Motor Boat & Yachting - July 2018

FINDME A USED...

‘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 kick-

started 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 natty-

looking sofa instead. Further forward,

there are a couple of captain’s chairs

beneath the open-backed hardtop.

PERFORMANCE

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.

DATA FILE

1974 £16,950

Length 32ft 2in (9.7m)

Beam 9ft 1in (2.8m)

Draught 2ft 7in (0.8m)

Displacement 4 tonnes

Fuel capacity 110 gallons

(500 litres)

Engines Volvo Penta

MD21 75hp diesel

FOR SALE TBS Boats.

http://www.tbsboats.com

Project 31

If not quite a Riva...

A budget classic



RATING

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W

IL

D^ CAR

D

(^) +

• W
  LI
  RAC D
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• 
  

  The interior is much
  lighter and brighter
  than the original
  The open-backed
  wheelhouse with slim
  pillars offers terrifi c
  visibility
  Vee berths in the
  forward cabin