31' Southern Cross 1980

From the desk of Bob Perry:

"Southern Cross is certainly a beautiful design. There is a careful balance in the sheer and the overhangs which makes it look very "right."

Gillmer has given the yacht good initial stability and much flatter and easier buttocks than the true Colin Archer type. There is also more buoyancy in the ends of the yacht to ensure a dry ride and plenty of reserve stability as the yacht heels. The flatter buttocks will make the yacht faster and reduce the tendency the Colin Archer type has to hobbyhorse.

The Southern Cross should be an able performer and an excellent sea boat. The large outboard rudder will give good maneuverability and help offset the resistance of the deep fore foot in turning. The quite full keel sections allow the designer to place the ballast and fresh water tank very low, again resulting in an increase in stability. 

The interior layout is as simple as it could be and near perfect to my eye today. For pure functionality it's hard to beat these old orthogonal layouts. The interior is quite standard with the exception of a rather nice forward stateroom arrangement. The main settee berths are 6'6" long as are the forward berths. This is a feature slighted by some designers. The berths also seem quite wide, they appear to be about 30 inches wide. This is indeed a comfortable size. There is 6'2" headroom throughout. All the interior wood is Bruynzeel, the best you can buy, and Honduras mahogany. It is oil finished. 

Hull construction is hand laid up fiberglass with a molded in stem and sternpost. This will give the vessel a traditional look. The hull laminate has a half inch Airex foam core. This is an expensive detail, but the end result is a very stiff hull with good insulative qualities. The lead ballast is bonded inside the hull and is 4,100 pounds lead.

One feature of the cutter, which is often overlooked, is its ability to be very close-winded. Consider this, a large genoa needs to be sheeted outside the upper shrouds and results in a wide sheeting angle, not at all suitable for close windward work. But the yankee jib on a cutter can be sheeted inside the upper shrouds. This gives a reasonable sheeting angle without resorting to inboard chainplates.

The Southern Cross is a beautiful addition to the growing fleet of series built double enders."



We don't come across classic bluewater boats as often as we used to. Even less common is to find one in good condition and with useful information to become your real cruising platform. This is a time tested design, built to last, nicely updated with an equally dependable 2001 Yanmar diesel engine. Awaiting your inspection on land, in Pasadena, Md, at a full service yard with quick access to the Chesapeake Bay and beyond. If you are looking for a real cruising boat, but this one on your list!

Listing MLS by Yachtr.com