raven 31 yacht review

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By Alcoyano , September 5, 2014 in MarineTalk

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Hi my name is Isidro and I am a Spaniard living in Nz for 3 years now.

I have just registered on the forum,though I have been following some threads for some time now.

I am considering seriously to change my 6 m. Aluminium boat for a yacht and I would like some advise from the knowledgeable members of this forum about NZ Made cruisers

My plans are

28 to 31 ft.

GRP preferable though I have read good things on DD Kaury Keelers

Budget 50 to 60k or so

Plans purely cruising So not interesting in racing though a it would be nice a not so slow boat without compromising stability or safety.

Area Mostly Hauraki Gulf with incursion into the Ocean like Mercury,Bay of Islands,Mokinahu,etc.

Crew Solo handed most of the time with frequents accompanying of wife and teen daughter with no sailing experience.

Also plans to use as a fishing platform frequently.

Interior and commodities are important for us .

I have seen a couple of Raven 31 causing me good impression.

Also a lotus 9.2 in good condition and all on my budget or less.

Any ideas or opinions?

I have read that the raven 31 has a displacement of 2 tons with one tone of ballast which seems to me too light for the size. Would stability would be compromise?

The lotus I think is about 3.6 tons which for same size is nearly twice as much.

Also I have read that the Ravens are built on solid GRP vs the other on a core . Which ones would be more resistant to impact and solid?

Any thoughts,advise or a news to my questions by the knowledgeable members of this forum would be greatly appreciated.

I know it would be better to spend my money on other more common sense enterprises but the calls of salt on the blood craving to go sailing are driving me mad.

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Davidson 31 could be another option to look at as well

Island Time 1,211

Hi Isidro, Welcome aboard!

Any of those three are good, capable boats. The displacement to ballast ratio is what your are talking about - it is an indicator of stiffness (how well it will hold sail in a breeze without heeling - much) . However, don't read too much into that, as hull shape, draft, ballast location etc all make a large difference as well.

As a general rule, cored boats are lighter. Solid GRP is heavy. The Raven 26's were solid GRP, but looking at the specs of the Raven 31, I would suspect not - too light.

Displacement - lighter, with more sail area, normally means faster. Lighter boats move around more, and can be less comfortable at sea. Everything is a compromise.

Both these boats and several others would be fine, just shop around until you get a nice example.

Hull Type: Fin w/spade rudder Rig Type: Fractional Sloop

LOA: 28.87' / 8.80m LWL: 25.59' / 7.80m

Beam: 9.58' / 2.92m Listed SA: 363 ft2 / 33.72 m2

Draft (max.) 5.48' / 1.67m Draft (min.)

Disp. 4409 lbs./ 2000 kgs. Ballast: 2205 lbs. / 1000 kgs.

SA/Disp.: 21.66 Bal./Disp.: 50.00% Disp./Len.: 117.46

Designer: Owen Woolley

Builder: Lotus Yachts/NZ Yachts (NZ)

Construct.: FG Bal. type:

First Built: 1983 Last Built: # Built: 60

URL: www.ravenyachts.com

Hull Type: Fin w/transom hung rudder Rig Type: Masthead Sloop

LOA: 30.18' / 9.20m LWL: 26.25' / 8.00m

Beam: 10.99' / 3.35m Listed SA: 443 ft2 / 41.15 m2

Disp. 7937 lbs./ 3600 kgs. Ballast: 3199 lbs. / 1451 kgs.

SA/Disp.: 17.87 Bal./Disp.: 40.31% Disp./Len.: 195.89

Designer: Alan Wright

Builder: Lotus Yachts (NZ)

First Built: 1975 Last Built: # Built: 160

More about & boats designed by: Alan Wright

The Davidsons are good as well, but I could not find the specs on a 31 in my quick search.

Whatever you do, get the boat surveyed!! These are not new boats, and although a good one is a gem, there are some poorly maintained ones out there! New sails and a new engine could be almost as much as you pay for the boat!!

I'm pretty doubtful about that displacement for the Raven.

My info has it at 3318kg which seems more likely.

Yep, I'd have to agree! Seems really light - and a 50% balast ratio seems unlikely

ScarecrowR31 8

Hi guys Raven 31 data given is wrong, 9.45m LOD, 3.2 beam and with a real displacement of about 4000kg loaded and about 1450kg ballast. Draught about 5 ft (sorry to mix metric with imperial) Open transom the biggest advantage over the lotus and slightly more roomy. Hard on wind Lotus better. Reaching probably the Raven and dead down wind, pretty even except when the Lotus uses masthead spinnaker and its light. The heavier it gets the better Ravens seem to go.

