Minicat 310 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The Minicat 310 is built around a lightweight powder-coated aluminium frame to which the floats attach by means of welded-on flags inserted into pockets on the floats. Grey inflatable floats are pre-fixed to the main frame with the trampoline, which shortens assembly to a minimum; the manufacturer quotes a 15-to-20-minute setup for the M310 Sport, while period reviews note about 20 minutes for the standard boat. The floats themselves are reinforced Heytex 5509 from Germany, a material whose production technology was adopted from white-water rafts and which is highly resistant to abrasion. They are single-chamber tubes 3.15 meters long and 39 centimeters in diameter, with a combined load capacity of 240 kilograms. A black main trampoline of high-strength woven plastic fabric, measuring 135 by 95 centimeters, is fixed with special grab-handles. The central tube mounts under the frame, carrying the rudder mechanism at its rear and the mast-and-jib anchor point at its front.

Rig and Handling

The rig is a fractional sloop with a three-piece aluminium mast of equal-length sections slotted together, powder-coated grey and black, standing 3.8 meters above the waterline. The mainsail is 3.75 square meters of Dimension Polyant cloth at 175 grams per square meter, built without a boom in an all-spire construction with six flat battens and a visibility window; the jib adds 1.40 to 1.50 square meters depending on year and trim, and the Sport carries a furler. Twin low-aspect keel fins attach under each float, giving excellent performance in very shallow water while removing any need for a centerboard. The aluminium rudder kicks up to a 90-degree angle and locks in either raised or lowered position, and the jointed tiller arm sweeps a full circle. Period reviews credited the boat with sailing in as little as eighteen inches of water and with great low-wind performance under both sails.

Accommodations and Intended Use

There are no cabins or berths; the Minicat 310 is a dayboat for one or two people, rated for a crew of 1–2 and a carrying capacity of 529 pounds. The trampoline is the sole seated or kneeling platform, and an optional outboard bracket mounts where the rudder usually sits so the boat can double as a tender. Its design category D and 235-to-240-kilogram float capacity mark it as a sheltered-water craft, ideal as a yacht accessory rather than a passage-maker. The whole package packs into one bag for storage or travel, and the 2021 original could even be split into two ~45-pound bags for domestic air travel.

Trim Levels and Evolution

The boat has been sold in Standard, Super, and Sport trims, the Standard carrying only a mainsail, the Super adding a jib without furler. The redesigned 310 appeared after 2021: the Sport after 2022 is slightly lighter than the original, assembles in 20 minutes, and has its pontoons permanently affixed to the frame and trampoline as a single component, with a smaller jib and aluminium rudder. The 2021 Sport, now discontinued, took 30 minutes to assemble, used a fiberglass rudder, and shipped as separate frame, trampoline, and pontoons. The redesign traces to the original Minicat that Laura Dekker found on her circumnavigation.

Ownership and Refits

Fittings throughout are from Ronstan, Seasure, Clamcleat, and Suchomel, and the boat carries a two-year warranty against defects in material or workmanship. Owners fitting the optional motor bracket should note it occupies the rudder station. One practical caution from the builder: if the pontoons are inflated with too little or too much air, aligning the pin holes during assembly becomes a wrestling match. The Heytex hull material carries a UV life expectancy exceeding ten years.

The Verdict

The Minicat 310 is a genuinely clever portable catamaran that trades creature comforts for a pack-in-a-bag simplicity few small sailboats can match. Its shallow-water ability, quick rig, and tough German raft-derived tubes make it a compelling yacht tender or lake-and-harbor day sailor, though its single-chamber floats and category D rating demand respect for its limits.

Pros