Design and Heritage
Gillmer's hand is visible in the boat's shapely ends and a nicely balanced, springy sheer anchor. Where the Colin Archer lineage tended toward rounded, slow forms, he flattened the buttocks, firmed the bilges to add initial stability, and added volume in the ends anchor. The full keel is pulled back from the bow slightly yet remains a true full keel, paired with an outboard rudder that Gilmer kept as an essential part of the aesthetic anchor. The Southern Cross 31 is a genuine double-ender, and its hull form cuts a little forefoot away to improve tacking and maneuverability anchor. With a displacement-length ratio near 388 and a length-to-beam ratio of 3.26, the boat is beamy for its length but still substantial; the capsize number sits in the respectable 1.6 range and the comfort ratio near 40, figures consistent with a settled sea boat anchor.
Rig and Handling
The cutter rig is well proportioned, carried on a short, plank-type bowsprit with a boomkin off the stern to clear the backstay from the outboard rudder anchor. Among its peers — the Westsail 32 and Pacific Seacraft Mariah 31 — the Southern Cross 31 wears the shortest bowsprit, and its plank style is arguably safer than the much longer spar on the Westsail anchor. The fixed bowsprit supports the headstay while a fixed forestay attaches at the stemhead, a robust and traditional arrangement anchor. Under sail, the numbers tell a candid story: a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of about 12.6 means she is very slow going in light air anchor. The hull modifications Gilmer made were intended to improve boat speed and reduce the hobbyhorsing tendency of the Archer/Atkin type, and all three of these double-enders earned reputations as good sea boats anchor.
Accommodations
Below, the Southern Cross 31 keeps things honest. The interior layout is as simple as it could be and near perfect for its intended function, built on an orthogonal plan that favors pure usability over show anchor. There is no pretense of a salon suite or convoluted passage; the straight-line arrangement reflects a cruising philosophy where everything has a place and the place is easy to reach.
The Verdict
The Southern Cross 31 is a thoughtfully modernized traditionalist: Gillmer took the double-ender's virtues and removed some of its worst vices without abandoning the look or the sea-kindly behavior that made the type endure. She is a heavy, able cruiser better suited to ocean passages and settled conditions than to breezeless summer afternoons, and her simple interior will appeal to sailors who value function over finish.
Pros
- True double-ender hull with full keel and outboard rudder for classic sea-boat behavior
- Flattened buttocks and firmed bilges improve initial stability and reduce hobbyhorsing
- Short plank bowsprit is safer and more manageable than longer peers' sprits
- Simple, orthogonal interior layout maximizes functional cruising space
Cons
- Very low sail-area-to-displacement ratio makes her slow in light air
- High displacement and moderate beam suit passage-making more than day-sailing
