DESCRIPTION

This brand new 2012, Beneteau 31 maintains the same dedication that its larger siblings have to creating a performance cruiser that’s beautiful to look at, comfortable to live aboard and very seaworthy.

Offered with two good size cabins, a large head / shower compartment and grand salon, this new 31 is sure to surprise even the most discerning sailor.

A fold-up transom seat gives the helmsman a place to sit and allows easy access to the swim platform, a dinghy, or the dock. The relatively broad aft end provides ample room going forward in the cockpit, past the standard 36-inch wheel. On the 31, a fold-up hatch in the port quarter provides space for a life raft; by adding a container, it could be used to store gear. A conventional locker is to starboard. Cockpit seats are long enough for a nap and close enough to provide bracing when heeled.

At the foot of the companionway, a head and shower sit to starboard. To port, the L-shaped galley is equipped with a two-burner propane stove and oven, and there’s an icebox with 12-volt refrigeration outboard of the double sinks, which are positioned on the L, closer to the centerline where they belong. Storage space is behind and under the countertop. Forward of the head, the nav station faces aft and uses the end of the settee for a bench. The electrical panel mounted above the desk opens with the push of a latch to reveal neatly organized wiring and automotive-style fuses that can be reset. Both the desk and the galley counters opposite have solid fiddles that also serve as good handholds.

The placement of the forward bulkhead maximizes space in the saloon for entertaining a couple or the family. The V-berth is functional for sleeping, there’s 6-foot headroom, a hanging locker for clothes, storage below the mattress, and shelving to either side. The saloon and V-berth both have opening hatches, and with five opening ports, ventilation should be good.