THE FEISTY EXPLORER
The July/August 2024 issue of NZ Powerboat profiled the Sargo 36 from Finland. Rebecca Hayter enjoys its smaller, easily handled and robust little sister, the Sargo 31 Explorer.Â
Visually, the Sargo 31 Explorer packs a punch, especially as European Marine presents it with the Explorer option of a dark charcoal hull set off with black, wide-diameter, all-round railings. A shrinking violet, this is not.
European Marine’s Auckland representative Bruce McGill describes the Sargo 31 as a natural progression from a trailer boat to a launch. With a generous swimboard surrounded by sturdy railings, sheltered cockpit and spacious walkaround, the Sargo 31 is well suited to fishing. European Marine has enhanced that with ex-factory rocket launchers mounted on the rear eyebrow over the cockpit.
The full walkaround decks slope gently with no steps to negotiate and are wide enough to allow fishers to take strides, not the sideways shuffle. ‘The ease of the walk-around marks the fishability of the boat,’ says McGill. ‘It’s a whole lot easier to do everything: parking it, picking up a rope from the dock, managing a fish – if a kingfish takes off on you, you can run around the deck and chase it.’ High bulwarks and secure railings make the sidedecks safe and secure in all weather, and it’s easy to hose down, too.
Either way, the swim platform will likely be Fishing HQ; it’s got the space and security for one or two fishers, plus space for a baitboard, barbecue and the option of adding a livebait tank. The swimboard extends well over the sterndrive and has a large hatch – this is a great idea, especially for the ice-tinkling waters of Finland. If a rope or line fouls the sterndrive, the skipper can open the hatch, raise the sterndrive and remove the ropey obstruction without going for a swim.
My first view of the Sargo 31 was at Westhaven Marina, Auckland. Thanks to the generous swimboard, it’s an easy step onboard and I joined McGill on a sunny day with plenty of weekend traffic on the Hauraki Gulf.
The Sargo 31 demonstrated its ease of manoeuvrability as we exited the berth – a feature that makes the boat well-suited to solo or short-handed operation; more on that later. In open water, however, we welcomed the Sargo 31’s launch-like persona: a robust craft with a displacement of five tonnes, a planing hull, moderate-vee bow sections and wide, well-defined strakes. The Sargo’s fly-by-wire steering is super-smooth and responsive, as is the acceleration.
With a Volvo Penta D6 400 coupled to a Volvo sternleg with a Duoprop, the Sargo 31 has another essential element in being a fisherman’s friend – the ability to get out wide and get home quickly in comfort if bad weather is chasing it home. The Sargo 31 planes at around 13-14 knots, cruises comfortably at 22 – 29 knots, and boasts a top speed of 34-plus knots.
The Volvo Penta power trim assist allows manual adjustment of the sterndrives to achieve optimum pitch for the speed. It also has manual and automatic adjustment of the trim tabs.
The feeling that someone else is trimming the boat takes a bit of getting used to, but most skippers quickly find the system knows how to trim the boat best. There is an autopilot, but with plenty of boats around, I didn’t use it.
The Sargo 31’s handling attributes came into their own in the steep wind-against-tide chop in the busy Motuihe Channel. The hull deflects spray, lands smoothly and answers the helm quickly. It’s quiet, too, thanks to the insulation included throughout the hull during construction. With the rear door closed to reduce engine noise, conversation was easy in the saloon while underway. The visibility is good as long as the skipper is mindful of the mullions.
There’s a definite ship-like character to the helmstation, thanks in part to the reverse-sloping windscreen and the well-spec’d helm console. The console, steering wheel and helmseat are all adjustable, allowing the skipper to custom fit to his or her requirements, although I preferred to stand and set the seat as a bolster.
The timber bulkhead above the helm houses switches for the instrument lights, black water tank, windlass and main power switches, along with Volvo analogue style gauges. The console features the chartplotter, electronic gauges such as the touchscreen autopilot, control for the adjustable searchlight, auto trim tab system, wipers, anchor, navigation lights and windscreen demister. The controls for the heating system, which runs off the engine’s heat exchanger, and for the engine room’s fire extinguisher system are to the lower left of the steering wheel.
One of the boat’s most useful attributes is the sliding doors to the sidedeck beside the helm to starboard and opposite it on the port side. These doors provide easy access to the foredeck and cockpit via the sidedecks and easy communication with crew outside. Attractive timber latches on the sliding doors keep them closed or partially open for air flow.
For singlehanded berthing, the sliding doors are the next best thing to being in two places at once, because the skipper can pick up lines from the sidedecks, lean inside to give a quick flick to the helm or bow thruster – which also has a remote control – and whizz off again to secure the bow or check the anchor. Due to the open bow rail, the anchor is offset to starboard. All external fittings, including cleats, are ultra-rugged.
The skipper’s buddy has a compact two-seater to port with foot rests and a solid grab handle. A lid lifts to reveal storage for papers, pens and, in this case, remote control for the bow thruster and anchor winch. The back of the buddy seat flips forward, like some seats on a train, to provide an aft-facing seat for the saloon table, which seats four to six.
