Project 31
£16,950
‘Classic boat’ conjures up images of Rivas and Faireys. But is there a place in the classic pantheon for something a little more prosaic? I think there is and I think this is it. When David King and his colleagues realised their fledgling motor boat charter business wasn’t going to work, they sold the boat they’d fitted out from a hull and deck moulding and accidentally kickstarted one of the most successful boatbuilding companies in Europe. It was the demand for that boat that encouraged them to build more. They bought another hull and deck moulding and the Project 31, and with it Princess Yachts, was born.
INTERIOR
There’s a wonderful honesty to boats of this era. They’re not pretending to be sleek racers, so cabin roofs are high, windows are big and layouts are basic. You get a small heads, a galley opposite a dinette and vee berths up front. There’s nothing clever about it, it just works. This boat has been revamped, bringing it a little more up to date. White bulkheads replace the original heavy mahogany, there’s modern flooring and a new galley.
EXTERIOR
On the Princess 32 that replaced the Project 31, the cockpit had a flat floor. On this model there was a step up, resulting in a long aft seat. On this boat, the owner has removed the upholstery and fitted a rather nattylooking sofa instead. Further forward, there are a couple of captain’s chairs beneath the open-backed hardtop. The Project 31 came with a variety of engines, from twin diesels that gave it planing speeds down to river-friendly small diesels. This boat has the latter, a single Volvo Penta AQD21A, giving 75hp for about 8 knots.
SEAKEEPING
Out at sea and on the plane, a rather flat hull gave a somewhat harsh ride but at displacement speeds, that’s not an issue. A single outdrive will make it susceptible to strong crosswinds.