Grampian 31

[Tylerbjh]

Any opinions From owners Of these boats, more specifically the one located at classic31.ca. With retrofitting with modern day electrical equipment a diesel engine larger fuel and water capacity would this design be safe to sail across an ocean. I'm having a hard time finding information on this model. Thanks

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by Tylerbjh

Any opinions From owners Of these boats, more specifically the one located at classic31.ca. With retrofitting with modern day electrical equipment a diesel engine larger fuel and water capacity would this design be safe to sail across an ocean. I'm having a hard time finding information on this model. Thanks

There is one on ebay with a new trailer with electric brakes and lots of info....DVC

[Mike OReilly]

I don't have any ownership experience with the Gramp 31s, but have been on board one, and I do own a Grampian 34 (that is also for sale: www.elysian.ca ) -- also a ketch. I can tell you these boats were all very solidly built, and are great cruisers.

Grampians were built as solid, "no frills" coastal cruisers. I don't know if Grampian 31s have crossed oceans, but many 34s certainly have. Properly fitted, and properly sailed, I'm sure the 31 could do the blue water job, although that was not their design intent.

On our 34 there is tons of storage space. It would be easy to expand tankage for distance cruising. I haven't crawled around a 31 with that in mind, but my recollection is that it is large for its size and age. You could probably find the space to upgrade the tankage.

[Tylerbjh]

Thanks for the opinions. Mike I must say you have a nice yacht and I may have to consider it. The t
Reason I am so interested in the 31 is the owner must sell and said I could have it for 6k. I am hesitant as I am leaning towards a proven blue water performer although the price obviously goes up. I'm considering just looking for a cotessa 32 as they seem to have a proven track record. Aany other recommendations under the 35000 range?

[perchance]

Originally Posted by Tylerbjh

Any opinions From owners Of these boats, more specifically the one located at classic31.ca. With retrofitting with modern day electrical equipment a diesel engine larger fuel and water capacity would this design be safe to sail across an ocean. I'm having a hard time finding information on this model. Thanks

Did you try the Grampian owners website?

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Tylerbjh

Thanks for the opinions. Mike I must say you have a nice yacht and I may have to consider it. The t
Reason I am so interested in the 31 is the owner must sell and said I could have it for 6k. I am hesitant as I am leaning towards a proven blue water performer although the price obviously goes up. I'm considering just looking for a cotessa 32 as they seem to have a proven track record. Aany other recommendations under the 35000 range?

Thanks Tylerbjh, we've been upgrading our Grampian for a few years now with the aim of moving on board and heading off on an extended cruise. The only reason we're selling is b/c our new (old) boat was a deal that was too good to pass up.

I expect you'd find many boats these days under $35,000 that would work for you. You'll want to start refining your search though. Where do you plan to sail? How do you plan to sail? Crew? What sailing characteristics are you looking for? Then there's hull material, cabin design & layout, storage space, engine, tankage... the list is long, and is best made by you. Finally, what tugs at your heart strings? A boat is more than just a floating vehicle, after all. When we were searching for our new (old) boat we made a spreadsheet of all the criteria we were looking for. This allowed us to objectively compare different boats against each other.

All that being said, assuming the Grampian 31 is in reasonable shape, getting her for $6,000 is probably a good deal. That leaves you with a lot of $$ to play around with. One thing though, don't expect to recoup any investment you put in this old boat. Good equipment on old boats (like ours) doesn't really increase the value much. We've probaly put over $25,000 into Elysian since buying her, and we're now selling her for much less than we originally paid .

[tropicalescape]

The one on ebay is 3000.00 I think and it has been reworked and painted..I can go look at it if interested,not very far...DVC