Boats

Rinker 310 Express Cruiser

Rinker's 310 Express Cruiser provides a smooth ride and numerous entertainment amenities.

By The Boating Tech Team

Updated: January 7, 2014

Rinker 310 Express Cruiser

LOA: 33’1″
Beam: 10’6″
Dry Weight: 12,005 lb.
Seating/Weight Capacity: Yacht Certified
Fuel Capacity: 142 gal.

Rinker 310 Express Cruiser

Rinker 310 Express Cruiser

Rinker 310 Express Cruiser

Rinker 310 Express Cruiser

Rinker 310 Express Cruiser

Rinker 310 Express Cruiser

Rinker 310 Express Cruiser

Rinker 310 Express Cruiser

Rinker 310 Express Cruiser

Rinker 310 Express Cruiser

Rinker 310 Express Cruiser

Rinker 310 Express Cruiser

Rinker 310 Express Cruiser

Rinker 310 Express Cruiser

Rinker 310 Express Cruiser

Rinker 310 Express Cruiser

Rinker 310 Express Cruiser

Rinker’s 310 is one of the best-selling cruisers in its range for good reason. For starters, it’s got more volume than most, with space for eight passengers — and their food, gear and supplies — on a weekend outing. Keep the party topside and you’re treated to a versatile aft lounge, which can morph from a traditional seat to a recliner or sun pad, a lengthy portside lounge that easily converts to a dinette or filler-equipped lounge, and a helm seat that can pivot and allow one more to join in on the socializing. On our rainy test day, the optional hardtop and standard camper canvas kept all of us dry. That top’s clear Lexan panels displayed a clarity not found in traditional isinglass. When the party’s over, divvy up to five passengers below between the forward V-berth, aft cabin and convertible salon settee. Brazilwood cabinetry, multiple generously sized portholes and an overhead skylight keep this cabin bright and airy. You’ll discover a low-maintenance fiberglass liner in the well-equipped head, and a fiddled, Corian countertop in the galley that looks great and keeps stuff from rolling off. You may not even need air conditioning. If the weather’s right, slide the screened companionway door closed and let the breeze blow in while keeping the bothersome bugs at bay.

While many cruisers can strut their stuff at the dock, the 310 also shines underway. With twin 300 hp MerCruiser 350 Mag salt-ready SeaCore engines, the 310 Express Cruiser accelerated smoothly onto plane in 7.1 seconds, passed the 30 mph mark in 12.9 seconds, and topped out at 44.2 mph. The most economical cruising speed was found at 29 mph, where the engines ran comfortably at 3,500 rpm while consuming a combined 21 gallons per hour. Crank into a turn at speed and that impression doesn’t change, inspiring confidence for both captain and crew.

Options on our test boat included MerCruiser’s Axius system, which works with both Mercury’s SmartCraft and digital throttle and shift (DTS) technology to integrate steering, throttle and shifting into a single, intuitive joystick control. Axius allows each drive to move independently of the other, making it possible to crab the boat sideways into the dock or spin it almost within its length. It has a quick learning curve that takes much of the stress out of low-speed, close-quarters maneuvering. Another reason to like this boat.

Buyer’s Spotlight
*Convertible, cockpit sun pad and portside lounge combine to offer a variety of seating options.
*Optional MerCruiser Axius system takes the stress out of close-quarters maneuvering with control that’s intuitive and joystick-based.
*Standard electronics include Raymarine chart plotter and Sony Bluetooth-equipped radio.

Specs
LOA: 33’1″
Beam: 10’6″
Dry Weight: 12,005 lb.
Seating/Weight Capacity: Yacht Certified
Fuel Capacity: 142 gal.

How We Tested
Engine: Twin 300 hp MerCruiser 350 Mag MPI Catalysts
Drive/Prop: Axius/21-inch pitch XR B3 propsets
Gear Ratio: 2.20:1
Fuel Load: 128 gal.
Crew Weight: 325 lb.