Kent 31, RUBY

Specifications

Broker’s Comments

Brian Cory, an avid sailor, turned his passion into a business in 1966 and started Cory Yachts out of their base on the Kent coastline, building racing dinghies, sailing boats and cruising motorboats across the UK and Europe. Brian passed on his knowledge to his son Simon, also an accomplished sailor, who joined the company in 1985 and is now a highly experienced designer and boat builder. Cory Yachts pride themselves on offering a friendly, approachable and tailored service that is just as much about the process, as it is about the quality of the end product.

First launched in the early 2000s, the Kent 31 was the slightly smaller sister of the flagship Kent 33 and was available with either single or twin-engine installation. The huge volume design gave impressive space internally, with beautiful cabinetry work and obvious build quality. With the company’s strong connections with the sailing world, the Kent 31 was an instant hit with those transferring from sail to power. The deep keel and skeg provides great protection to the prop, while making for a comfortable and relaxing ride, perfect for long passages on the coastal and inland waterways of Europe.

RUBY is a special 31 as she has a fixed ‘roof’ to the cockpit, we believe her to be the only one with this. She also has a swim platform which was added on by the current owners in 2021. She was taken back to Cory Yachts in Sandwich, Kent for them the make this addition along with a stern thruster to complement the existing bow thruster and ensure handling is a breeze in a breeze!

Being a full displacement hull, cruising speed is a leisurely 8 knots that certainly does not provide life in the fast lane, but impressive economy in style and comfort.

Owner’s Comments

We bought Ruby in 2019. As novice boat owners, we needed a boat that was safe, reliable, seaworthy and comfortable. The former owner, a previous round the world yachtsman, had taken her across the Channel on many occasions to explore the inland waterways of France and Holland, so we knew Ruby would tick all the boxes for us.

We have certainly enjoyed owning Ruby and exploring the Solent and beyond. She has plenty of handrails to maximise safety on deck; the large windows in the wheelhouse give excellent all-round visibility; internally she is very comfortable for overnight and longer trips and, with the triple wheelhouse doors the roofed cockpit becomes an extension of the wheelhouse and is perfect for entertaining on a summer’s evening.

In 2021 we added the rear platform, for swimming and to help with launching the tender, paddleboards etc, as well as a stern thruster to complement the existing bow thruster, which has significantly increased manoeuvrability in marinas.

Travelling at 7-10 knots, fuel consumption is very economical, and overall Ruby has been a great family boat for all ages.

More photos available on request.