English
RUSTLER 31, Moulded 1988 & completed 1991. Attractively priced at £14,950
‘Saltire' is a late example of the renowned Rustler 31, moulded by Orion Marine of Falmouth and fitted out by her original [still current] owner. She has been sailed as far south as the Cape Verde islands and then west, across the Atlantic to Bermuda. The following year she was cruised up the east coast of America before being sailed home to the Plymouth area.
In common with the 28' Twister and the bigger Rustler 36, the Rustler 31 shares an enviable reputation for sea kindliness and all-weather speed. Class examples are much sought-after for their long-distance passage making ability.
Saltire's original engine was replaced in 2008/9 while cruising in America, using a modern Betamarine, indirectly-cooled, 20HP diesel. The underwater surfaces have been epoxy coated from new. The standing rigging has been replaced (in parts between 2008, 2016 & 2018) and she is fitted with a ‘Monitor’ self-steering vane gear (purchased 2006).
Rustler 31’s do not come on the market often and ‘Saltire' represents a super opportunity to purchase a very capable cruising boat with a proven pedigree. This hull will take one as far as one wants to go and the emphasis will be of the yacht caring for the occupants – as opposed to the other way around, now more commonly experienced.
Our ‘cloud’-based archive of photos of this yacht is available to study; contact us for the link.
Accommodation Summary:
The boat's traditionally laid out accommodation plan provides for up to five berths in total, but more relevantly offers a choice of berths about the general plan to enable secure sleeping on whichever tack. The galley is placed to port side (thereby enabling the vessel to be hove to on starboard tack) while 'brewing up' or preparing a meal, while an aft-facing chart table is conveniently located close to the companionway to starboard and affords plenty of protection to the chart table itself.
Straight (and parallel to the centreline) settee/berths in the main cabin are both of 6'6" with an additional (narrow) pilot berth to port side. Being amidships these three bunks will offer maximum comfort and utility at sea. In this example, a pedestal mounted, leafed table may be set up on the centreline; convenient for two when dining, or totally removed for maximum useable sole area.
In the Rustler 31, the relatively generous heads compartment (over that of the Twister) could be fitted to port of the centreline and consequently is totally independent of the need to serve as access to the forward cabin. The vestibule area to the starboard side of the centreline, opposite the heads compartment features a hanging locker.
Forward Cabin: Features a double Vee berth beneath an aft-facing for’hatch for light and ventilation. Cushions are of deep foam. Artificial lighting from two swivelling, bulkhead-mounted lights. Hull sides and undersides of forward and side decks are vinyl lined on independent, screw-fastened plywood panels. Sail stowage under the forward end of the berths, while the two under-berth lockers at the head end of the berths are retained too.
Heads Compartment: Fitted with a 'Jabsco', large bowel marine toilet. A slide-out hand basin (with hand-pumped freshwater) drains into the WC’s bowl. Headroom in this compartment is approx.5'6".
Main Cabin: Two parallel settee berths face each other across a relatively narrow sole, with deep lockers (used for food staples and tools beneath the port side's berth and sailing equipment to starboard). The berths' backrests offer large, closed lockers behind and, in the case of the port side, the pilot berth represents a useful fiddled stowage area. To starboard, there is an array of individual, closed lockers.
Galley: Located to port of the companionway, A Spinflow Nelson two burner grill & oven cooker, with flame-failure devices to all burners is well gimballed. The galley is fitted with a stainless steel sink and moulded cool box (no refrigeration). Dedicated crockery stowage beneath the port side deck and large staples storage in closed locker abaft the cool box.
Navigation Area: This is located to starboard of the companionway and faces aft. The deep chart table features significant fore and aft depth to accommodate paper charts, with stowage locker beneath. The Icom VHF radio is mounted above. A generous degree of stowage for books and almanacs has been provided beneath the starboard side deck.
Mechanical and Electrical Systems
Engine: A Betamarine B-20 HE (approx. 20 BHP) indirectly cooled diesel was professionally fitted in 2009 to replace the original Vetus 20. The engine drives a three-bladed fixed propeller. The LCD read-out to indicate number of engine hours run is not currently working.
Electrical: 2 x 80 A/hr lead acid batteries (new 2021) are fitted in dedicated stowage within the navigator’s seat and are selected/isolated by a rotary switch located beneath the companionway, alongside 2 x 5-way switch/fuse panels that are mounted on a hinged access panel.
