Seafarer 31 Mk I Buyer's Guide
The Seafarer 31 Mark I is a 31-foot American racer-cruiser built by Seafarer Yachts from 1968, with design by William H. Tripp Jr. and development by McCurdy & Rhodes. On the used market she appears as a finished factory boat or, in some cases, a hull originally supplied as a Seacraft Kit for amateur completion. That split matters more than any cosmetic detail when you are comparing used Seafarer 31 Mk I boats, because a kit completion can hide non-standard systems behind an otherwise familiar deck.
Layouts on the Used Market
Every Mark I sleeps four, with a double V-berth forward and two straight settee berths in the main cabin. The galley is a starboard-side unit just aft of the bow cabin, carrying a two-burner stove, an ice box, and a double sink, while the head sits opposite on the port side. The fixed fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder with tiller are constant across the fleet, as is the masthead sloop rig, though a few boats were finished with the optional yawl rig. The balsa-cored deck over a solid fiberglass hull is the layout feature with the longest-term cost implication, since that core is the usual suspect in moisture surveys.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Most boats you will find have progressed well beyond their 1968 spec. A bimini, autopilot, and chartplotter are commonly fitted, forming the baseline comfort and navigation cluster a buyer should expect rather than celebrate. Beyond those, the market context names no other recurring equipment tiers, so any further gear should be read as an individual owner's choice rather than a fleet standard. The typical propulsion remains a period gasoline engine, and its presence shapes what energy and safety upgrades a given seller may have added.
What to Inspect
The balsa-cored deck is the primary inspection target, since core saturation is the known vulnerability of this construction. Press-test the cabin top and coamings and look for soft spots or prior repair patches. For kit-built hulls completed under the Seacraft Kits program, scrutinize structural bonding and electrical runs that may not match factory practice. The solid hull below should still be checked for earlier grounding damage around the fin keel root.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The Seafarer 31 Mark I is typically found in the United States. For a shopper, the takeaway is straightforward:
- Confirm whether the hull is factory-finished or a Seacraft Kit completion
- Survey the balsa deck core for moisture before any offer
- Verify the engine fuel system meets safe practice
- Expect bimini, autopilot, and chartplotter as common rather than premium fittings
- Choose sloop or yawl rig per your own handling preference; both exist
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Seafarer 31 Mk I. 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. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 25 | 1 | $7,000 | — |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
2 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moody 31 Mk I | 30.75' | $ 27,181 | 28 | 3 |
| Rustler 31 | 31.42' | $ 17,672 | 14 | 0 |