For dayboat duties, the heads, with
a proper loo, sink and some storage, is a
big advantage and means you don’t have
to plan a cruise around access to facilities,
choosing to stay on anchor all day if you
wish. Annoyingly though, the door did
keep popping open so it seems a beefed-up catch is in order.
Something that isn’t so welcome is the carpet on the cockpit
sole. The American yards seem to love it but it’s so impractical,
A great cockpit, but we’d
lose the carpet and add
a teak-topped tableThe spacious heads
compartment will come
in handy on day tripsespecially on a boat that’s
going to spend much of its
time catering for swimmers
and those doing watersports.
There is a teak option but
for me, the optional Infi nity
fl ooring, which is made from
woven fi bres and kept in place
with poppers, is by far the most
practical and attractive option.AUTO MOTIVES
There’s a whole host of
optional features designed to make life easier if you’re new to
boating, or simply want the boat and its technology to take the strain.
The Axius system takes the stress out of berthing by vectoring the
Bravo III sterndrives to make the boat move in any direction you
point the joystick. Similarly, Mercury Marine’s Active Trim system
will manipulate the legs and trim tabs to deliver the best-running
attitude for the conditions, and it can even be used to adjust the wake
depending on what watersports you’re doing. Even the helm design
uses automotive touches, such as the digital instrument display, fl ush-
mounted into the dash and encompassing engine
revs, speed, basic engine information and an inset
chart display to aid navigation. The system is
slick enough but it’s not as advanced as dedicated
maritime MFDs, which you can spec if you prefer.
The dash and driving position also has an
automotive feel, which is no bad thing if your
experience of boats is limited. It’s fun and a bit
fl ash and doubtless the younger buyer that
this boat is aimed at will like it. There are other
smart and thoughtful touches too, such as the
air compressor tucked in a locker behind the
helm, which is useful for infl ating water toys
quickly, and the hydraulic platform that deploys
at the stern at the perfect height to put on waterskis
or collect people from the water.
The SLX 310 really is Sea Ray at its best. This
is a fun, good-looking, fast (up to 43 knots on
a calm day), safe, practical dayboat with some
neat tricks up its sleeve that the whole family can appreciate.
Contact Marina Marbella. Tel: +44 (0)1202 714970.
Web: http://www.searay.comAccess to the motors is
good thanks to the deck
lifting on a hydraulic ramTHE DATA
SPECIFICATIONS
LENGTH 31ft 6in (9.6m)
BEAM 10ft 2in (3.10m)
FUEL CAPACITY 108 imp gal (492 litres)
WATER CAPACIT Y 19.8 imp gal (90 litres)
DRAUGHT 3ft 1in (0.96m)
RCD C for 15 people
DISPLACEMENT 4.8 tonnes (lightship)
TEST ENGINE Twin MerCruiser
6.2-litre MPI ECT 300hp
TOP SPEED 43 knots
PRICE FROM £245,612 inc UK VAT
PRICE AS TESTED £283,102 inc UK VATQUICK SPIN