It has a fractional sloop B&R rig, a mainsheet traveler mounted on a stainless steel arch, a nearly plumb stem, a reverse transom with a fold-down swimming platform and folding ladder, an internally mounted spade-type rudder controlled by a laterally-tilting wheel and a fixed fin keel or shoal draft keel.
[1] The steering wheel can be set in port, center or starboard positions by use of a foot locking lever, as desired by the helmsman.
[1][4] Factory standard equipment includes a teak interior, Corian countertops, microwave oven, refrigerator, freezer, two-burner propane stove and oven, fully enclosed head with separate shower, LED lighting, knotmeter, depth sounder.
He concluded with faint praise for the design, "I think this would be a great boat to introduce a young family to the joys of sailing and cruising.
"[7] Sven Donaldson, writing in Pacific Yacht Magazine in May 2015, concluded, "For a sailboat that fits in a 32-foot slip, it’s hard to envision a more spacious, liveable package than the new MH-31.
"[8] Great Lakes Boating magazine published a review in the summer of 2015, saying, "The Marlow-Hunter 31 uses a well-proven hull design to rival most 34-foot models.
The 30-foot foot waterline outclasses most boats, and when combined with her Henderson/Marlow chined hull, it offers off-shore stability and performance that few can match.