Spars and Rigging
Rigged as a masthead Bermudan sloop on aluminium spars by Isomat, with a rod kicker to support the boom when reefing the mainsail and vertical pole stowage system for a spinnaker pole. Twin backstays. Halyards and reefing lines are tensioned and made-off at the goose-neck, where a self-tailing winch is fitted to handle the halyards and a single-speed simple winch is fitted for the mainsail’s reefing pennants. A new Furlex roller reefing system for the headsail was fitted in 2018.
It is reported that the rest of the standing rigging has been replaced in the lifetime of the vessel, but no documentary evidence is held. The upper shrouds were replaced in advance of the Atlantic circuit (2008); the lower shrouds in 2016.
Sails
• Mainsail (2011) by Chris Scanes of Topsham.
• Roller-reefing genoa (2008)
• Cruising Chute – described as had very light use.
• Storm Jib – unused.
Deck Equipment
• Barient 21 self-tailing primary sheet winches.
• Raymarine ST6002 control head with ST2000 tiller pilot ram and a Raymarine SmartPilot S1 course computer.
• ‘Monitor’ Vane operated self-steering system
• ‘Contest’ bulkhead steering compass by Plastimo.
• Towable headsail sheet cars, with lines brought back to within reach of the cockpit.
• Anchorman windlass with horizontal chain gypsy.
• 35lbs CQR anchor attached to m of 25m all chain cable.
• Vertical spinnaker pole stowage system.
• Teak-style synthetic sheathing to cockpit seats and sole.
• Recent (2024) replacement sprayhood (with previous as winter ‘spare’ left on board).
• Cockpit speaker to be able to monitor VHF traffic.
• Red ensign and staff.
• Minimum of 6 inflatable fenders and 6 mooring ropes.
• Pedestal mount in cockpit sole to receive the leafed table’s mounting leg.
• Pair of cockpit cushions.
• Inflatable dinghy by Avon. Described as ‘old’ but without air leaks. ‘Doughnut’ style design. Pair of paddles, pump and outboard mounting bracket.
• ‘Swiftimatic’ aid for picking up moorings.
• Usual boat hook; bucket, deck scrubber, etc.
Safety Equipment
• Icom IC-M330 DSC capable VHF radio. (Note: there is currently no GPS and therefore no positional input to this unit)
• Handheld VHF radio.
• Pilot gas sensor and audible alarm.
• 4-person life raft in a canister stowed on coach roof in a specific stowage cradle. Date of manufacture 2005, with last serviced date marked as being 2018.
• Manual bilge pump, operable from within the cockpit.
• 2nd manual bilge pump, operable from within the accommodation space, located beneath the chart table.
General note on safety equipment: Any safety equipment such as Liferafts, Epirbs, fire extinguishers and flares etc. are usually personal to the current owner(s) and if being left on-board as part of the sale of a used vessel may require routine servicing, replacement, or changing to meet a new owner’s specific needs.
Ownership History & Background
In single ownership from new, ‘Saltire’ was fitted out by the current owner to a good standard. Before embarking on building ‘Saltire’, the current owner attended various RYA theory and practical courses and enjoyed cross-channel crossings on others’ boats followed by a trip across Biscay and had developed a clear idea of what he would be looking for in the design of a boat when he came to buy for himself. Once in a position to purchase what he wanted, he developed the idea of fitting out a home-build structurally-finished mouldings and the Rustler 31, designed by Kim Holman and produced by Orion Marine of Falmouth, fitted the bill admirably.
Based in Devon, ‘Saltire’ was moored on the river Tamar while the family enjoyed coastal exploration and cruising before - in 2006 - a plan to sail to America (where our client’s brother lived) developed. ‘Saltire’ set out from the UK in 2008, three-handed, and headed south to pick up the Tradewinds and ultimately found herself arriving in the Cap Verde islands, before continuing west to enjoy an efficient and relatively relaxed, down-hill ride to Bermuda and then, single-handed, on to America’s eastern seaboard.
The original Vetus engine was found to be in need of replacement, so the vessel was left in the States while our client returned to the UK and had a new British built Beta Marine engine shipped to America and fitted professionally on his behalf. Then, in 2009, ‘Saltire’ cruised up the east coast, initially through the Intercoastal Waterway, in order to fulfill a personal ambition to sail past New York’s Statue of Liberty before returning across the Atlantic to the UK and the Saltash moorings on her own keel, two-handed again.
Subsequently, ‘Saltire’ returned to Channel crossings and family cruising about the Westcountry and has been based on a marina berth in Sutton Harbour Marina for the last 9 years.
Disclaimer
The Company offers the details of this vessel in good faith but cannot guarantee or warrant the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of the vessel. A buyer should instruct his agents, or his surveyors, to investigate such details as the buyer desires validated. This vessel is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal without notice.