Ericson Independence 31 Sloop
Description
The Ericson 31 (also known as the Ericson Independence 31 or Ericson 31C) is a classic Bruce King-designed cruiser-racer built by Ericson Yachts from 1977 to 1981. Produced in limited numbers (~100–150 hulls), it bridges traditional CCA-era aesthetics with 1970s performance tweaks, featuring a full keel for stability, a cutter or sloop rig for versatility, and a cozy teak interior for coastal or occasional offshore cruising. It's praised for its seaworthiness in heavy weather, light-air ghosting, and simple handling for couples or small families (sleeps 4–5). Owners appreciate its stiff ride (39% ballast ratio) and forgiving nature (PHRF ~180–198), though the narrow beam and short V-berth limit long-term liveaboard appeal.
Construction Details
| Designer | Bruce King |
|---|---|
| Builder | Ericson Yachts |
| Length | 31.000 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 38.33 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 12.92 ft |
| p | 32.50 ft |
| e | 12.92 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38.33 ft | 12.92 ft | 32.50 ft | 12.92 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 32.5 ft - (9906 mm) |
| Foot | * 12.92 ft - (3938 mm) |
| Leech | * 34.27 ft - (10445 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 34.55 ft - (10531 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 216.95 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 32.36 ft - (9863 mm) |
| Foot | * 17.27 ft - (5264 mm) |
| Leech | * 27.86 ft - (8492 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115.02 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 14.86 ft - (4529 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 11.99 ° |
| Area | * 240.47 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 38.43 ft - (11713 mm) |
| Foot | * 21 ft - (6401 mm) |
| Leech | * 36 ft - (10973 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 19.38 ft - (5907 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.03 ° |
| Area | * 372.36 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 37.25 ft - (11354 mm) |
| Foot | 18.167 ft - (5537 mm) |
| Leech | 34.75 ft - (10592 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 130.26 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 16.83 ft - (5130 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.51 ° |
| Area | * 313.41 ft² |
| Sail Type | ASYMMETRICAL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 40 ft - (12192 mm) |
| Foot | 21.75 ft - (6629 mm) |
| Leech | 37.5 ft - (11430 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 652 ft² |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.