Practical Boat Owner - February 2016

that can offer as much or more
space inside. No, what this boat
is about is going boating, and
on this subject the adjective
‘adequate’ to describe this or any
other Sargo is firmly banished.
This is what this boat is built for,
and it starts before you even leave
the marina. That transom gate
and dips in the side rails make
hopping on board a doddle for the
crew, and almost waist-high rails
atop those huge bulwarks mean
that this is probably the easiest
30-footer you’ll ever move around.
The decks are completely devoid
of any steps to trip over or
stumble down, there’s just a
gentle slope upwards as you
move forward. Stow your lines in
the anchor locker or one of the
three deck lockers beneath the
seats back aft, haul in the fenders
and you’re good to go (although
optional fender baskets would
provide a useful home for these
away from the dock).
It’s a similarly positive
experience at the helm. Those two
side doors make communing with
the crew easy – the big windows
banishing virtually all blind spots.
If you want to stand then after
raising the seat bolster you can
pull a knob on the dash and the
entire section that the wheel
emerges through, as well as the
wheel itself, tilts through an arc,
bringing the throttle and vital
controls such as the bow thruster,
anchor winch and wipers with it
so that they’re as easily accessed
standing as sitting. The powerful
bow thruster (standard fit on all
but the smallest Sargo) is a real
help on our test boat, powered
as it is by a single Volvo Penta
D6-400 400hp engine, largest of

the three single options (all of the

big D6 5.5 litre straight six units

are available in 330, 370 and

400hp slices). A stainless steel

ball on the steering wheel allows

fast ‘pointability’ of the drive so

you can direct the thrust easily

at the rear and match it with the

thruster at the front to punt the

boat sideways.

There’s a massive sliding roof

section above your head at the

helm. Slide that and both doors

right back and you’ve got a

surprisingly open experience

considering it’s a wheelhouse

boat. Even the large window in

the aft bulkhead hinges up,

held open by a pair of gas struts –

perfect for a bright warm sunny

day. The day of our test, however,

was none of those things, so we

got to experience the boat’s full

all-weather capabilities. Usefully

though, simple wooden catches

that drop over the interior door

handles to keep them shut at

speed have two notches so you

can pin the doors just slightly ajar

for a little fresh air; and three glass

panels let into the sliding roof (an

option but a very worthwhile one)

allow plenty of light to augment

that which is flowing through the

large windows.

Fast and capable

Acceleration is effortless, the boat

planing nicely at 17 knots. With the

throttle pinned, the top speed just

clips 30 knots, well short of the

manufacturer’s 35-knot claim for

this combination of boat and engine

(in fact, on par with quoted figures

for the smallest 330hp engine

option). I believe it’s a realistic

claim, however, since we are also

a good 250rpm off the normal

3,500rpm maximum revs for this

engine. Years of experience with

planing boats combined with the

knowledge that this example had

been in the water since May leads

me to believe that an extra five

knots is but a hull pressure-wash

away. Whatever – 30 knots is quick

by anyone’s standards, and more

pertinently, a mid-20-knot cruise is

an effortless 3,000rpm, giving the

boat serious cruising reach.

At this speed, the good news is

twofold. Firstly, the hull is extremely

capable. Fast, capable planing

boats is something Scandinavians

in general always do very well, and

this is no exception. The flared bow

keeps the spray down (and looks

wonderful), while the deep vee hull

soaks up turbulent topography like

a well-damped luxury car. But the

luxury car analogy stretches a little

further, because the other piece of

good news is the noise level. Even

flat-out, this is an exceptionally

quiet boat – my noise meter staying

firmly south of 80dB(a). To give that

some context, I’ve tested half-million-

pound 40-footers that are noisier.

The heads features an
optional shower

INSET Vee berth forward infills
to create a double berth

The aft cabin is a surprising bonus and remarkably practical

A narrow gap,

but chunky

steps aid egress

Sargo 31 tested

PBO verdict

I

t’s at 25 knots that this boat’s

Finnish heritage really shines

brightest and you really gel

with this boat, because

suddenly all that serious

boating and practical thinking

comes together to create a

superb fast cruiser capable

of covering big distances in

effortless comfort. A keen

sailor, the owner of this boat

celebrated taking delivery with

a trip to Paris for the Yacht

Squadron Bicentenary

Celebrations – indeed, in six

months he’s put 150 hours

running on it! That’s a long

way when your cruising speed

is 25 knots. If you do want a

floating caravan, then there are

better options; but if you want

a boat first and foremost to go

boating and to cover serious

distances at high speed, then

this could be the boat for you.

And if you want to go ‘whole

hog’ on that speed thing,

then just tick the twin-engine

option – the combined 600hp

punch of a pair of Volvo Penta

D4-300 motors tops out at

about 45 knots!