Island Packet Yachts Bluewater Sailboats
Island Packet 31, the Little Cutter That Built a Company
A 30 ft 7 in full-keel cruiser with the galley of a 36 footer, launched at Annapolis in 1983 and still one of the cheapest ways into an Island Packet.
- Length
- 34.3 ft10.46 m
- Beam
- 11.5 ft3.51 m
- Draft
- 4 ft1.22 m
- Cabins
- 1 forward cabin plus a double quarter berth that closes off with a folding door
- Used price
- $35K to $60K
On this page
- Overview
- Fourteen orders at Annapolis and a company on its feet
- A cod's head hull and what it buys you
- Under sail: a reaching boat that steers itself
- Inside: a 36 footer's galley in a 31 foot hull
- PolyCore decks, iron ballast and an honest build
- 22 or 27 horsepower, and why it matters
- Keel or centerboard: the 3 ft question
- What a sound IP 31 costs to buy and keep
- Specifications
- Price and value
- Strengths and weaknesses
- Used buyer checklist
- Rivals
- Our verdict
- FAQ
The Island Packet 31 is Bob Johnson's beamy full-keel cutter of 1983 to 1989, about 262 built in Largo, Florida. Roomy, stiff and shoal-draft, it now sells for roughly $35,000 to $60,000.
- Couples cruising the Chesapeake, Florida and the Bahamas
- First-time cruisers on a $40,000 to $60,000 budget
- Thin-water sailors who want the centerboard version
- Owners who value comfort at anchor over speed
Fourteen orders at Annapolis and a company on its feet
Bob Johnson, an MIT-trained naval architect who had drawn boats for Endeavour and Irwin, started Traditional Watercraft in 1979 and sold a beamy, catboat-like 26 footer as the Island Packet. The Island Packet 31 was his next step. It went on show at the 1983 US Sailboat Show in Annapolis, where Practical Sailor reports 14 orders were taken, and it stayed in production until 1989. Sailboatdata counts 262 hulls; Jack Hornor, reviewing the boat for SpinSheet, put the total at 265, many of them sold around the Chesapeake.
Hornor called the design a risk, because traditional looks divide sailors, and concluded the risk paid off: the 31 established Island Packet's hold on the market while long-established builders were closing. It was replaced by the Island Packet 32 in 1989, a boat Hornor considered likely to perform better thanks to a more conventional spread of volume. Anyone searching for an island packet 31 today is shopping a 35 to 40 year old boat, so condition, not the badge, sets the deal.
Island Packet 31 by the numbers
- Sail area to displacement
- 17.2Balanced power for coastal and offshore cruising.
- Displacement to length
- 230Moderate displacement, a classic cruising balance between load carrying and speed.
- Theoretical hull speed
- 7.1 knThe practical top speed of a displacement monohull under normal sailing, based on waterline length.
- Ballast ratio
- 41%A high ballast ratio, so the boat stands up well to a breeze.
- Capsize screening
- 2.07Above 2.0, so this hull leans toward coastal stability over ultimate offshore resistance.
- Motion comfort ratio
- 22.1A quicker motion in waves, typical of light, beamy hulls.
- Length to beam ratio
- 2.99 : 1A beamy hull with lots of volume for its length.
A cod's head hull and what it buys you
The numbers explain the character. Length on deck is just 30 ft 7 in, but the bow pulpit stretches overall length to 34 ft 4 in, which matters when you rent a slip. Beam is 11 ft 6 in, and Hornor pointed out that maximum beam sits forward of amidships, a cod's head shape typical of late 19th century boats. The bow is nearly plumb, the transom vertical and in line with the trailing edge of the keel-hung rudder, and the coachroof runs parallel to the waterline. The 11,000 lb displacement carries 4,500 lb of ballast, a ballast ratio of about 41 percent.
