Spring had sprung and
unleashed the promise of great
sailing on Sydney. Daubed in
last summer's sunscreen,
wearing a cap which hadn't
seen the light of day since
late May, we followed our
lily-white legs down the
pontoon to the expectant new
yacht.
We cast the lines free and
motored eagerly for Middle
Harbour. Somewhere east of
Grotto Point, we unfurled the
sails as the breeze filled in,
cut the engine and watched as
the creases crackled out of
the virgin cloth.
Catalina's new 310 edged
upwind with surprising
alacrity. In fact, we could
have kept going and cruised
all the way to Pittwater or
down to Port Hacking, lobbed
at Store Beach for a long
lunch, or pulled into Watson's
Bay for those legendary
flathead fillets and chips.
But instead, we sailed. We
beat into the brisk wind,
reached across the sea breeze
and ran with the ripples back
to Grotto Point.
Neither too big to handle
two-up or too small to put to
sea, Catalina's new 31-footer
is an affordable recreational
yacht that can do a bit of
everything on a whim.
Enjoying pride of place as
America's largest yacht
builder, Catalina says it
designed the 310 in reply to
customer needs. Apparently,
cruising couples wanted a
yacht that offered greater
freedom of choice.
Consequently, in the 310, you
can race around the cans,
short-haul cruise up the coast
and head out for a week with
your partner in great comfort.
Not bad for a mere 31-footer -
and this versatility
guarantees the new model a
place in marinas all around
the world.
The Australian importer,
Norman Ambrose, expects 60 new
310s will be sold here in just
a few years. The way he sees
it, the 310 is positioned
perfectly between the
company's evergreen 28 and
32-footers, both of which have
been warmly received.
But the added attraction of
the 310 is a pricetag you can
come at. The high-volume yacht
costs $155,000 in cruise-ready
mode. Better still, it can be
financed using commercial hire
purchase and put in a
charterfleet somewhere.
DESIGNER LABEL
Despite factory hopes for
worldwide sales of 700 or
more, the 310 is built of
solid, hand-laid fibreglass
and backed by a five-year
hull-structure warranty. The
deck has a plywood core and is
bonded and through-bolted to
the hull. Both the hull and
deck are reinforced by liners
bonded into place. Further
rigidity comes from the
yacht's interior moulded
liner, chainplates that
terminate at the knees and are
through-bolted, and
keel-stepped mast.
Below the waterline,
transverse ribs provide
strength and somewhere for the
lead fin keel (wing keel
optional) to hang.
Fitted with what Catalina
terms an offshore capable rig
- comprising double spreaders,
with fore and aft lower
shrouds, a solid vang,
fully-battened mainsail, with
two reefing points, and
roller-furling headsail as
standard - the boat can be
powered up or down in a short
space of time. The mast is, in
fact, the same stick as a
Catalina 32, but just 150mm
shorter.
RIDING SHOTGUN
The way Catalina puts it, the
310 can host eight for drinks,
six for club races and four
for dinner by the waterfront.
Moreover, it can provide a
couple with big-boat comforts
in a package that's easily
driven and slotted into a
marina berth.
On the social side, despite
its modest waterline length,
the 310 has a big cockpit with
loads of deck space and plenty
of seats. The coamings are
rounded and the cabin top
comfortable to rest against,
with great views for those
riding shotgun on the pushpit
seats behind the skipper.
Underway and during tacks, the
cockpit remains uncluttered
thanks to the traveller and
clutches being mounted on the
cabin top. The yacht comes
standard with wheel steering -
an 81cm wheel that doesn't
crowd the cockpit - and a
big-boat binnacle on which
instrumentation can be mounted
right where the skipper can
see it.
And if you're cruising as a
couple, the location of the
primary, two-speed
self-tailing winches for the
genoa make single-handed tacks
a snap. These Lewmar winches
are right alongside the
skipper.
With the shrouds mounted
inboard and nice, wide flat
decks leading forward, the
foredeck is never far away.
Backed by high lifelines,
cabin-top handrails and a
greedy grade of non-skid, the
foredeck contains a useful
anchor locker and electric
anchor winch.
At rest, a wide walk-though
transom with a boarding
platform, fold-down swim
ladder and freshwater deck
shower will come in handy
during summer, as will the
outdoor lunch table around
which a crew of six can sit.
For forays to the shore,
you'll praise the boat's
storage capacity. Among the
big lockers is the portside
designed to house an
inflatable, with room for the
outboard on a stern bracket.
There is also a separate
locker for the gas bottle.
TWO TO TANGO!
