1998 Dufour / ACM ACM 31 Elite for sale

1998 Dufour / ACM ACM 31 Elite boat for sale

ACM 31 Elite from Dufour - designed by the well regarded J&J Design.  This ACM Dufour 31 Elite semi-displacement cruiser, built in GRP in 1998. She offers comfortable accommodation for up to six in three cabins. She comes with a comprehensive electronics kit including radar, chart plotter, autopilot, forward looking sonar, VHF etc., plus she has bow and stern thrusters.

This is a very tidy and well equipped example of this highly sought after economical cruiser.

Currently lying in the water here in Bangor near Belfast, Northern Ireland.

FULL DETAILS

Dimensions

Length Overall: 9.4 m / 30'10"

Length on Deck: 8.64 m / 28'4"

Beam: 3.05 m / 10'

Draft: 0.91 m / 3'

Displacement: 4500 kg / 9900 lbs

Air Draft: 5.16 m max / 2.72 m with mast down

HIN: FR-ACME029AT898

Currently UK registered (SSR)

Engine

230 hp Yanmar 4LH-STE is a classic 4-stroke, 4-cylinder vertical turbo charged marine diesel engine.

Hurth gearbox with Shaft drive to four bladed propeller and rope cutter

Hydraulic steering with skeg hung stainless steel plate rudder.

Electric trim tabs

Engine hours reading 1124 hrs.

Bow and stern thrusters

Tankage

Fuel: 409 l in all

Water: 204 l

Accommodation

6 berths in two cabins plus small double berth in saloon for use as required.

Owners master cabin forward

Heads with wash basin & shower to stbd.

Guest cabin double berth midships under pilothouse/saloon

Helm position to stbd. with all instrumentation and good visibility

'U' shaped saloon seating to port

Linear galley to starboard

Enclosed aft cockpit with new cover

Hot and cold pressurised water

Calorifier c/w 240v immersion heater

Eberspacher warm-air diesel heating

Two burner cooker with oven and grill - gas

Fridge

On Deck

Electric windlass

Gas locker draining overboard to stbd. (Camping Gas - butane) and spare canister.

Aft cockpit with transom door access to stern platform - snap davits and swim ladder

Flexiteak decking to cockpit and swim platform

Aft cockpit has full canvas aft enclosure - in good condition.

Cockpit shower

Fixed stainless steel guardrail giving good access to side decks and foredeck; together with coachroof rails

Anchor windlass

Plough type anchor with galvanised chain

Electrical

12v/220v with shore power and cable.

4 batteries; 1 engine and 3 domestic - with isolator switches.

Charging via engine alternator and shore power via battery charger

Bow and stern thrusters

Immersion heater for mains power otherwise hot water heated by engine

Wind screen wiper

Flat screen TV (Walker)

Sony sound system - radio with Bluetooth

Navigation Equipment

GPS plotter - Navman Tracker 5605

VHF - ICOM IC-M411 with DSC

Radar by Furuno

Autohelm Bidata for depth and speed

Autohelm ST5000+ autopilot

Clock and Barometer

Compass

Engine hour counter

Inventory

Warps and fenders

Fender holders mounted on stainless steel guard rail forward.

Inflatable dingy and Torqeedo electric outboard

Fire extinguishers and fire blanket

Boathook and deck brush

Manufacturer Provided Description

The Dufour ACM Elite is a safe boat with excellent manoeuvring. The Elite is a stable yacht, fast and easy to handle even at the lowest speeds. First class and oversize equipment was chosen to increase safety and reliability and to reduce maintenance. The extended hardtop protects the large cockpit from spray, rain, or burning sun. The accommodation of the Elite is bright and luxurious with the rich warmth of high-gloss varnished precious wood. The steering station is separated and well laid out for hours of comfortable cruising. All controls are very conveniently placed for excellent visibility. The settee to port converts to a double berth and the front seating swings to form a comfortable double seat facing forward. Access to the stern platform for swimming, docking, or dinghy boarding is easy. The large, flat, and totally unobstructed bow area in front of the cabin house gives plenty of room for sunbathing and safe docking or anchoring. The beautiful hardwoods and mouldings on the Elite reflect ACM's traditional craftsmanship and attention to detail. High gloss varnish, rich interior decoration, and superb woodwork place the Elite in the class of true motor yachts. A thorough tank testing program brought an easily-driven hull that is safe and sea kindly under all conditions. Hydrodynamic hull and drive system optimization provides an efficient boat with a great cruising range.

Owners Comments

We have owned this boat twice — and that probably says more about her than anything else!

