Catalina 310

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.