PassageBoats
offshoreheavy-displacement

Cape George 31

Cecil Lange & Son · 1990 · Cutter rig

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Cape George 31 profile drawing
LOA31'
Beam9.58'
Draft4.5'
Displ.7.9t
Rigcutter
HullFiberglass

Bluewater Evidence · Ocean Proven

88% confidence
Doc.CapableProven

Atom Voyages' list of good old boats for offshore cruising includes the Cape George 31 and calls factory-finished boats exquisite in design and quality, while noting they are rare, expensive and heavy. John Neal's Boats to Consider for Ocean Cruising lists the Cape George 31, rated 2 of 5: 'Many owner-completed, quality varies.'

Overview

The Cape George 31 is a heavy bowsprit cutter built in Port Townsend, Washington, by Cecil Lange & Son, from a William Atkin design. Some were sold as kits and finished by their owners.

Design and Construction

The hull is 31 ft on deck and about 36 ft overall with the bowsprit, on a 27 ft 6 in waterline. Displacement is 15,835 lb with about 7,800 lb of ballast in a full keel drawing 4 ft 6 in, and the rudder hangs on the transom. The hull is hand-laid fiberglass, with decks, bulkheads and interior in wood. Cecil Lang developed 31-, 34-, 38-, 40.5- and 45-foot versions of the original Cape George 36 design.

Under Sail

The cutter rig carries about 634 sq ft. The long waterline for the size helps a heavy boat keep moving.

Buyers Notes

Factory-finished boats are the ones Atom praises; owner-finished kits vary, so survey the joinery and systems carefully. They are rare and expensive.

Passage records

Infinity· Susan Travers and Elba Borgen2008

Mexico to the Marquesas (Pacific Puddle Jump)

Sailed about 3,000 miles from Mexico to Nuku Hiva with the 2008 Puddle Jump group.

Source: Latitude 38: Changes in Latitudes, March 2009

Known Issues

Wood deck structure and bulwarksseriousPassageBoats editorial

Cape George hulls are hand-laid fiberglass, but decks, bulkheads and interiors are wood. Good Old Boat names rot as a concern for Cape George cutters, professionally built ones included, especially on the inside of the bulwarks.

Inspection: Sound and moisture-meter the deck, the inside of the bulwarks and bulkhead attachments; probe any soft or stained wood.

Source: Good Old Boat: Cape George Cutter 38 (Brandon Ford, 2019)

Owner-finished hullsmoderatePassageBoats editorial

The yard sold boats at any stage of completion, and many buyers finished bare hulls themselves. Good Old Boat reports that some were not finished well and that homebuilders sometimes scrimped.

Inspection: Establish who finished the boat. On an owner-finished hull, check ballast, chainplate and deck-to-hull work as closely as the joinery.

Source: Good Old Boat: Cape George Cutter 38 (Brandon Ford, 2019)

What sailing channels say about the Cape George 31, quoted from video transcripts with a link to the exact moment. Opinions belong to the speakers; the written review above stays independent of them.

discusses

The owner describes the 31-foot Cape George cutter, built from a bare hull, with a Yankee set off the bowsprit and a topping lift and storm trysail track ready for heavy weather.

discusses

The owner rigged a boom preventer with Dyneema straps through welded tangs: "we've even dipped the boat so far before and put the boom in the water and it's just rock solid with this setup".

recommends

The owner, 6 ft 2 in, can stand fully below. He says a great offshore feature is "how narrow she is": he can grab the handholds and have "both hands holding onto the boat should she start to roll around".

discusses

Living in the ends of the boat is hardest because that is where the most motion is. The forward bunk is lovely but you will be tossed around in pitching, and "the best bunks in the boat are back here in the saloon".

  1. [1]EditorialJohn Neal - Boats to Consider for Ocean Cruising (Mahina)- Lists the Cape George 31, rated 2 of 5.
  2. [2]SpecificationsCAPE GEORGE 31 - SailboatData.com- Dimensions, displacement, ballast, sail area, keel, rig, designer and builder.
  3. [3]EditorialAtom Voyages - good old boats for offshore cruising- Lists the Cape George 31 with specifications, pluses and minuses.
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