Its main attraction is portability. The frame-and-float package breaks down into a single 160-by-32-by-36-centimeter bag, then rigs into a stable twin-hulled sailboat with a boomless mainsail and roller-furling jib.
Design and Construction
The Minicat 310 uses a lightweight, powder-coated aluminium frame. The floats attach through welded-on flags that fit into pockets on the floats. Grey inflatable floats come pre-fixed to the main frame and trampoline, keeping assembly time to a minimum. The manufacturer quotes 15 to 20 minutes for the M310 Sport, while period reviews put the standard boat at about 20 minutes.
The single-chamber floats are 3.15 meters long and 39 centimeters in diameter, with a combined load capacity of 240 kilograms. They’re made from reinforced German Heytex 5509, a material whose production technology was adopted from white-water rafts and which is highly resistant to abrasion.
A black main trampoline, made from high-strength woven plastic fabric, measures 135 by 95 centimeters and is fitted with special grab handles. Beneath the frame, a central tube carries the rudder mechanism at the rear and the mast-and-jib anchor point at the front.
Rig and Handling
The Minicat 310 has a fractional-sloop rig and a three-piece aluminium mast. Its equal-length sections slot together, and the assembled mast stands 3.8 meters above the waterline. It is powder-coated grey and black.
The 3.75-square-meter mainsail uses 175-grams-per-square-meter Dimension Polyant cloth. It is boomless, with an all-spire construction, six flat battens, and a visibility window. The jib adds 1.40 to 1.50 square meters, depending on year and trim; the Sport has a furler.
Twin low-aspect keel fins fit beneath the floats. They provide excellent performance in very shallow water and eliminate the need for a centerboard. The aluminium rudder kicks up through 90 degrees and locks in either the raised or lowered position, while the jointed tiller arm can sweep through a full circle. Period reviews credited the boat with sailing in as little as eighteen inches of water and with great performance in light wind under both sails.
Layout and Intended Use
There are no cabins or berths. The Minicat 310 is a dayboat for one or two people, with a crew rating of 1–2 and a carrying capacity of 529 pounds. The trampoline is the only platform for sitting or kneeling.
An optional outboard bracket fits where the rudder normally sits, allowing the boat to double as a tender. Its design category D and 235-to-240-kilogram float capacity identify it as a sheltered-water craft, better suited to service as a yacht accessory than as a passage-maker.
For storage or travel, the entire boat packs into one bag. The 2021 original could also be divided between two bags weighing about 45 pounds each for domestic air travel.
Trim Levels and Evolution
The Minicat 310 has been offered in Standard, Super, and Sport versions. The Standard carries only a mainsail, while the Super adds a jib without a furler.
A redesigned 310 appeared after 2021. The Sport after 2022 is slightly lighter than the original, assembles in 20 minutes, and has its pontoons permanently attached to the frame and trampoline as one component. It also uses a smaller jib and an aluminium rudder.
The now-discontinued 2021 Sport took 30 minutes to assemble. Its frame, trampoline, and pontoons shipped as separate pieces, and it used a fiberglass rudder. The redesign traces back to the original Minicat that Laura Dekker found during her circumnavigation.
Ownership and Refits
Hardware comes from Ronstan, Seasure, Clamcleat, and Suchomel. The boat is covered by a two-year warranty against defects in materials or workmanship, while the Heytex hull material has a stated UV life expectancy of more than ten years.
Owners fitting the optional motor bracket should remember that it occupies the rudder station. The builder also notes that assembly becomes difficult if the pontoons are either underinflated or overinflated, because the pin holes can be hard to align.
The Verdict
The Minicat 310 is a genuinely clever portable catamaran. It trades creature comforts for pack-in-a-bag simplicity that few small sailboats can match. Its shallow-water ability, quick rig, and tough German, raft-derived tubes make it a compelling yacht tender or a practical lake-and-harbor dayboat. Its single-chamber floats and category D rating, however, demand respect for its limits.
Pros
- Packs into a single bag and sets up in about 20 minutes
- Sails in eighteen inches of water, with fixed keel fins and a kick-up rudder
- Abrasion-resistant Heytex 5509 floats with a UV life expectancy exceeding ten years
- Boomless, battened mainsail with a window, plus a furling jib on the Sport
Cons
- Single-chamber pontoons provide limited redundancy if punctured
- Category D rating limits the boat to sheltered water
- No ballast, cabin, or provision for more than two people
- Pin-hole alignment can be fussy if pontoon pressure is incorrect
