itself was described by the designer as overly strong, with a stout rudderstock, two hefty gudgeons, and a bottom skeg attachment. A Florida owner reported aluminum strips atop the keel floors badly pitted where stainless keel bolts passed through. The stanchions have no backing plates.

Ownership and Refits

Many earlier boats carry Nanni diesels, reported satisfactory in performance and dependability though hard to source parts for; later examples could have Yanmar diesels. The outboard rudder wears teak steps that double as a boarding ladder. The unstayed spars and simple running rig make sail-handling refits more about materials than mechanics, but wooden-spar boats demand vigilance on glue joints.

The Verdict

The Herreshoff 31 is a thoughtfully unconventional cruiser: a cat-ketch with genuine turn of speed, an open and airy interior, and a rig one person can manage without winches. The split construction history means buyers must choose between lighter wooden hulls with durability caveats and somewhat heavier Airex-cored glass boats with specific through-hull details to check. She rewards the informed owner with easy handling and a distinctive profile.

Pros