While it can serve a small
party inside, it's here that
this yacht really shines for
two. With just two people, a
host of features come into
play which would otherwise be
swallowed by a group.
With two, the boat can work as
an open-plan living space
instead of having to lock the
forward bulkhead to the cabin
for privacy. This way, you
stand to gain most from the
roominess of the main saloon,
which gains from the beamy and
high sides.
With headroom all-the-way,
from the aft bathroom - which
has a separate shower stall
and sink - to the master cabin
in the bow, the boat feels
bigger than a 31-footer. With
lots of hatches and a basic
white headliner, light streams
inside and stops any chance of
stuffiness.
For a cruising couple, the
forward cabin contains the
piece de-resistance - a
queen-sized berth (on the
centreline, so you won't fall
out at night), with an
inner-spring mattress. There's
a hanging locker and drawers
on slides, and a sturdy
bracket for the television
set.
There is a second cabin back
aft - a big area which can
sleep a couple of children or
another couple - that should
also make the 310 appealing to
young families. Still, the
yacht is designed for hosting
owners for weekends at a time,
as evidenced by the big water
and fuel capacity.
With two, the saloon has
his-and-her lounges covered in
soft mock leather, gathered
around a coffee table. This
table is big enough for
candlelit dinners, although it
can be converted to a dinette
for four using a separate teak
leaf.
Designed for ambitious
provisioning, the galley comes
with a forest of teak
cupboards, cabinets and even a
dedicated cutlery drawer.
There's a front-loading
fridge, a massive 80lt of hot
water on tap, a second icebox
which can be used as a
food-storage hold, stainless
sink and a two-burner gas
stove and oven, with grill.
Should you find yourself far
from home, you can plan a safe
return journey from the quasi
navigation station tailing off
the aft end of the galley. At
sea, the aft cabin hiding back
under the cockpit will be a
better place to catnap. With
an overhead hatch, it isn't
stuffy or too dark.
Aimed at both socialising and
couples cruising, the head on
the portside near the
companionway is a beauty.
Using a curtain on tracks, you
can divide the area in two and
shower with a degree of
privacy. There is also a
stainless sink in a moulded
granicoat unit, nice chrome
fittings and two lights,
including a raunchy red night
light.
The decor is best described as
traditional American yachting,
with teak bulkheads and
joinery, white glass for the
headliner, a teak-and-holly
vinyl floor covering,
cream-covered lounges and a
sandy-looking granicoat finish
on the benches in the galley
and head.
The companionway offers plenty
of elbow room as you descend
below, while the stairs lift
out to reveal direct access to
the freshwater-cooled,
three-cylinder, 27hp Universal
engine.
This engine, by the way,
consumes just two litres of
diesel per hour at cruising
speed, so it won't cost you
much to get back home if the
wind fizzles.
PLAIN SAILING
A couple will find the 310 a
cinch to sail. Though the
steering was tight on this -
only the second 310 to roll
off the production line - the
yacht is said to have a
balanced helm brought about by
a deep, elliptical spade
rudder. The view forward was
reassuring and the telltales
easy to see.
We experienced classic Spring
sailing. My nose kissed pink
by the sun, the boat also
seemed keen to poke its nose
to windward, despite its
beaminess. The 135% genoa
drives the boat through the
tacks and provides almost as
much power as the main when
underway.
Although a masthead spinnaker
might make things more
interesting, the genoa will
work well poled out in those
mid-week, no-kite races. Not
that anyone was in a hurry to
get home when we were aboard.
In fact, it would have been
fun joining a club race
somewhere.
With research showing that
more-and-more people are
complaining about less and
less leisure time, the 310
delivers a big dose of
lifestyle in the blink of an
eye. Really, a few hours is
all you need to get your
weekly fix of fresh air and
personal space, and to tan
those office legs. For this
reason, the 310 has a bright
future ahead.
Next time, if there is a next
time, I'll be aiming for
Pittwater with my partner to
really evaluate this
purpose-built yacht for two.
|
CATALINA 310 |
|
Price from $155,000
(w/27hp inboard plus
electronics) |
|
|
|
Hull |
|
Material: GRP |
|
Type: monohull |
|
Length (overall): 9.49m |
|
Beam: 3.51m |
|
Draft: 1.75m (1.22m for
wing keel) |
|
Displacement: not given |
|
Engine: 27hp Universal
diesel inboard |
|
Steering: single wheel |
|
Fuel: 76lt |
|
Water: 220lt (80lt hot
water) |
|
Sail Area: 100% fore
triangle 45.52sqm |
|
|
|
* Prices & data correct at time of
publication |
