A full kitchenette, dinette, queen-size berth, full head, great stability at anchor, and a generator are all features you expect to find on a fully capable cruiser-but not on a 30′ outboard boat. Glacier Bay, with its new 3080 Coastal Runner, is aiming to change that.
Stepping into the cabin I couldn’t help but enjoy the ample natural light brightening the interior. Flipping open twin overhead hatches provides a refreshing breath of air for those times when it’s cool enough not to need an air conditioner. When you do need to warm up or cool down, heat and air come standard at the helm, and with the standard canvas drop curtain across the house’s open rear bulkhead, you can set the temperature as you like.
Comfort, however, relies on more than temperature. Overnighting means having a freshwater sink, microwave, refrigerator, and stovetop. By lifting a small lounge to starboard and folding the helm seat forward, you get just that in the outdoor kitchenette. Comfort also means sitting with the kids to enjoy the meal you’ve prepared. The dinette to port seats four-with a little squeezing. Comfort may also depend on retreating to a private head. Go through the sliding side-entry hatch into the lower cabin, then slip through the head’s doorway into a personal throne room with a large mirror, freshwater sink, and shower. Comfort could still mean getting a great night’s rest. The large queen-size berth provides more than enough room for a couple.
Naturally, anglers like me define comfort differently, but this boat takes care of us, too. There’s a livewell for bait, though access is limited by the house’s rear curtain that buttons down across its lid. Drawers store every size of hook, swivel, or lure. The cockpit is wide and unhindered. What didn’t I like? The same thing I loved-because of its compact size, this boat can feel cluttered.
Venturing far from shore? You’ll take comfort knowing that Glacier Bay’s proven semi-displacement catamaran hulls are filled full with foam for flotation and strength. The 3080’s helm has tons of room to equip the latest electronics. Also, stability in a powercat this large is incredible. Just a few more things in the long list that make the 3080 Coastal Runner a king of comfort.
