You've probably owned trailerable boats since you first got into boating, but maybe you've reached the point where you don't want to think about launch ramps or trailers or tow vehicles anymore. Now you're dreaming about throwing some food in the car and driving to a marina, simply twisting the key and tossing off the docklines.

If that's the case, then you're in luck. The all-new Maxum 3100 SCR is too big to trailer with its wide beam (unless you own a trucking company), so you absolutely have to keep it in the water. And that's the good news.

Picture this. You drive to the marina Friday evening after work, climb aboard and tuck the groceries in the fridge. Put your favorite CD on, mix a drink and settle into that opulently upholstered settee. As you wind down, you realize that you're hungry, but just don't feel like the effort of a barbecue. No problem, because you've got an all-electric stove and microwave that makes short work of anything from simple munchies to a delicious gourmet meal. Later, spin the revolving television around so you can see it from the settee (it also faces toward the forward berth) and pop in a video. Enjoy life. Chill.

When you finally wake up the next day, you can crank up the standard twin 220-hp, 5.0L MerCruisers, and you'll be anchored in that quiet cove before you know it. Then it's back to the marina Sunday evening to give the boat a quick rinse, and you're home.

The Maxum 3100 SCR is so comfortable, it doesn't seem right to take it to sea, but it's just as much at home slicing through bumpy head seas as it is nuzzled up to a pier while you pop popcorn.

The cockpit is comfortable, with a helm seat wide enough for two (if they have smallish rears), and an impressive faux burled dash with an upper row of instruments and a lower array of switches. There's even a huge blank area where you can mount anything from a radar to a chart plotter.

A big settee is aft with a cocktail table, and there's a wet bar to starboard for storing all the makings of a perfect cocktail. Boarding is easy from the stern platform with a locking walk-through door that provides a little extra security when the kids are onboard.' This is a lot like a trailerable mid-cabin cruiser, except it's on steroids. With a length of nearly 31 feet, there's a lot of walk-around space in the cabin. The galley, which Maxum terms 'euro-styled,' is clean and simple. The most notable feature is a surprising amount of storage space, which is too often forgotten. In this case, there are large lockers over the counters to hold dishes, glasses and food, and the dual-voltage Norcold refrigerator includes a freezer as well. There's a flush-mounted two-burner Princess Ceran cooktop, and the sink is covered for even more counter space when not in use.

The forward area is partitioned at night with a privacy curtain, and the berth is surrounded by a padded rail and a shelf for storage. The berth itself, however, is one of those multisided affairs that will defy any conventional sheet or blanket shapes, so plan to add tailored bedding to your must-have list.

The dinette also converts to a berth by lowering the faux maple table, but only as a last resort. Everything that makes the dinette so comfortable for sitting makes for an undulating, albeit well-upholstered, mattress at night. Save this for those guests you want to depart early the following day.

The mid-cabin, on the other hand, would probably be the number-one choice as the master suite. It's cozy, but has ample headroom, and the big square berth eliminates the frustrations of bunched or rumpled bedding.

If you've been living with portable heads, the toilet on the 3100 SCR is going to seem like heaven. Electric flushing is standard ' such a small but important pleasure. The head compartment is a molded unit to make cleaning easy, and the drain pan for the shower (with wraparound curtain) is thoughtfully deep to avoid splashing over.

There is a remarkable amount of storage throughout the 3100, and it appears that someone made an extra effort to ferret out any available space ' under bunks, behind headboards, under the seats ' and make it useable.

Should you venture out from your slip, you'll be surprised at how six tons of boat can be so nimble. With the optional 5.0L MPI MerCruisers (260 horses each) and Bravo III (twin-prop) drives, you'll up the speed from 40 mph with the standard 5.0L to just more than 48 mph. But if you're faced with nothing but wind chop, you may have to turn donuts back over your own wake if you want to see what happens in waves. When you do, you're likely to find that the 3100 will be a comfortable boat offshore, even in swells.

The 10-foot-6-inch beam gives an inherent stability, and the 3100 has the Maxum Max-Trac hull shape that includes reversed chines to reduce roll and throw spray to the side, a delta step pad on the bottom of the hull for better top speed and fuel efficiency, and the beam at the waterline carried well forward for lift and fast planing. With the 260-hp engines, the cruising speed is in the low 30s, which is not bad for all the luxury you're moving at that speed.

Construction on the Maxum is solid but not high-tech, with fiberglass stringers with wood cores, which are integrated to create a rigid framework to stiffen the hull. In addition, Maxum bonds key components such as floorboards and consoles to the stringer system ' rather than just bolting them like many builders do ' which not only improves strength but also minimizes weight. The limber holes, which allow bilge water to pass from one compartment to the next, are all lined with PVC tubing to keep water from reaching the cores and causing rot. The sterndrive openings are also sealed using an exclusive mold that results in a fully fiberglass-lined opening, once again to eliminate leakage into the coring.

Built to the usually high Maxum standards, thoughtfully designed and luxuriously appointed, the 3100 SCR is an altogether likable cruiser that will appeal to folks moving up from the trailerable range, or those who just want a movable weekend getaway.