Design and Construction
The most consequential change from the Northstar 1000 was the raised coach house that turned her into a more comfortable cruiser, paired with an extension of the rudder skeg from partial to full. Construction followed Lloyd's of London specifications, with solid fibreglass hull and deck. A compression post was fitted between the hull and deck liner but was not completely supported at its ends — a detail that would later matter at the mast step. The hull-deck joint was through-bolted with a toe rail all the way around, and the factory shipped each boat with a tube of household silicone plus a warranty disclaimer against leaks, a telling admission about a joint that became notorious for leaking.
Rig and Handling
Hughes rigged the 31 as a masthead sloop on a Cinkel spar made by Alcan Aluminum — an Isomat copy that Canadian Boating noted did not compare in quality. The boom carries internal lines and a built-in four-to-one outhaul purchase, and all halyards lead aft to coach-house winches. Underway, the long bow and curved sheer keep the cockpit dry by throwing water out rather than back, and the boat is very stiff and performs well when it is windy. Her sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 14.5 with the reference sail (17.4 with a 135 percent genoa) means she carries more rig than two-thirds of similar sailboats and Canadian Boating found her slightly overrigged. Downwind, the narrow transom makes the helm demand much attention, and the theoretical hull speed sits at about 6.6 knots.
Accommodations
Below, the forward cabin holds a long V-berth about 6.5 feet long that is very narrow at the bow but flares quickly, sleeping two average adults, though storage there is limited. Moving aft, a large hanging locker and pull-out drawers give ample clothing stowage, with a good-sized teak head opposite that includes hot and cold pressure water and a hand-held shower — the shower drains directly into the bilge. The main saloon has an all-teak table folding against the port bulkhead, four-inch foam cushions, and a port settee that converts to a double, bringing the total sleeping spaces to six. The SE version adds a chart table at the end of the quarter berth.
Known Issues
The original OMC Saildrive in the regular layout suffered three early faults: a neoprene gasket between engine and drive unit deteriorated prematurely in contact with gasoline, the engine fouled spark plugs, and the magneto ignition had low charging capacity. Once addressed, owners generally found the Saildrive quiet and powerful. The mast compressed the deck and caused a dip at the step; over time the boat oil-canned there, leading to delamination and core breakdown around the mast step. The cast-aluminum gooseneck can break if strained the wrong way. And the through-bolted hull-deck joint leaks.
Refits and Ownership
Most SE buyers opted for the Yanmar 2GM diesel rather than the OMC Saildrive; the Yanmar took more space, so the cabin steps were lengthened. Kit-built hulls from the late-seventies program let home builders complete their own boats, and the SE chart table reflected owner-driven modification. With production ending in 1982, surviving boats span factory and amateur finishes.
The Verdict
The Hughes 31 is a stiff, dry, heavy-displacement cruiser with a genuinely comfortable raised-coach-house interior and a thoughtful six-berth layout. The Sparkman & Stephens pedigree and Lloyd's-built hull are real strengths, but the mast-step compression, leaking hull-deck joint, and weak original gooseneck are recurring weak points a buyer must weigh.
Pros
- Raised coach house and six sleeping spaces make her a capable cruiser
- Stiff and dry in a breeze with good cockpit protection
- Lloyd's-spec solid fibreglass construction
Cons
- Mast-step compression leads to deck delamination and core breakdown
- Hull-deck joint is notorious for leaking
- Original cast-aluminum gooseneck breaks under wrong-direction strain
