Glacier Bay 3080 Coastal Runner

Long-legged cat

Cats - you either love them or loathe them and the argument about whether two hulls are better than one has been playing for almost as long as I can remember. But not all cats are the same and it's in the area of hull design that multihulls are most fascinating. That's because their designers have a lot more scope to alter the ride - and get it wrong - than with a straight monohull.

The crux of the matter is that water does different things with two hulls and a tunnel. Nail the hydrodynamics and you get great performance, a smooth ride, and low-drag and low-wash efficiency. But you need to avoid unsavoury cat traits, like tunnel slap at low speeds, the station-wagon effect where spray is sucked back aboard at high speeds, and a tendency to lean out in the turns. Such things are difficult to mask and, therefore, cats are mirrors of their designer's skills.

Enter Glacier Bay, a modern cat builder with a reputation for getting it right on the drawing board and on the high sea. The Washington-based yard is well respected for its long-range cruising cats to 30-odd feet (10 metres) mostly with twin outboards, though there are some inboard options, founded on revolutionary cat hulls with fishing or cruising configurations.

The range starts with a 2240 bowrider and runs to the 3470 Ocean Runner flagship with cabin. All the boats are the subject of extensive sea trials and the 3470 completed an 8400nm Grand Americas Tour from Seattle to Baja, following the Gulf Coast around Florida, via 22 stops in 55 days. Then the owner took delivery in Rhode Island, obviously with some hours on the hour meters and the outboards well run in.

I'm now betting the yard has bigger cats on the drawing board, because everyone wants a bigger and more efficient boat these days, right? Meantime, the 3080 Coastal Runner tested is a perfect example of the Glacier Bay breed, a handy dayboat and weekender for harbour, bay and coastal cruising that is slippery and smooth riding. Released in America last year, the 3080 has collected a National Marine Manufacturers Association innovation award.

On the power front, Glacier Bay and Honda are a popular pairing and all the boats landed here come prerigged. The 3080 was matched to a pair of Honda's BF225hp VTECs, which is an acronym for Variable Valve Timing and Lift Electronic Control, and the proven technology in the Acura MDX and Honda Odyssey cars. Either 250hp Yammies or Suzukis are options.

The Hondas were spinning 14in high-rake Solas stainless steel props that gave the 3080 excellent acceleration. Mounted on the transom and not pods, the Hondas are also nice, clean, green engines, and reliable. As local Glacier Bay/Honda dealer Webbe Marine puts it: "After 12 years selling Hondas we couldn't run a workshop on them. Repairs are virtually non-existent."

HULL OF A TIME
Glacier Bay uses a unique semi-displacement hull and, in optional blue livery, it looked sharp and none too bulky here. The sponsons or hulls are asymmetrical, with a wave-breaker or third hull in the tunnel to help prevent slap at low speeds. An occasional thud was still evident offshore while trolling around a school of Australian salmon that we stumbled upon, but it's nothing like the pounding I had to contend with in the old Broadbill I once crewed aboard.

Importantly, the hulls have a super-fine entry for a smooth ride at speed. According to Glacier Bay, tests using a three-axis accelerometer reveal its hulls to convey two-thirds less impact when crossing a metre-high boat wake at 27kts compared with a monohull. Which monohull we're not sure, but it was a deep-vee design with 24? of deadrise.

The terrific efficiency that Glacier Bay is famous for is achieved from something called a PowerRail. The full-length oversized downturn chine acts like mini gullwings, creating tremendous lift from the water displaced by the hulls. The PowerRail also doubles as a spray deflector.

While the 3080 certainly shifts water, it's squeezed to the sides. And after an hour or two of cruising, the seats under the hardtop were perfectly dry. Thus, no suck back or dreaded station-wagon effect. Unusually, there are offset strakes that provide stability when underway, acting something like stabilisers.

Another nice thing is that these cats are virtually unsinkable, says Glacier Bay. Construction involves a foam-cored double skin, with a composite transom to spread engine loads. Depending on the model, there are seven to 10 bulkheads, abundant ribs and stringers bonded to the hull, plus all boats have Kevlar and E-Glass for impact resistance on their stems or points of entry, just in case you run across some debris.

The Glacier Bay seen here also had beautiful mouldings, fair and bump free, with hull laminates from 1.5cm to almost 2.5cm of solid glass. The end result is good enough for various rescue and defence groups including US Park, Patrol and Security on New York Harbour and the US Navy. All of which stands the local bluewater cruiser, angler, diver and family boater in good stead.

OPTIONED UP
In fact, seaworthiness is such that this boat with twin engines could easily range to coastal ports for weekends at a time. Or grab some waterfront accommodation and make a few weeks holiday of it. And family and friends will welcome the smooth ride on a bumpy harbour or bay. But more than a performance boat, the layout of the 3080 also makes good sense.

I'm supposing the decks on this boat have been designed by a boatbuilder that goes boating. The optional hardtop creates a permanent cabin enclosure that lets you reel in the sea miles without getting wet, while also creating an indoor/outdoor living area that includes, among other things, an optional fully equipped galley in the cockpit.

