Practical Boat Owner - February 2016

SARGO 31

Price: from £187,174 inc VAT

LOA: 32ft 8in (9.96m)

Beam: 10ft 10in (3.3m)

Draught: 3ft 5in (1.05m)

Displacement: 5.1 tonnes

Fuel capacity: 500lt

Builder: Sarins Båtar Oy Ab

UK dealer: Marco Marine,

Tel: 02380 453245,

http://www.marcomarine.co.uk

Functionality
Large sliding doors either side
gain you access to the interior.
Yet again, the functionality
shines through. A pair of deep,
comfortable and adjustable
bucket seats hug the helmsman
and navigator. One step up,
comfortable squared-off seating
fl ows around both sides and
the back of this area – another
element improved in the revamp –
surrounding a table that folds
and swivels depending on
whether you’re dining or
entertaining. Windows are
generous – deep, wide and
plentiful – banishing any sense
of claustrophobia from this fairly
compact area and ensuring that
everyone gets a great view.
The only real area of
compromise is the galley. Tucked
into the forward port corner,
lifting the lid reveals a sink and a
smooth ceramic hob that looks
like an electric unit but is in fact
diesel-fi red. There are a couple of
small cupboards beneath it, and
above in the header rail, and there
is a fridge beneath the helm seats,
but bar a microwave tucked into
the passageway forward that’s
about your lot; you’ll need to

use the table as a

work surface. It’s

perfectly adequate

for making a quick

sandwich, a bowl of

soup or a cup of tea,

but you’ll be dining

out regularly of an

evening unless you

want to court a mutiny.

Head down the

companionway forward and

you’ll fi nd the heads to starboard

opposite a large locker with the

microwave above it. Again, the

word adequate springs to mind –

enough room to do all that

needs to be done, but no more.

A shower curtain protects the

wooden bulkhead between this

and the vee-berthed forward

cabin if you’ve specifi ed the

optional shower. There is plenty of

headroom, a decent amount of

storage and everywhere is very

nicely fi nished with a minimalist

combination of smooth GRP

mouldings and classy walnut

wood (teak being the other

option). Had you cupped your

hand against the saloon window

and had a quick peek inside a

locked Sargo 31 on the way down

the pontoon, you’d have guessed

at this layout and got it spot-on.

The bit you probably wouldn’t

have imagined is further back...

Lift the port leg seat base of

the three-sided dinette in the

wheelhouse and you’ll discover

that it hinges toward the centre of

the boat, self-supporting vertically

on a gas strut and revealing an

intriguing stairway. Access is a

little tight, but the teak treaded

steps are large and easy to

negotiate, and doing so reveals

another cabin. This is the reason

that the dinette is raised (although

increased visibility is a bonus

of doing so); there’s actually a

double berth down here that

runs transversely beneath it.

Interestingly, pre-revamp the bed

was arranged lengthways down

here: despite the cabin being no

larger, turning it 90° has freed up a

surprising amount of fl oor space.

Headroom is limited, especially

over the bed, but nonetheless it’s

a very usable area, not to mention

very private. How many 30-footers

boast separate access to each

cabin? Not to mention the sheer

distance between them. It’s a very

cunning arrangement, and while

hardly palatial, it works well.

Positive experience

I’ve used the word ‘adequate’ a

couple of times describing the

interior of the Sargo 31. It’s clearly

not a fl oating caravan; there are

plenty of other similar-sized boats

Gentle revamp includes

much-improved seating

RIGHT The galley is

adequate, but lacks

work surface

BELOW Twin bucket

seats create a terrifi c

driving environment...

INSET ...As does

the ability to

tilt the entire

lower dash

and wheel

Boats

Tech spec