She has been superseded by younger siblings, but does the Elan 31 look or behave like an outdated model? Not in the least, says David Harding
Top stories
£10 daily fee for Studland Bay eco mooring buoys
"New eco moorings protect seagrass and enable boating to continue in Studland Bay" says Studland Bay Marine Partnership chairman David Brown.
Replacing crazed boat portlights
Stu Davies saves a bundle by having new acrylic windows made
French visa still needed for stays over 90 days
British boaters who want to spend longer than three months cruising in France will still need to apply for a visa following failed attempts to amend the French Immigration and…
Boat handling tips: marina exit strategies
You want to turn one way to get out of your berth, but both the boat and the wind have other ideas – so what do you do? David Harding…
Spinnaker recycling now available in Cornwall
Spinnakers can now be saved from landfill and repurposed in Cornwall, as part of Clean Sailors' ReSail initiative
Boat fire prevention: tips to stay safe
For sailors, there is no hotter topic than fire on board. Sticky Stapylton looks at methods of prevention – and ways of dealing with fire should the worst happen
Channel Hopping: The Tiny Boat Adventure with Harry Dwyer
PBO's resident YouTube aficionado Kass Schmitt ponders whether a widening crack in the fibreglass hull is down to Harry Dwyer driving his RIB like he stole it on his Tiny…
Can you epoxy repair an aluminium boat heat exchanger?
PBO reader Chris Marden wants to know if he can repair the outer case of his boat heat exchanger with epoxy. Stu Davies has the answer!
Channel Hopping: Refit and sail project boat advice
PBO's resident YouTube aficionado Kass Schmitt recommends George Isted’s channel Refit and Sail for project boat buying advice in video form
Westerly Konsort: space, security & good performance
One of the roomiest cruisers of her size, the Konsort is also known for her solidity, interior finish and easy manners. No wonder she’s such a popular second-hand buy, says…
Boat handling: leaving a tight space
Peter Jones shares a technique for departing a pontoon with limited room for manoeuvre, against a pontoon or between rafts of boats
Keep yacht maintenance simple to spend time sailing
Rupert Holmes on the realities of long-term boat ownership and how he manages maintenance to spend more time on the water
DIY crew headset for efficient anchoring
No need to shout for David Holmes and crew when anchoring
Fitting a saildrive folding propeller? Ask the experts
Peter Dunlop writes: “I have a Volvo Penta MD20-30 with saildrive and three-bladed folding propeller on my 1998 Dawn 39 (a Contessa 38 lookalike from the same mould). Some years…
Cleaning rusty engine innards? Ask the experts
Alan Carter from Dunfermline writes: “I’m on the way to solving the problem of rusty innards in my old boat engine – something that afflicts the engines of many practical…
Third leg of Ocean Globe Race starts
12 yachts crossed the start line of the third leg of the Ocean Globe Race, from Auckland, New Zealand to Punta del Este, Uruguay
Best corrosion protection method? Ask the experts
Bob Williams writes: “During a recent chat at my sailing club questions were discussed about anodes, galvanic corrosion and earthing, sailing in salt water and then into fresh water. As…
Channel Hopping: Winded Voyage Sailing – don’t count this sailor out
PBO's resident YouTube aficionado Kass Schmitt begs a YouTuber she's never met to help a friend with wonderful results
Russian sailor Roman Titov missing after yacht wreckage is washed up in Scotland
Russian sailor Roman Titov is missing after the wreckage of his 33ft Colin Archer-type cutter was discovered at Loch Inver in Scotland