Your alternative Pentax ......

I would like to have a second, more portable camera for use when the dslr is inconvenient to carry, or at risk from the environment, such as whilst sailing.
Any recommendations from the current Pentax point & shoot range?

Short and sweet, the Pentax X70, but if your sailing I would go for the pentax optio w70 or w80
Jack.

X70 perhaps :

i agree with Jackitec on this one.

The Optio 'W' series are water resistant and produce decent results.

Thanks for your advice, folks. I guess if money was no problem, I'd go for the X70, as it at least looks like what I am used to. However, as it costs as much as another K10, I think it will have to be the Optio 'W'.

W70 - when did that one sneak out?

I have just bought one of the last W60s as it is significantly cheaper that the newer trendy looking W80 which offers no significant improvements.

Pentax have also produced a floating strap for it too, just in case you do drop it in the sea.

Hi Polchraine - How do you find the image quality from the W60? Is the shutter delay acceptable?
It does seem to be what I am after, ie not too expensive and can be easily carried in my pocket.

I have only had a quick play with it - my wife has pinched it for a trip to Turkey!

I bought an M60 for my daughter and the quality of that is very good. The shutter delay on that is, as with all compact P&S, a minor problem as you cannot capture "the moment". It is certainly no worse than most others and may be fractionally better and is "acceptable" for a P&S.

Shutter delay on my E50 is 'acceptable', which means you have a short lag in poor light and virtually none in good light, unlike my Panasonic which takes for ever to lock on(even using flash!!!).

Compared to My DSLR it's not that bad.