Yachting Monthly - April 2016

APRIL 2016 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com 93

USED boat tESt

the entrance to St Mawes.
Tricia told me almost everything
on board was original. They had
considered leading all the halyards
aft from mast to the cockpit, but
decided against it. ‘Safety-wise it
would be better, but in the end we
feel it would spoil her lines and
possibly devalue her’ she explains.

At the helm
The large rudder hangs off her
transom and keel and gives ample
control (except when motoring astern) and
plenty of feedback. She finds her groove
easily when sailing close-hauled, but
attention to sail trim is important – she
can develop quite a lot of weather helm
in the hands of a novice crew, but with a
well-balanced sailplan the helm should be
finger-light even when she’s heeled over
30°. Most Rustler 31s are tiller-steered but

a few, including Alias, have a wheel. Brian

has always preferred wheel steering but

prior to owning Alias, Tricia was more

comfortable with a tiller. Now they are

both very happy with the wheel.

Design & construction

The various yards that built Rustler 31s,

including Alias’s builder, Maltings of

LEFT: Lean and

powerful, the

Rustler 31 is

ideal for a keen

cruising couple

Battlesbridge in Essex, offered a bespoke

service. Although this pushed costs up, it

allowed buyers to customise their new boat.

The hull lay-up is thick, heavy and strong,

with no interior mouldings – everything

inside the hull is of timber construction.

Sailplan

She sets a fairly small mainsail and a big,

overlapping genoa on a simple, strong

masthead rig. There is no sweep aft in the

single set of spreaders so when she’s sailing

downwind the mainsail can be let right out,

and with her long keel, she’ll track straight.

Deck layout

The shrouds are led to the deck near the

toerail, which (along with the genoa

tracks on the toerail) leaves the deck

clear for crew going forward. Alias has

Treadmaster on her deck and coachroof

to aid underfoot grip. She lacks an anchor

locker in the bow. Instead, a chain pipe

takes the chain below deck while the

anchor is kept in chocks on deck

near the bow.

Living aboard

Alias is full of old country cottage

charm with plenty of well-designed

little stowage cupboards and

bookshelves. Mid-blue velour

upholstery and an abundance of

real wood furnish the interior, but

compared to modern yachts, or even

other vintage boats of similar age

and length, she is noticeably limited

on accommodation and space.

She has four berths: a double

V-berth in the forepeak, which is

awkward to get into unless you’re

nimble, plus two single settee berths

with lee cloths in the saloon.

One layout option included a pilot berth

on the port side of the saloon – an extra

that looked great, but in reality is suitable

only for a thin adult or a well-behaved

child. Any more than two crew on board is

a crowd. ‘She’s ideal for the two of us,’ said

Brian. ‘We’ve had an extra couple of

adults and three children on board for

ABOVE: Her cockpit

is fairly long but

narrow. Two’s

comfortable,

three’s cosy,

four’s a crowd

She handles a breeze with ease in Falmouth Harbour

PHOTOS: BOB AylOTT