The Hughes 31 is a Canadian sailboat that was designed by

Sparkman & Stephens Sparkman & Stephens is a naval architecture and yacht brokerage firm with offices in Newport, Rhode Island and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA. The firm performs design and engineering of new and existing vessels for pleasure, commercial, and milita ...

as a

cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several roles. The term "cruiser", which has been in use for several hu ...

and first built in 1979. It is a version of Sparkman & Stephens's design number 2098. The Hughes 31 is a development of the

North Star 1000 The PJ-30 1/2 Ton is a sailboat that was designed by Sparkman & Stephens as an International Offshore Rule Half Ton class racer and first built in 1973. It was simultaneously sold in Canada with a different deck and coach house design as the ...

Production

The design was built by

Hughes Boat Works Hughes Boat Works was a Canadian boat builder based in Centralia, Ontario. The company specialized in the design and manufacture of fibreglass sailboats. The company was founded by brothers Howard and Peter Hughes in 1963 and closed in 1991. H ...

in Canada, starting in 1979, but it is now out of production.

Design

The Hughes 31 was derived from the Sparkman & Stephens' North Star 1000 design by extending the

transom Transom may refer to: * Transom (architecture), a bar of wood or stone across the top of a door or window, or the window above such a bar * Transom (nautical), that part of the stern of a vessel where the two sides of its hull meet * Operation Tran ...

and increasing the beam, plus redesigning a larger coach house roof to give increased cabin interior volume for cruising. The design is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fibreglass, with wood trim. It has a masthead sloop rig, a reverse transom, a skeg-mounted rudder and a fixed fin keel. It displaces and carries of ballast. The boat has a draft of with the standard keel. The boat is fitted with an OMC Saildrive gasoline engine or an optional Japanese Yanmar 2GM diesel engine for docking and manoeuvring. The design has sleeping accommodation for six people, with a double

"V"-berth A berth is a bed or sleeping accommodation on vehicles. Space accommodations have contributed to certain common design elements of berths. Beds in boats or ships While beds on large ships are little different from those on shore, the lack ...

in the bow cabin, a fold-out double settee and a single straight settee in the main cabin and an aft

quarter berth A berth is a bed or sleeping accommodation on vehicles. Space accommodations have contributed to certain common design elements of berths. Beds in boats or ships While beds on large ships are little different from those on shore, the lack ...

on the starboard side. The

galley A galley is a type of ship that is propelled mainly by oars. The galley is characterized by its long, slender hull, shallow draft, and low freeboard (clearance between sea and gunwale). Virtually all types of galleys had sails that could be used ...

is located on the port side just forward of the

companionway In the architecture of a ship, a companion or companionway is a raised and windowed hatchway in the ship's deck, with a ladder leading below and the hooded entrance-hatch to the main cabins. A companionway may be secured by doors or, commonly in ...

ladder. The galley is L-shaped and is equipped with a two-burner stove, icebox and a sink. A navigation station is opposite the galley, on the starboard side. The

head A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may ...

is located just aft of the bow cabin on the port side. The design has a hull speed of .

Operational history

In a 1999 review in

Canadian Yachting ''Canadian Yachting'' is a bi-monthly (six issues a year) magazine, and boating news website which documents the Canadian yachting scene - from dinghies to keelboats, cruising to racing, youth sailing and around the world events.kerwil.com: "Ab ...

Pat Sturgeon wrote, "I always describe the Hughes 31 as a boat that gives "good bang for the buck" and the main saloon plays a big part in this evaluation. The table is all teak and folds up on the port bulkhead. This makes the main area of the boat very roomy. The cushions are made with four-inch-thick foam and the settees are quite comfortable. The location and layout of the galley make it appear to be an extension of the main cabin and the quarter berth - another feature that makes the Hughes 31 feel very spacious. If you have guests on board, the port-side settee can be turned into a double bed, bringing the total number of available sleeping spaces to six."

References

{{Sparkman & Stephens Keelboats 1970s sailboat type designs Sailing yachts Sailboat type designs by Sparkman and Stephens Sailboat types built by Hughes Boat Works

Production

Design

Operational history

See also

References