Description
The Glen-L Aurora, a robust 31-foot steel cruising cutter designed by Glen L. Witt in the 1970s and offered through Glen-L Marine Designs as a pinnacle of amateur metal boatbuilding, delivers blue water seaworthiness and surprising interior volume in a multi-chine hull optimized for straightforward welding by backyard enthusiasts, ideal for long-haul voyages from the Pacific Northwest to the Caribbean. Measuring 31 feet LOA (28'6" LWL) with a 10-foot beam, 5-foot draft on a heavy-displacement full keel (17,500 pounds total, including 6,500 pounds internal lead ballast for a 37% ratio and comfort ratio of ~35), it achieves a modest hull speed of ~7.2 knots under its cutter rig with 615 square feet of sail (SA/D ~14.5 for steady progress in 15–25 knots, featuring a staysail for heavy weather balance and a bowsprit for reaching downwind). The multi-chine steel plate construction (3/16"–1/4" plating over 21 frames, welded with full interior framing and epoxy priming for corrosion resistance) requires 1,500–2,000 hours for a skilled welder using Glen-L's full-size patterns and offsets, ensuring a super-strong, low-maintenance hull that shrugs off groundings; the layout boasts 6'2" headroom, berths for six (double V-berth forward, saloon settees, and quarter berths), a full U-galley with gimbaled stove and 40-gallon water, enclosed head with shower, nav station, and ample lockers for provisioning a crew of four on extended passages. Auxiliary power via a 40–50 hp diesel inboard (e.g., Yanmar 4JH) provides 7-knot motoring with 200 gallons fuel range; with ~20–30 completed worldwide—many logging circumnavigations—the Aurora excels in trade-wind reliability and load-carrying (4,000 pounds payload), though its weight demands a sturdy trailer or crane for haul-outs.
