Southern Cross 35 Buyer's Guide
The Southern Cross 35 is the last Gillmer-designed cruiser C. E. Ryder built before the Bristol, Rhode Island, yard closed in 1990, with fewer than 100 completed and a further set of buyer-finished "Gillmer 35" shells that lack the factory rig. On the used market you are shopping a small, well-documented group of moderate-displacement cutters whose traditional stern hides a modern fin-and-skeg underbody.
Layouts on the Used Market
Factory boats are canoe-stern cutters with a shallow fin keel, skeg-hung rudder, and a high-aspect rig on Navtec rod rigging. The "Gillmer 35" kit hulls were sold to be finished by their buyers and came without that Navtec system or its hull tie-in, so confirm which lineage any candidate belongs to. Below, the layout is consistent: a U-shaped galley to starboard, full-size chart table and wet locker to port, twin saloon settees around a sole table, and a forward cabin with a generous V-berth, head, and hanging storage. Engine access is under the companionway.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Lithium batteries are commonly fitted across available boats, reflecting owners' shift to modern house power, and a bimini is likewise a common canvas addition for cockpit comfort. Beyond those, expect varied owner choices rather than a standard upgrade path; the consequential items to verify are the energy bank and the shade structure, since both speak to how the boat has been used and maintained.
What to Inspect
Two aging points deserve a close look. The plywood dorade boxes may deteriorate anchor, and the mast can corrode where it rests on the stainless-steel mast step after several years anchor. A sound repair is cutting a few inches off the mast and raising the step on an epoxy-glass pad. Also note the prop history: early hulls had a feathering two-blader that vibrated, mid-build boats a fixed three-blader that slowed sailing by nearly a knot, and later hulls a return to two blades with a thinner skeg — identify which is on the boat you inspect.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These yachts are found in the United States. For a shopper, the short checklist is: confirm factory Southern Cross 35 versus Gillmer 35 kit, inspect dorade boxes and mast step, verify prop and skeg configuration, and check that lithium house power and bimini meet your plans.
- Verify rig identity (Navtec factory vs. kit)
- Inspect plywood dorade boxes for decay
- Check mast-step corrosion and any pad repair
- Note prop type and skeg version for speed trade-off
- Expect United States availability only
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Southern Cross 35. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 2 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 25 | 1 | $32,000 | — |
| May 26 | 1 | $49,000 | +53.1% |
Where they're listed
Southern Cross 35 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 | $49,000 | 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
6 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dufour 35 | 35.25' | $ 30,000 | 26 | 1 |
| Tradewind 35 | 35.01' | $ 61,166 | 21 | 3 |
| Hinterhoeller Niagara 35 | 35' | $ 25,000 | 14 | 4 |
| CS 33 | 32.67' | $ 21,550 | 13 | 2 |
| Nicholson Nicholson 35 | 35.25' | $ 39,424 | 10 | 2 |
| Southern Cross 35You are here | — | $ 49,000 | 1 | 0 |