Davidson 31 “Kwacha” – Cruising Yacht / Liveaboard – Bay of Islands

After an amazing year living and sailing aboard Kwacha in the Bay of Islands, it’s time for me to move on. I’d love to see her go to someone who’s looking for their own little piece of freedom on the water.
Kwacha is an older but well-loved and well-maintained cruising yacht, with a good amount of equipment and recent upgrades already done. She’s set up for comfortable cruising and living aboard, with solar power, a substantially rewired 12V system, fresh water capacity, a reliable inboard diesel engine and plenty of storage. She also comes with a 3.4m inflatable dinghy with aluminum hull and the most relaible 15hp 2stroke outboard, making it easy to get ashore and explore the little bays, beaches and hidden spots that are impossible to reach by boat.

Whether you’re looking for a cruising yacht, a liveaboard, a weekend sailing boat, or your first proper yacht to learn and explore on, Kwacha is a great size for it.
I’ve been living aboard her while exploring the Bay of Islands, and it’s been one of the highlights of my time in New Zealand. There’s something pretty special about finishing work, heading out of the mooring and spending the evening anchored somewhere beautiful.
If you’re new to sailing, you don’t need to arrive as an experienced sailor. I didn’t know everything when I bought her either. If you’re keen to learn, I’m happy to spend some time with the new owner before I leave, show you how everything works, take you sailing and share what I’ve learned about living aboard and cruising around the Bay of Islands.
And if you’re coming to New Zealand on a Working Holiday Visa and planning to spend the summer working up here, living aboard is also a great alternative to renting - but you certainly don’t have to be a liveaboard to enjoy her.

About the boat
* Davidson 31
* Approx. 9.5m on deck, 3m beam, 1.5m draft
* Comfortable for 1–2 people living aboard
* Classic, simple cruising yacht
* Located in the Bay of Islands
* Ready for her next adventure

Hull
* Year built: approx. 1975 (couldnt find any documents)
* Hull construction: GRP/fibreglass
* Designer: Laurie Davidson
* Fresh Antifoul in Sept 2026 !! She’s clean as!

Rigging
* Aluminium mast and boom
* Standing rigging visually inspected and in good condtion
* Running rigging partially new and in great condition
* All lines lead back to cockpit
* Easy to handle and suitable for single-handed sailing

Sails
* Furling headsail in excellent condition, serviced by sailmaker in Dec 2025
* Mainsail in good condition, with some patches
* Additional sails included: Trysail

Anchoring
* Delta anchor – holds well in most grounds
* Windlass
* Approx. 15m chain + 50m rope

Engine
* Sabb 2H, 18HP 2-cylinder diesel inboard
* Approx. 21xx hours
* Regularly serviced
* Starts and runs reliably
* Cruising speed around 4-5 knots taking approx. 2l / hour
* 60l stainless fuel tank
* Propulsion: Sabb variable-pitch propeller on shaft, with separate clutch

Interior
* Comfortable cabin headroom 190cm
* V-berth with comfortable queen-size 15cm foam mattress
* 2 saloon berths, approx. 70 × 200cm
* One saloon berth extends to approx. 100 × 200cm
* Manual marine toilet/head works well (no holding tank)
* 2-burner propane stove with oven (4kg gas can below cockpit)
* 2 × 150L fresh water tanks
* Galley sink with filtered fresh water electrical and foot pump
* Huge Brass Monkey electric fridge (Built-in fridge currently not working and being used for storage — could be a project for the next owner)

Electrics
I’ve redone around 90% of the electrical system and wiring during my time owning her.
* 12V system
* NEW 100Ah house battery
* NEW starter battery
* 2 × 100W solar panels
* Victron MPPT solar controller
* Victron SmartShunt
* BEP VSR
* NEW fresh water pump
* NEW automatic bilge pump

Navigation / Sailing instruments:
* GPS/chartplotter: not fitted – I used Navionics on my phone
* VHF: working
* Depth sounder: older unit, working but accuracy is questionable
* Speed/log: not working
* Compass: not fitted
* Apparent wind direction: working
* Wind speed: currently not working
* Autopilot: not fitted
* AIS: not fitted
* Navigation lights: working
* Anchor light: currently not working

Safety equipment
* Lifejackets: 1 x inflatable (NEW), 1x old school
* Fire extinguishers: 2x
* quite a few flares

Dinghy / tender
* Dinghy: Southern Pacific 340 inflatable - holds air very well
* Outboard: 15hp Johnson (2 stroke) - runs mint, super reliable incl. 20l tank
* Inflatable repair material included

Other equipment
* 20l diesel can
* 20l petrol can
* excellent conditioned cockpit cushions
* Sprayhood/doger (little bit beaten by the winds)
* Battery tools, hand tools, spare material, sprays, paints, everything I have collected over the last months
* Bunch of mooring lines and 3 fenders
* Complete galley setup with kettle, pots, plates, mugs
* Fishing rod and other gear
* Etc.

Kwacha isn’t a brand-new yacht, and she’s certainly not a floating luxury apartment. She’s an older, simple cruising boat that I’ve enjoyed improving and maintaining while using her as a genuine liveaboard and cruising boat.
The Davidson 31 was designed in 1974 by renowned New Zealand yacht designer Laurie Davidson. Davidson went on to become one of New Zealand's most successful yacht designers, including designing America's Cup-winning yachts, and the Davidson 31 has become a well-known classic in the New Zealand sailing scene. There are still a good number of Davidson 31s sailing around the country today, and the design is well recognised by many Kiwi sailors.
What I really like about her is the combination of size and simplicity. She’s big enough to be a proper cruising yacht, but still manageable for one or two people.
The Bay of Islands is an incredible place to have a boat, with countless islands, anchorages and beaches to explore.
I’m selling because it’s simply time for me to leave the country, and I want to see her sailing rather than sitting around most of the time.

Located: Bay of Islands, NZ