[1][2][6][7] The Hughes 31 was derived from the Sparkman & Stephens' North Star 1000 design by extending the transom and increasing the beam, plus redesigning a larger coach house roof to give increased cabin interior volume for cruising.
It has a masthead sloop rig, a reverse transom, a skeg-mounted rudder and a fixed fin keel.
[1][2] The design has sleeping accommodation for six people, with a double "V"-berth in the bow cabin, a fold-out double settee and a single straight settee in the main cabin and an aft quarter berth on the starboard side.
[2] In a 1999 review in Canadian Yachting Pat Sturgeon wrote, "I always describe the Hughes 31 as a boat that gives "good bang for the buck" and the main saloon plays a big part in this evaluation.
If you have guests on board, the port-side settee can be turned into a double bed, bringing the total number of available sleeping spaces to six.