When we first saw the boat, it simply seemed to tick every box for us. One of the things we loved immediately was the feeling of being surrounded by glass. The visibility from the helm and saloon is superb — you can see what is happening all around you, rather than feeling enclosed inside a cabin. It is one of those things you don't fully appreciate until you have spent time on the boat, but it makes cruising and living aboard particularly enjoyable.

The layout is one of the things we have always particularly liked. The galley is raised opposite the main seating area, so whoever is cooking is still very much part of the conversation and isn't shut away downstairs. The seating is extremely sociable for four or five people.

The helm seat is another clever feature. When underway it faces directly forward, with excellent visibility through the windscreen. But it can be turned through 90 degrees towards the saloon, so the person driving can become part of the conversation rather than being isolated at the helm. The double bench seat facing forward can also be turned around to face into the saloon, making the whole area surprisingly sociable.

She is officially capable of sleeping six, with three sleeping areas, but for us she has always been at her very best with four people. Four can live and cruise on her extremely comfortably without feeling that you're constantly in each other's way. Six could certainly be accommodated for sleeping or a short trip, but we wouldn't pretend that six adults would have the same comfort as four.

We have cruised her extensively from our base in Bangor, Northern Ireland, including trips of 200–300 miles up the north coast of Scotland and into the Inner Hebrides, including around Staffa. Despite being a relatively compact boat, she has always felt remarkably capable and comfortable on these trips. You can sit comfortably at the helm while other people are preparing meals, talking or moving around the boat.

One addition which made a huge difference to us was the stern thruster. We fitted one at a cost of around £3,000. With the existing bow thruster and the new stern thruster, manoeuvring became remarkably easy, particularly in confined marinas. With a single engine, I found that I could effectively move the boat sideways into available spaces and, most importantly, it took a great deal of the stress out of berthing.

We have noticed that many similar boats advertised for sale in Spain, France and elsewhere don't have a stern thruster fitted. Having one already installed is therefore a particularly useful feature for anyone who wants the confidence and ease of handling that both bow and stern thrusters provide.

During our first ownership we spent considerable money on her mechanically. The propeller shaft was replaced, together with the stern gear and associated components, and we also replaced the engine mounts. The various valves/seacocks and couplings were also renewed. The engine has been very well looked after throughout our ownership.

Having sold her, we subsequently moved on to another boat. But we clearly hadn't got over this one because, when the opportunity arose, we bought her back again.

One of the first things we did after buying her back was fit a new imitation-teak deck to the aft cockpit, which transformed the feel of the cockpit and made it a really pleasant place to sit. We also fitted a dinghy and Weaver snap davits, which make launching and recovering the dinghy particularly straightforward and secure.

We have also invested in new upholstery, new carpets and a great deal of general upgrading and maintenance. The navigation instrumentation is older, but it has remained functional and reliable. We have actually found that using an iPad with C-MAP gives us excellent modern charting and navigation, so we haven't felt the need to replace perfectly serviceable equipment simply for the sake of having newer screens.

There is also something quite unusual about finding one of these boats in Northern Ireland. They don't come onto the market here very often, and examples can be relatively difficult to find in the UK generally. A prospective buyer looking for one may otherwise find themselves travelling to Spain or continental Europe to view and purchase a boat, with all the additional expense and inconvenience that involves — flights, hotels, travelling to the boat, arranging surveys, bringing the boat home and so on.

This boat is already here, has been extensively cruised from Northern Ireland, has had a great deal of work and money spent on her, and is ready for her next owner. For someone specifically looking for this type of boat, that could represent a considerable saving in both time, expense and hassle compared with buying a similar example abroad and bringing it back.

For us, the great strength of this boat has always been the way she combines a proper cruising capability with a very sociable, comfortable living space. She is compact enough to be manageable, but has taken us on cruises in waters where we have travelled in considerably larger boats.

And, perhaps most importantly, we liked her enough to buy her twice.

Fully serviced, antifouled with new anodes & ready for any sea trial or survey.

In the last 6 years:

- New shaft & engine mounts + glands 

- Stern thruster added

- ⁠all through hulls replaced with plastic easy turn valves

- ⁠new Victron battery charger 

- ⁠new fuel filter

- ⁠solar panel for charging batteries

- ⁠all new upholstery & foams + carpets 6 years ago

- ⁠new flexi teak floors just installed in cockpit costing £2,500

- ⁠new hardwood crafted mast 

- ⁠new dingy with Snap Davits set up for east launch and stepping into 

- Torqueedo electric motor 

Other Points:

- ⁠20knts full speed 

- Bow Thruster 

- ⁠radar and gps with auto helm 

- ⁠new Bluetooth radio and upgraded speakers 

- ⁠all bulbs replaced with LED

- ⁠manual flush toilet 

- ⁠hot and cold pressurised water

- ⁠gas hob and oven 

- ⁠fridge w/freezer