Practical Sailor framed the trade-off plainly. Johnson started from the premise of a shoal-draft cruiser, so ballast cannot be carried very low, and in the fixed-keel boats it is iron ingots set in concrete rather than lead. Beam makes up the stability and creates the interior volume, but the price is pointing ability and, in theory, a less favorable range of stability than a narrow, deep hull. Sailboatdata's capsize screening figure of 2.07 sits just above the conventional 2.0 offshore threshold, and the comfort ratio of 22 places the boat with coastal cruisers. PS's conclusion was that the IP 31 is best suited to coastal cruising, while conceding owners have taken them offshore happily.
Under sail: a reaching boat that steers itself
Most 31s left Largo with the double-headsail rig, a 110 percent lapper on the headstay and a free-set staysail inside it, though a sloop was offered. One owner told Practical Sailor it is not a true cutter, since the mast is stepped well forward, and suggested either hanking the staysail on a proper stay or sailing her as a sloop with a 150 percent genoa. Isomat built the spar to take inner forestay loads without running backstays.
Owners agree on the shape of the performance curve. Reaching is her best point of sail and she gets quick once the breeze passes about 12 knots. Upwind she is slow, the beam forward slows her in a seaway, and several owners reported missing tacks and ending up in irons. Light air is not her friend; heavy air suits her. On the plus side the boat balances well enough that one family thought the autopilot was on when she was simply tracking, and another owner said he could not bury the rail on purpose. Reverse is the familiar full-keel story, with the propeller in an aperture and limited control astern until you learn her habits.
Inside: a 36 footer's galley in a 31 foot hull
The layout is conventional and works. A 6 ft 6 in V-berth sits forward, followed by a generous head with shower, then facing settees in the saloon with a folding dinette table. Aft, the U-shaped galley fills the port quarter with a double sink and a large top-opening icebox, and Hornor judged it the size you would expect on a 35 to 38 footer. To starboard, a double quarter berth doubles as the nav station: the chart table flips up and a folding door closes the berth off as a small private cabin. Headroom is 6 ft 3 in.
Joinery is teak with a teak and holly sole. The interior is built on a PolyCore liner tabbed to the hull, which PS does not love for noise or for reaching the hull in an emergency, but it praised Island Packet's tooling and the way the liner stops at settee-back height so wood dominates the eye. Later boats added a cockpit shower, a stern rail gate with swim ladder and metal rather than plastic opening ports, all worth looking for.
PolyCore decks, iron ballast and an honest build
Johnson avoided balsa altogether. The deck is cored with PolyCore, the company's mixture of polyester resin and microballoons, which Island Packet said weighs about the same as a half-inch balsa deck. Because it is chemically bonded, rot and wet-core delamination of the balsa kind are not the issue; Practical Sailor had no owner reports of deck problems or blisters, and Hornor had not found serious delamination either, though he flagged occasional minor laminate separation on older Packets in general.
The hull is solid triaxial glass in polyester. Ballast is encapsulated, the rudder is a high-density foam core in fiberglass on a 1.5 inch stainless stock, and a stainless box strap joins keel and rudder to keep lines out of the propeller. Hardware was good quality: Edson rack and pinion steering, Ronstan blocks and Isomat spars. The one recurring structural note is chainplates. Early Island Packets embedded them in the laminate, and stainless starved of oxygen can corrode unseen. Many owners have refit them externally, through-bolted to glassed-in pads, and PS says that is exactly what you want to see.
22 or 27 horsepower, and why it matters
For roughly the first year and a half the 31 used a 22 hp Yanmar. Hornor explains that Yanmar itself replaced the 3GM22 with the 3GM30 in 1985, and Island Packet followed, installing the 27 hp version from then on. At least one owner told PS the 22 felt inadequate, while the 27 gives more push against a foul tide or short chop. Either engine is serviceable and owners report few problems, good access and good performance under power.
Tankage is modest by today's standards: about 25 gallons of fuel and 70 gallons of water. That is enough for coastal cruising and the Bahamas, and many owners add jerry cans for longer hops. A boat that has been repowered in the last 15 years with a modern three-cylinder diesel deserves a premium, because a new engine and installation can approach half the value of the boat.