Additionally, there were options such as clip-in cockpit carpet, storm covers (a lock-up cabin layout is listed), an upgraded house battery system, Shorepower, windlass, livebait tank and rocket launcher, plus a Furuno electronics package with twin 10.4in colour Navnet screens and 1kW transducer for deep-water probing. Autopilot and radar weren't fitted, but, given the long-range ability of this boat I would want the former.

With aforesaid galley and 150lt of water, accommodation for two below decks in a huge queen-sized berth, a big-boat bathroom with hot-water shower, and upgraded 1800W inverter (400W model standard) give you a certain degree of self-sufficiency. And thanks to a decent cockpit, the 3080 doubles as a great dayboat.

From bow to stern, it's an easy boat to get around, none too big to berth alone, and with sufficient comforts to kick back aboard for a social cruise.

DECKED OUT
Like all cats, there's a transom door leading to the platform between the outboards that's traced by rails and harbours a swim ladder. This gives the angler, diver and casual swimmer terrific access to the water. There's also a hatch that grants access to the Hynautic hydraulic steering ram, which is concealed with no external steering rams - a very tidy installation.

Storage comes in two in-transom bins, under which is battery access. In-floor hatches grant access to the charger, inverter, galvanic isolator, and hot-water service.

Wiring is coded, while the plumbing is very well done with all seacocks labelled, nice big ball valves, sea strainers on the deckwash and livebait pumps, and double hose clips. The boat has four bilge pumps in four separate compartments.

There's a massive in-floor fishbox with macerator that doubles as a watersports-gear locker (or somewhere to carry an aftermarket barbie), plus a livebait tank under the padded seat to port. The boat has hawsepipes so its cleats are out of the way of fishing lines, Lees rodholders, storage racks for gaffs and paddles, and a rocket launcher that can carry six rods. The owner enjoys a spot of fishing and there is a tackle locker with drawers to help keep the gear tidy.

A sturdy bowrail traces the sidedecks and there are grabrails on the cabin top - where you can mount outriggers if you want to go game fishing - to help your passage forward to the two-person foredeck seat. The anchor locker is a deep one and the windlass offers push-button shallow-water anchoring control.

One step up from the big cockpit is the bridgedeck, where crew get to ride or lunch on a C-shaped lounge for four set around a table that converts to a daybed or, with camper covers drawn, perhaps a sleepout for the kiddies. All the boat's seat cushions are removable and easy-clean white vinyl. And there is plenty of headroom under the hardtop, too.

WEEKEND AMENITIES
Cleverly, the 3080 Coastal Runner has an indoor/outdoor galley behind the helm seat. You step down into a U-shaped area traced by Corian counters, fold the helm seat forward to reveal the electric hotplate, get a microwave oven that can be used on the inverter, plus sink with hot and cold water, and there's a Norcold dual-voltage fridge. Pantry and crockery storage are provided, too, with lifejackets carried in overhead zip-up pockets. Still, a rail-mounted BBQ would be a wise investment.

Below decks, I was pleasantly surprised by the volume of the cabin and the finishes, with teak timber trim, first-rate soft furnishings and mindful mouldings. The well-vented head immediately to port has an electric loo, handheld hot/cold shower, and a decent vanity. Accommodation is forward, with one big bed to starboard, alongside an area where you tug on your clothes beside a teak-grilled hanging locker. A great weekender for two.

DRIVE TIME
With twin 10.4in Furuno Navnet screens and a 1kW transducer, you can go places and find fish in the abyss. There's an adjustable footrest and sturdy wheel adding to the driving pleasure, good views out the windscreen with wipers and vents, a spread of analogue gauges (digital are options) for the engines, red night light, GME stereo, 12V outlet and drinkholders.

Do your research, thumb through their catalogues and trawl the Glacier Bay website and you will find account after account of long-range coastal passages. Among them, Alaska to Russia, The Gulf to California, even a 1378nm Hawaii to Midway Islands cruise.  Though we went no farther than Sydney, venturing inside and offshore, the 3080 had an air of confidence.

The boat held a low-speed plane of about 12 to 13kts at 3330rpm, trucked along at 14.5kts at 3500rpm, and cruised economically at 18 to 19kts. The big 3.461lt Hondas propel the 3080 to a pretty smart top speed of 26.5kts at, albeit well below the 30-plus knots seen on most 30-foot monohull twin rigs.

But range is what Glacier Bays are all about. Honda couldn't supply fuel figures and the boat's analogue gauges didn't convey them either, but Glacier Bay estimates 300nm at about 18kts -long legs, indeed.

At 4500rpm, we reeled in the sea miles at 21kts, the perfect offshore cruise speed, without draining the tanks dry and, just as importantly, with as few thumps as is possible. The Glacier Bay 3080 also turned nice and flat and, unlike lesser cats, it doesn't throw you outboard.

Fast or slow, the 3080 ran smooth and dry. All of which points to a well-designed cat. You pay for it, mind you, but the badge delivers with great performance, comfort and big-boat systems that you can count on. And, based on this, you may well believe two hulls are better than one.

LOWS