34' sailboat

Dehler 34   Cruiser racer with winning gene

The era of the performance cruiser began 30 years ago with the Dehler 34. Today, the new Dehler 34 is the direct successor of this cult yacht. Discover the original of this performance cruiser in its modern form!

The Dehler 34 sets standards in its class, with its living space, headroom and tank volumes – and offers outstanding sailing performance.

Dehler yachts stand out with their unique personality, which amazes with clear lines. Simply unmistakeable.

Available as standard, the Dehler Carbon Cage lends the hull 20 per cent more stability. That means you can sail higher into the wind with your Dehler.

• Length over all 10.70 m
• Hull Length 10.30 m
• Beam 3.60 m
• Draught standard 1.95 m
• Displacement standard 6.00 t

Fast Lane   Limited Offer

This is the time to enjoy performance cruising even more. Take the FAST LANE to get your new Dehler 34 sooner and with exceptionally affordable equipment. Explore all the details of the packages included: We offer you a 100% discount on everything from April to June, a 75% discount in July and August and a 50% discount in September. Your dealer will be glad to take care of your enquiry.

B&G Navigation Package

• Instrument pod on helm station stb
• 2 B&G Triton² multifunction displays at helm station, incl. transducer (wind/depth/speed/temperature)
• B&G Zeus³ 7" chart plotter, stb helm station

Cruising Package

• Synthetic teak on coach roof (colour selection)
• Synthetic teak on cockpit bottom (colour selection)
• Synthetic teak on cockpit benches (colour selection)
• Synthetic teak on bathing platform (colour selection)
• Bathing platform, manual fold-out with swimming ladder
• 2 add. cleats, midship, retractable (1 each side)
• 2 vents for coach roof hatches
• Battery set, capacity: 1x 90 Ah + 2x 160 Ah AGM
• Head cushions in saloon
• Blind set with flyscreens for hatches
• Blinds for side coach roof windows
• Wind indicator XV9450 Flagpole
• 4 mooring lines
• Dehler maintenance kit
• QUANTUM TP6 high-performance sails - full battened, UV-protected membrane, main and jib

Configure Now

(*) Disclaimer: The maximum price advantage refers to the Dehler yacht described above until the end of June 2024. All discounts include 19% VAT. In other markets, discounts may vary depending on the applicable VAT. Not valid in conjunction with other discounts or benefits. No refund if individual components are not purchased. Errors excepted.

Presented just for you   your dream Dehler

We cordially invite you to your own custom boat show on the yacht of your dreams. Your Dehler dealer looks forward to meeting you. They will arrange for an exclusive presentation on the Dehler model of your choosing and explain all of the details on and below deck. This personal appointment means no time constraints, no crowds, and it complies with all health and safety rules. Schedule your exclusive consultation today and get ready for an exciting presentation!

Book your tour

360°   view

Start your personal tour around your favourite Dehler comfortably from home with our new 360 degree panoramas. Take all the time you need and discover every detail in captivating detail. Enjoy navigating below Deck.

Have we inspired you to design your own dream yacht right away?

Try our online configurator

Exterior   Design

Exterior gallery.

Steering: Twin wheels or tiller

Choose how you want to have control over your Dehler. The twin wheels come as standard, or opt for the tiller steering.

Full cockpit: One-handed control

All sheets can be led directly to the helm via the six winches integrated as standard.

Hidden ropes: Clear deck

You will immediately notice the tidy and clear deck layout. This is particularly thanks to the rope guidance integrated into the deck and out of sight.

Three skylights: More daylight

Sporty optics on the outside, daylight on the inside. Thanks to three skylights, the sun radiates into the interior of your Dehler.

Interior   Design

Interior gallery.

Hidden highlight: Bar

A pull-out bar is integrated into the saloon table.

Cabin lighting: Precise dimming

With the Smart Light System, you can synchronise all lights in the owner’s cabin to your desired brightness.

Navigation: Ergonomic table

From the movable navigation table you have everything within reach: the on-board electrical equipment, radio device and plotter.

Ambience: For the soul and senses

Elegantly rounded corners, perfectly harmonised colours and soft lighting pamper you below deck.

Interior   Layout

Interior layouts.

