Design and Construction
The Sun Odyssey 31 was built by Jeanneau in France as a recreational keelboat predominantly of fiberglass with wood trim, softening the interior and cockpit details. The hull carries a raked stem and a reverse transom with an integrated swimming platform, while below the waterline a fixed fin keel — or an optional shoal-draft keel — pairs with an internally mounted spade-type rudder controlled by a tiller. The standard keel draught is 1.45 m, and the manufacturer lists a displacement of 3100 kg with a separate stated weight of 1250 kg. She carries CE Category 2 certification and a maximum people capacity of six to eight, figures consistent with her two- or three-cabin configurations. The derivative lineage from the Sun Light 30 and the relationship to the Sun Fast 31 explain her moderate, cruising-oriented proportions rather than a pure speed brief.
Rig and Handling
Above the deck, the Sun Odyssey 31 is rigged as a masthead sloop on a Bermuda rig, a straightforward and serviceable arrangement for short-handed cruising. Steering is by tiller through the internally mounted spade rudder, which keeps the cockpit simple and gives direct feedback in maneuvering. The Japanese Yanmar 2GM20 diesel is fitted for docking and maneuvering, a modest auxiliary appropriate to a boat of this size. With a hull length of 9.15 m and length overall of 9.30 m, the compact footprint makes her manageable in marinas and tolerant of single-handed handling, while the reverse transom platform eases boarding from the water or dinghy.
Accommodations
Jeanneau offered the Sun Odyssey 31 with two factory interior layouts, both built around a double "V"-berth in the bow cabin and an aft cabin with a double berth on the port side. The first layout sleeps four and centers the main cabin on a U-shaped settee with a table; the galley sits on the port side amidships as a straight unit with a two-burner stove, ice box, and sink, followed aft by a navigation station on the port side, while the head lies abeam the companionway ladder to starboard. The second optional layout sleeps six, substituting two straight settees with a drop-leaf table in the main cabin and relocating the galley to the port side at the companionway ladder as an L-shaped work area with the same stove, ice box, and sink; the navigation station moves opposite on the starboard side, and the head sits beside the ladder on starboard. Both plans keep the core cruising functions compact but functionally separated, and the manufacturer also notes the boat was offered with two or three cabins overall.
The Verdict
The Sun Odyssey 31 is a small, well-defined Andrieu cruiser from Jeanneau's early Sun Odyssey era: fiberglass construction with wood trim, a tiller-driven spade rudder, and a masthead sloop rig that prioritizes simplicity over complexity. Her two factory layouts trade a little social space for an extra berth, and the swimming platform with reverse transom remains a genuinely useful cruising feature. She is out of production but was built from 1991 to 1997, and her CE Category 2 rating and 6–8 person capacity suit her to coastal and moderate offshore use.
Pros
- Compact, manageable 30-foot cruiser with tiller steering and direct rudder feel
- Two distinct factory layouts for four or six sleepers, both with practical galleys
- Reverse transom with swimming platform aids boarding and dinghy use
- Derivative of proven Sun Light 30 lineage with Sun Fast 31 relation
Cons
- Tiller steering and small auxiliary suit calm-water cruising more than heavy offshore work
- Out of production since 1997, so spares and layout familiarity favor researched buyers