In terms of galley and saloon layout, the Sargo 31 is a mirror image of the Sargo 36. On the Sargo 31, the galley is to starboard. It is disguised as an attractive sideboard, but the lids lift up to reveal the three-burner gas stove with oven and grill, and one-third, two-thirds sink. The stainless steel splashback protects the timber. The fridge is under the helmseat and there is good stowage in the galley, including a decent sized locker under the galley sole. All stowage is easy-clean moulded fibreglass. The gas detector and water tank indicator are handy to the galley, too.
Accommodation overall is fitted out to a nice standard with a good quality carpet and upholstery selected from a choice of colour swatches.
Like its siblings, the Sargo 31 is set up for year-round boating. The fully enclosed wheelhouse provides comfortable, sheltered seating and heating throughout the boat, keeping it cosy in winter. The sliding skylight above the saloon can be fully or partially opened in summer for fresh air and sunshine. This all-season capability and its rough water ability would also make it ideal for New Zealand lakes such as Taupo, Wanaka, and Wakatipu in Queenstown, which experience climatic conditions similar to those in Finland.
McGill believes the Sargo 31 suits fishers, single skippers or a couple, perhaps with kids, although the boat can accommodate two couples for sleeping. The main sleeping cabin is for’ard of the helmstation, but you have to go looking; a lid folds back behind the helm console and saloon-style doors swing open to reveal the step down to the for’ard cabin. The vee berth can be configured as two singles or, with an in-fill, a double. There’s a compact head/shower, a wet room to starboard and a wardrobe to port.
To find access to the second cabin, you have to look even harder. In a similar concept to the Sargo 36, the rear seat at the saloon table lifts up on a gas strut to reveal steps below to the ‘secret’ cabin. There is minimal standing room on the port side beneath the seating in the saloon above. Mostly, it’s crouching room on the double berth which lies athwartships. There are opening ports either side for light and air. It is fairly compact for adults, but kids will probably love it.
The cockpit provides sheltered outdoor seating space for 4 – 6 people. A large hatch in the cockpit sole lifts up to reveal the engine space and stowage, under the lid, for the cockpit table. The hatch is supported and lowers slowly on a gas strut. The table legs are under one of the seats. It’s a good system, except that the skipper can’t check the engine oil during lunch. The fenders stow in a dedicated rack on the transom.
The hot and cold deck shower resides in the seat to starboard; the seat cavity against the cockpit-saloon bulkhead can be refrigerated for the catch. The fuel filler is in the seat to port, in a small ditch where it is easy to mop up spills.
The Volvo Penta D6 400hp with sterndrive resides beneath the cockpit. As a single installation, there is plenty of servicing space. This area is also home to the inverter, house batteries to port, engine batteries to starboard, hot water cylinder, windscreen washer tank, fire extinguisher system and holding tank. All engineering and cable installations are immaculate.
One of the Sargo’s 31 most endearing characteristics is its ease of berthing and handling in close quarters. As the owner of a single-engine launch with a bow thruster, I was in familiar territory reversing into the berth. Even better, the bow thruster was fairly quiet, so it almost looked like I did it the old-fashioned way. Besides, the seriously robust rubbing strakes are a friend to nervous boaters.
‘It’s ideal for someone going up through the ranks,’ says McGill, ‘or someone coming down,’ meaning a retiree who has downsized for a simpler boating style. There is even an ice-breaking rail that runs down the stem and along the keel to protect the gel coat.
With its striking angular styling and dark hull, the Sargo 31 Explorer drew plenty of interest at the 2024 Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show in May. Another Sargo 36 and a Sargo 33 are on their way to New Zealand for a pre-Christmas delivery.
The Sargo 31 is a reliable day tripper for fishing parties with heaps of power to get home quickly and an excellent cruiser. It is well suited for singles, couples, young families, or retirees with grandkids who want to go on overnight trips. And, inside and out, as you’d expect from a boat built in Finland, it comes in a high-quality finish.
SPECIFICATIONS
Make & Model Sargo 31
Price as tested $799,000
Type Fishing Launch
Construction Hand-laminated Fibreglass
LOA 9.96m
Dryweight 5500kg
Beam 3.30m
Deadrise 19.5 degrees
Test Power Volvo Penta D6 400hp
HP Range 340hp-440hp
Drive Sterndrive
Fuel Capacity 500L
Water Capacity 120L
PERFORMANCE DATA
 RPM     KNOTS     L/h    L/NM    Range
700 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 3.5 Â Â Â Â Â Â 2 Â Â Â Â Â Â 0.5 Â Â Â Â Â 900
1500 Â Â Â Â Â Â 7.95 Â Â Â Â Â Â 13 Â Â Â Â Â 1.6 Â Â Â Â Â 280 Â Â
2000 Â Â Â Â Â 10.1 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 29 Â Â Â Â Â 2.8 Â Â Â Â 160 Â Â
 2200       12.7        34      2.7      160   Â
2400 Â Â Â Â Â Â 16.4 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 37 Â Â Â Â Â 2.2 Â Â Â Â 200 Â Â
2600 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 20.3 Â Â Â Â Â Â 40 Â Â Â Â Â Â 2 Â Â Â Â Â 220 Â Â
2800 Â Â Â Â Â Â 23.8 Â Â Â Â Â Â 43 Â Â Â Â Â 1.8 Â Â Â Â 250Â Â
3000 Â Â Â Â Â Â 26.8 Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 51 Â Â Â Â Â Â 1.9 Â Â Â Â 230 Â Â
