Tanzer 31 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

The result is a medium-displacement masthead sloop. Cuthbertson described it as no ultra-light: it won’t surf, but it will make fast passages and win its share of club races.

Design and Construction

The Tanzer 31 has a 30-foot-7-inch hull, a 25-foot waterline, and a 10-foot-6-inch beam. Displacement is 8,300 pounds, including 3,400 pounds of ballast in a fixed fin keel. Cast iron was standard, though buyers could order a lead version. A spade rudder carries the helm loads aft.

The hull is hand-laid solid fiberglass. The deck and cockpit are cored only where reinforcement is needed. With roughly 39 percent ballast-to-displacement and an average PHRF rating of 168, ranging from 159 to 182, the boat sits firmly in cruiser-racer territory rather than the featherweight racing camp. Cuthbertson intended it to combine passage-making speed with club-race competitiveness, not surfboard behavior.

Rig, Sailing, and Handling

The generous masthead sail plan provides plenty of horsepower. The mast is deck-stepped and fitted with a somewhat bulky but effective tabernacle for easy lowering.

All halyards lead aft along the cabintop to winches. Tanzer also supplied two cars on each genoa track, providing clean leads to the cockpit-coaming winches; self-tailers were standard. The mainsheet traveler is mounted on the bridge deck aft of the companionway. Its tackle can also be moved farther aft to a padeye on the cockpit floor, just ahead of the binnacle.

Test sailors found that the Tanzer 31 accelerated well in light air as the breeze built from five to ten knots. The helm remained well balanced and comfortable. Owner Bob de Athe reported that even in heavy weather, the helm remained very well balanced and the boat stood up to its canvas while providing a good, dry ride.

Under power, the two-cylinder, 15-horsepower Yanmar diesel maneuvered well in forward gear. The shift into reverse was very sluggish, however. Eric Spencer of Tanzer said the company was considering fitting a larger standard propeller.

Cockpit and Stowage

Testers were impressed by the size and comfort of the T-shaped cockpit. Cuthbertson said he had taken extra care with the height, angles, and levels of its seats and backrests.

A huge locker beneath the starboard seat has a plywood floor, with more stowage beneath the floor. The helmsman’s seat conceals a large lazarette, while small cubbyholes in each cockpit coaming provide convenient places for sunglasses or gloves.

Accommodations

Testers called the cabin the most spacious and inviting they had seen on any yacht in its size range. The boat lists six berths and provides 6-foot-4-inch headroom throughout.

A double quarter-berth lies to port, with a modest chart table at its head, while the galley is to starboard. The quarter-berth assembles quickly without acrobatics. Because it doesn’t extend beneath the cockpit sole, it also avoids the usual low-ceiling problem, though it is a little narrow for two large adults.

In the main cabin, an L-shaped settee is fitted to port and a short, loveseat-sized settee to starboard. Between them is a floor-mounted table finished in furniture-grade, wood-grain arborite. The foot of the port settee extends athwartships just ahead of the chart table, partially blocking the companionway ladder.

The galley includes a two-burner alcohol stove, a deep sink, and two moderately sized iceboxes flanking the stove. Forward of the saloon, a well-produced head compartment lies to port. Its doors can provide privacy from both the main cabin and the forward berth at the same time.

The forward V-berth is small and isn’t comfortable for two adults.

The Verdict

The Tanzer 31 is a thoughtfully arranged Cuthbertson cruiser-racer, with a roomy cabin for its length, a balanced helm across a wide range of wind conditions, and a practical deck-stepped rig. The partial obstruction at the companionway and the sluggish response in reverse are real but minor drawbacks. Its short production run limits the size of the fleet.

Pros