Keel or centerboard: the 3 ft question
Two underbodies were built. The fixed keel draws 4 ft 0 in. The keel and centerboard model draws just 3 ft 0 in with the board up and 7 ft 0 in down, and its board is built like the rudder with a little lead at the tip. Sources disagree on how many were built that way: Practical Sailor's owner survey suggested about half, while Hornor put it closer to 10 percent. Either way they are on the market, and they suit the Florida Keys, the Bahamas banks and shoal Chesapeake creeks.
The centerboard adds a pennant, a sheave and a trunk to maintain, and an unused board can jam with growth. If you sail in deep water, the fixed-keel boat is the simpler choice. If 3 ft of draft opens up your cruising ground, inspect the board hauled out, with the pennant and pivot pin replaced in the last few years.
What a sound IP 31 costs to buy and keep
Asking prices are low enough that the refit list matters more than the purchase price. With PS's 2024 scan between about $40,000 and $52,500, a realistic 2026 band is $35,000 for a tired boat with original systems to around $60,000 for one with a recent repower, external chainplates, newer sails and refrigeration. Budget $5,000 to $11,000 a year for a slip or mooring, haul-out and bottom paint, insurance and routine engine and rigging maintenance, more if the standing rigging is overdue.
The owner base is unusually loyal. Practical Sailor said it had reviewed few boats whose owners were more uniformly enthusiastic, and one wrote that all Island Packet owners are the company's sales force. That loyalty keeps resale steady, but it also means some sellers price on affection. Compare against the IP 32 and the smaller IP 27 before committing.
Island Packet 31 specifications
| Length overall | 34.3 ft10.46 m |
|---|---|
| Waterline length | 27.8 ft8.46 m |
| Beam | 11.5 ft3.51 m |
| Draft | 4 ft1.22 m |
| Air draft | 43.5 ft13.26 m |
| Displacement | 11, lbs4,99 kg |
| Ballast | 4,5 lbs2,041 kg |
| Sail area | 531 sq ft49.3 m² |
| Fuel capacity | 25 gal95 L |
| Fresh water | 7 gal265 L |
| Cabins | 1 forward cabin plus a double quarter berth that closes off with a folding door |
| Berths | 6 |
| Heads | 1 with shower |
| Standard engines | Yanmar 3GM22 diesel, 22 hp (early boats); Yanmar 3GM30, 27 hp from about 1985 |
| Maximum power | 27 hp |
| Hull type | Beamy U-section monohull with short ends, plumb transom and full keel |
| Keel | Full keel with encapsulated ballast, 4 ft 0 in draft; keel and centerboard version draws 3 ft 0 in board up and 7 ft 0 in board down |
| Rig | Masthead double-headsail (cutter style) rig with free-set staysail, or sloop; Isomat aluminum spar, no running backstays |
| Hull construction | Solid fiberglass hull (triaxial cloth and polyester resin) with a PolyCore resin-and-microballoon cored deck and a molded interior liner |
| Builder | Island Packet Yachts (Traditional Watercraft Inc.), Largo, Florida, USA |
| Naval architect | Robert K. (Bob) Johnson |
| Production | 1983 to 1989 |
| Status | Discontinued |
Figures come from builder documentation and independent tests where available. Displacement is usually quoted light, so a loaded cruising boat will weigh more. Compare these specs with another model.
How much does a Island Packet 31 cost?
Practical Sailor's June 2024 market scan found four IP 31s asking $39,999 to $52,500, from a 1988 boat in South Carolina to a 1985 boat in Georgia. Model year barely matters across a six-year run; what moves the price is the 27 hp engine versus the original 22 hp, rebedded or externally refitted chainplates, sails and canvas, and refrigeration. Centerboard boats sell to a smaller pool of thin-water sailors and can take longer to move.
Estimate your yearly cost
A planning estimate using common rules of thumb: insurance near 1.5 percent of value, maintenance near 3 percent, haul out and bottom paint by length. Your marina, region and use will move these numbers. Open the full cost calculator.
