Jason and Colleen Scott have a long history of adventurous boating and outdoor life. Two decades ago they built a Tayana 60 together and sailed it along the Southern California coast and into Mexico. Off the water they enjoyed overlanding and camping. About ten years ago, after relocating to the Pacific Northwest, they shifted to powerboat cruising and found a diesel-inboard Ranger Tugs R27 that fit their needs. “The R27 was the smallest boat that met all of our needs,” Jason recalls. Trailering the R27 behind their Toyota Tundra let them reach distant launch points from their homeport of Tacoma, Washington, and saved significant transit time compared with traveling solely by water.
Around two years ago the Scotts began looking for a larger, trailerable family cruiser as their children, Jacob and Delaney, grew. Working with broker Brian Krantz of Inside Passage Yacht Sales in Anacortes, Washington, they placed an order for a Sargo 36 built in Finland. While waiting for that boat’s delivery, they encountered a gently used 2018 Sargo 31 Aft Door that proved to be an ideal fit. Initially they had dismissed the Sargo 31 because of an earlier U-shaped cabin layout with twin side-access doors, but Krantz showed them a version with an improved cabin plan and a rear access door. That aft door layout was a game changer, offering easier boarding and more practical family use.
Because the Toyota Tundra could not safely handle the load and tongue weight of the Sargo 31, the Scotts upgraded to a Ford F350 Crew Cab with a flatbed. They mounted a conventional camper on the truck’s centerline and added storage lockers along both sides for gear, making the towing rig into an integrated adventure setup. Onboard, they kept the Sargo’s interior uncluttered to support living aboard while staying at RV campsites. Refrigerated storage was added to extend cruising range and reduce dependence on shore facilities.
Jason made a number of practical modifications to adapt the Sargo 31 for highway towing and campground living. He removed the boat’s arch for bridge clearance, temporarily taking off the radome and modifying other antennas so they fold down. Solar panels were installed to maintain battery charge and reduce engine run-time for charging and domestic hot water production. He moved lifting points to clear a pump-out through-hull and re-plumbed gray water so both black and gray effluent could be directed to campground septic hookups—changes required to make the boat legal in many RV slips. Jason also notes that a watermaker is on his to-do list to support longer independent cruises.
When the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns began in 2020, the family chose the road over staying locked down at home. They left Tacoma and took to homeschooling Jacob and Delaney while traveling. Their first Sargo launch was in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and the San Francisco Bay area, where they explored the waterways and made side trips to Lodi and nearby wine country. From there they headed south to Southern California, launching in Newport Beach for a cruise to Catalina Island. An inland leg took them to Lake Pleasant northwest of Phoenix, and they spent time exploring Sedona’s Red Rock country using the tow vehicle and camper.
Later that year they drove and trailered the Sargo to Galveston, Texas. They arrived just before an arctic air mass led to widespread power outages across the state. While communities faced several days without electricity, the Scotts remained comfortable and self-sufficient aboard the Sargo 31 and in their camper, relying on the diesel heater, propane and stored water supplies.
More recently the couple and their children cruised the Southern California coast again, launching from Newport and visiting the Channel Islands, Oxnard and Santa Barbara. Jason says the family still misses cruising in Mexico and have discussed launching from San Felipe or Rocky Point to explore the Gulf of California. He acknowledges that fuel availability would be a consideration, but the Sargo 31 is economical for its performance. Measured consumption runs about 1.8 mpg once the boat is on plane across a broad speed band between 20 and 30 knots; their typical cruise is near 3,000 rpm and around 25 knots.
Walkthrough
The Sargo 31 Aft Door is a practical walkaround cruiser with high bulwarks and a single-level weather deck that simplifies moving around the boat in all conditions. A hatch in the aft deck sole provides direct access to the engine compartment and routine service points. The layout features two sliding doors—one to starboard at the helm and one to port at the galley—useful when tending dock lines or moving between cockpit and deck. A third door aft opens from the cabin onto a generous rear deck, giving easy access for boarding from a dock or dockside slip.
Below deck, the boat comfortably sleeps four in two separate compartments, each with a double berth, and the convertible dinette provides berthing for two additional guests when needed. The helm is designed for comfort and control, with an adjustable steering wheel and a sliding helm seat that lets the operator find an optimal driving position. Visibility from the helm is excellent, and the boat’s ventilation is well thought out for warm-weather cruising and extended time aboard.
LOA: 32’8”
Beam: 10’10”
Draft: 3’6”
Displacement: 11,244 lbs.
Fuel: 132 gals.
Water: 31 gals.
Power: (1) 400-hp Volvo-Penta diesel
This article was originally published in the April 2022 issue.