Biggest advantage is I can carry a 2.5m inflatable across the scoop when sailing and it is real easy to pull up and let down. Great cruising boat but not so good racing.

PM me if you have any questions

Thank you guys

I am amazed at the speed of the answer and the amount of knowledge.

I will need a lot of time to digest all the information given.

That will be this evening and I will come back with more questions

tuffyluffy 76

OK, the Raven website does not even know the displacement of the R31!

Construction: GRP

LOA: 31ft '/ 9.45m

LWL: 28ft 9in/ 8.94m

Beam: 10.6' / 3.2m

Draft: 5ft 5 in / 1.67m

Displacement: TBC

Price: $70,000 - $90,000

There are a heap of second hand yachts that are great for cruising in that length range and well within that price range - e.g. (apart from the ones already mentioned)

Townson (take your pick on the design)

Spencer 28/30/32

Cavalier 32

Challenge 29

Carpenter 29

Easterly 30

Lidgard (various and sundry versions)

All good ships in their day. Of course, there'll be as many opinions on each of these as there are sailors!!

And in the price range you're looking at you'll get a REALLY good one!!!

As always, survey, survey, survey!!!!!!!

My advice is to make a list of everything you want in a yacht. Then prioritize it. Then eliminate the yachts that don't fit. Narrow it down to a few classes - and look at heaps of boats within those selected classes.

ballystick 72

There is also Noelex 30's such as mine - flexible on pricing heaps of good gear on it, set up for cruising and newer than most of those on the list.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/boats-marine/yachts/keeler/auction-765626647.htm

Make sure you have a look at this one, it's great value.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/boats-m ... 740476.htm

If your going to fish then try and get an open transom

Battgirl 23

out of curiosity which of the boats mentioned in this thread would you sail on the RNI or across the Tasman?

Across the Tasman! None unless you really like getting wet. Some would be more capable than others but me personally every crossing of the Tasman I have done we've had a hiding on boats twice as big.

Black Panther 1,568

Whiting 29 Pretty sure it has been done

Townson (take your pick on the design) as above

Young 88 Nah

Spencer 28/30/32 Maybe the 32

Nova 28 Been done and lots more besides

Cavalier 32 I've done the Tasman 2-3 times in one plus a lot more

Challenge 29 Pretty sure it has done RNI

Carpenter 29 Or am I thinking of this?

Chico 30 Great trip across the Tasman on one back in '78 after the boat had won Solo TT

Easterly 30 One of these was in the same race

Lidgard (various and sundry versions) Yes

Lotus 9.2 probably

Marauder Probably but I wouldn't be excited about it

Farr 9.2 Nah

The ability to make challenging passages is more about the crew than the boat. If you don't think you can you probably shouldn't.

Mmmmmmmmmmm, reason why the sister ship of my current 32" ferro hartley held the record for so long as the fastest unassisted single handed sail around the world in the eighties. Anyhow I would happily do the same thing with mine but I have thousands of offshore miles under my belt, frankly if you threw a light bulb of the east coast in NZ it would wash up ashore in South America unbroken.

In this range of boats just go to yacht clubs and talk to people and look at boats and ask to go sailing on them. The one you find will do the job and you will find it in your good time

If Shanson's is still for sale, it has to be one of those " Deals of the century". It is a 36fter though. A Cascade 36 out of the US. Currently getting a Birthday treat on the Hard at Westpark. Very Solid, probably one of the most Solid Fibreglass Hulls to be built in the US and a very capable Blue Water Boat. She was sailed down here form the US. PM Shanson (he had a recent post in Classifieds) and at the least, arrange a quick look before she goes back in the water. If that is too late, he at least has some good Pics of her out.

Agree, the Cascade is an excellent boat, but just about unheard of in NZ so he's having trouble shifting it.

I think most are having trouble shifting anything. And Shanson is not exactly pushing for a sale. He's in one of those catch 22's of, need to sell but love to sale.

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RAVEN 31: Big volume, comfortable cruising

Our Raven 31s, Kokako, Liaison, and Misha are NZ designed and built, comfortable, cruising yachts.  The Raven 31 rig is modest, with the intention being to provide sails and gear that can be easily handled by a couple.  Features include a walk-through transom for easy swimming and dinghy access, roller furler headsail, lazy jacks and two reefs in the mainsail, comfortable appointments and an inboard motor.

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• Sail area: 38.08m2
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