Versions and options
- Fixed full keel
- 4 ft 0 in draft with encapsulated iron ballast; the simpler, more common choice for most sailors.
- Keel and centerboard
- 3 ft 0 in board up, 7 ft 0 in board down; the gunkholer's version, with a board and pennant to maintain.
- Double-headsail rig or sloop
- Most boats carry the lapper and free-set staysail; some were rigged as sloops, and a few owners have converted.
- Early 22 hp and later 27 hp
- Yanmar 3GM22 for roughly the first year and a half, then the 3GM30 at 27 hp from about 1985.
Island Packet 31 timeline
- 1979Bob Johnson founds Traditional Watercraft in Largo, Florida
- 1983Island Packet 31 shown at the US Sailboat Show in Annapolis; 14 orders taken
- 198527 hp Yanmar 3GM30 replaces the original 22 hp engine
- 1989Production ends after about 262 boats; the Island Packet 32 takes over
- 2024Practical Sailor market scan shows asking prices of about $40,000 to $52,500
Strengths and weaknesses
What owners like
- Huge interior volume and a big U-shaped galley for the length
- Stiff, well-balanced and able to track with little helm input
- Shoal draft of 4 ft, or 3 ft with the centerboard up
- Balsa-free PolyCore deck with no history of rot problems
- Strong owner community and steady resale
- Low purchase price for an Island Packet
What to weigh up
- Slow and reluctant to tack upwind, especially in light air
- Overall length of 34 ft 4 in for a 30 ft 7 in boat raises slip costs
- Early embedded chainplates can corrode out of sight
- Small fuel tank of about 25 gallons
- Liner limits access to parts of the hull
Used Island Packet 31 buyer checklist
Take this list to a viewing. Your ticks are saved in this browser so you can come back to it.
Always commission an independent marine survey and an engine survey before you buy. How a marine survey works.
Rivals to consider
Pacific Seacraft 31
Narrower Crealock double-ender with more offshore pedigree, less space and a higher price.
Compare side by sideWestsail 32
Heavier, slower full-keel classic with a canoe stern and a reputation for ocean crossings.
Compare side by sideBaba 30
Taiwan-built Perry double-ender with lots of teak, a tighter interior and more exterior wood to maintain.
Compare side by sideCatalina 30
Lighter fin-keel coastal cruiser that sails better upwind and costs less, with less sense of solidity.
Compare side by sideOur verdict on the Island Packet 31
The Island Packet 31 is not a fast boat and was never meant to be one. It is a beamy, shoal-draft cutter that gives a couple a real galley, a private aft berth and a boat that sits steady at anchor, for the price of a mid-size car. Treat it as a coastal and island cruiser, budget for chainplate inspection and possibly a repower, and choose the keel or centerboard to suit your water. Bought on condition rather than nostalgia, it remains one of the best values in traditional cruising boats.
Island Packet 31 questions answered
How much is an Island Packet 31 worth in 2026?
Most sell in the $35,000 to $60,000 range. Practical Sailor's 2024 market scan showed asking prices from $39,999 to $52,500.
How many Island Packet 31s were built?
About 262 between 1983 and 1989, according to sailboatdata; SpinSheet's reviewer put sales at 265.
What is the draft of an Island Packet 31?
The fixed keel draws 4 ft 0 in. The centerboard version draws 3 ft 0 in with the board up and 7 ft 0 in with it down.
Is the Island Packet 31 a bluewater boat?
It is a solid, seakindly cruiser, but Practical Sailor judged it best suited to coastal cruising because of its shallow ballast and wide beam. Owners have made offshore passages in them.
What engine does an Island Packet 31 have?
Early boats used a 22 hp Yanmar 3GM22; from about 1985 the 27 hp Yanmar 3GM30 was fitted. Many boats have since been repowered.
What replaced the Island Packet 31?
The Island Packet 32, introduced in 1989, which has a more conventional distribution of volume.
More bluewater sailboats to explore
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