Herreshoff 31 Buyer's Guide
The Herreshoff 31 is a cat-ketch cruiser built by Cat Ketch Corp. from 1979 to 1986, with about 100 completed. On the used market she stands out for an unstayed split rig and an open interior, but the two construction types and a handful of documented defects should shape any purchase decision.
Layouts on the Used Market
Two interior arrangements appear among surviving boats. The standard plan puts head and galley aft with the saloon and forecabin open forward, emphasizing volume and lacking a forward bulkhead. A second layout places the head between the forecabin and saloon, a better setup for two couples. Headroom tops out at 6 feet 2 inches. Both share two hanging lockers, generous drawers, eight opening ports, and berths with stowage underneath. The galley is to starboard with a two-burner stove but tight against the companionway; the head sits opposite to port. Buyers should note the standard bulkhead table one owner found unstable and unfiddled — a calm-anchorage-only piece.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Power comes from an Italian Nanni or Japanese Yanmar diesel; earlier boats more commonly carry the Nanni, whose parts are reported hard to obtain, so a Yanmar or a documented spare-parts cache is a practical consequence. The rig itself needs no winches, with free-standing spars and simple lines, but wooden-spar boats may have seen spar regluing. The outboard rudder wears teak steps that serve as a boarding ladder — a small but useful standard feature. Navigation and sail-handling upgrades tend to cluster on the unstayed masts and simple running rig rather than complex hardware.
What to Inspect
Cold-molded mahogany hulls are the most contested: a surveyor declined to recommend any because the fiberglass skin to just above the waterline was not mechanically fastened to the wood anchor. Wooden-spar owners have reported original glue failing near 13 years, requiring reglue. On fiberglass-Airex boats, several owners reported the lightweight core stayed uncored-out and unreplaced by solid glass at each through-hull penetration, which the designer stated should not have happened anchor. Check skeg-to-hull bolts — one owner found them in tough shape — and the aluminum strips atop keel floors where stainless bolts pass, pitted in at least one Florida case anchor. Stanchions have no backing plates. No surveyed owner reported hull blisters or deck-joint leaks.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The boat is out of production and encountered as a niche used listing rather than a common marina staple. When you go aboard, run this short check:
- Confirm hull type — cold-molded wood vs Airex-cored glass — and judge accordingly
- Inspect through-hull core reinforcement and skeg bolts
- Verify engine make and parts availability
- Test bulkhead table stability and galley clearance
- Look for stanchion backing-plate absence and keel-floor pitting
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Herreshoff 31. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 1 row
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 26 | 1 | $20,000 | — |
Where they're listed
Herreshoff 31 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 1.
Country view
1 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $20,000 | 1 | 0 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
3 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hallberg-Rassy 31 | 31.56' | $ 91,957 | 41 | 11 |
| Tartan 31 | 31.33' | $ 34,000 | 14 | 4 |
| Herreshoff 31You are here | — | $ 20,000 | 1 | 0 |