The standard version of the Dehler 34 features a bow cabin with open bulkhead, while the stern is divided into storage space and a second double cabin. As an alternative, the bow can be built as a closed owner’s cabin. The cabins can be outfitted with lightweight furnishings as desired.

Dehler Uni Door: Clever concept

One door for two frames makes it possible to use the space as you wish. Simply choose which areas should be separated from each other.

Saloon table: Pure flexibility

While the one table top is in use, the other can be folded down to offer free passageway through the saloon – or vice versa.

Clear space: For all your items

Whatever you decide to take on board, you will have plenty of space in the generous drawers, overhead cabinets, wardrobes and storage boxes.

The engine: Always accessible

The engine is situated below the companionway and is noise-isolated. It can be maintained from both the companionway as well as from the aft cabins.

Video   Gallery

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10 New Cruising Sailboats Under 35 Feet

• By Cruising World Staff
• Updated: November 3, 2020

It wasn’t so long ago that 30- to 35-foot cruising sailboats were likely to be the largest yachts found in many a harbor. And while 40-something and even 50-something footers are all the rage at boat shows today, there’s a lot to be said for setting sail on a boat big enough to carry family and friends, but still small enough to be easily maintained and handled alone from time to time. Small cruising sailboats are simple to dock or tie up to a mooring, and finding long-term marina space is easier as well.

Choosing a cruising sailboat, no matter the size, is a big decision. And it helps to have a trusted list of boats to get started. Here, then, is a look at 10 of the best daysailers , weekenders and coastal cruising sailboats under 35 feet that are all in production and can be purchased new.

Alerion Sport 30

A quarter-century ago, Garry Hoyt launched what would come to be known as the daysailer genre with the introduction of the Alerion Express 28, a boat designed by the late Carl Schumacher that featured a minimal interior and a large cockpit where an owner and guests could enjoy the simple joy of sailing. Traditional and lovely looking—but with a quite modern underbody and a powerful sail plan—Hoyt, ever the marketer, proclaimed the boat to be “the prettiest girl at the dance.”

Since then, a number of siblings ranging from 20 to 41 feet have been added to the Alerion family, including the Alerion Sport 30, which retains the graceful sheer line, oval ports and stylish overhangs of the original Schumacher design. Yet with input from naval architect Langan Design Partners, it also embraces a solid measure of performance-oriented DNA.

Read more about the Alerion Sport 30 »

Bavaria Cruiser 34

In every Boat of the Year contest, it seems, a boat rises up after sea trials to make a lasting impression on the judges. For 2018, that boat was the Bavaria Cruiser 34.

Says Boat of the Year Judge Tim Murphy, “The Bavaria was a lovely boat to sail. It has a single rudder, and she answered her helm just beautifully in the conditions we had today. We started off with around 10 knots of breeze that built to 13 to 15 knots. As a sailboat, it was just a pleasurable sailing experience, among the best we had during our judging. It was among the boats that felt like a really happy sailing experience.

Read more about the Bavaria Cruiser 34 »

Beneteau Oceanis 30.1

Sailed as part of the 2020 Boat of the Year sea trials, the 31-foot-3-inch Beneteau Oceanis 30.1 was the compact yacht best-equipped and spec’d out as a dedicated cruising boat, and not coincidentally, it was also awarded the title of Best Performance Cruiser for 2020. But don’t let her cozy interior accommodations fool you; this is also one peppy little vessel.

Read more about the Beneteau Oceanis 30.1 »

The 2017 Boat of the Year (BOTY) contest featured a stellar crop of crossover cruiser/racers; however, when all the testing was said and done, our independent panel of judges was sold on the Dehler 34, naming it the year’s Best Performance Cruiser. Designed by the highly regarded Judel/Vrolijk naval-architecture consortium, whose reputation was fostered by longtime success in international yacht-racing circles, the 34-footer combined contemporary good looks and a sweet turn of speed with better-than-average comfort and accommodations below. It didn’t hurt that the boat, nicely equipped at $215,000, was the least-expensive entry in the entire 2017 fleet. All in all, it proved to be a winning formula.

Read more about the Dehler 34 »

Dufour Grand Large 360

Dufour Yachts introduced its new 360 Grand Large model to CW’s Boat of the Year team in 2018 as a coastal cruiser intended for a couple or perhaps a small family. With that in mind, judge Alvah Simon found numerous clever elements to praise within the boat’s 35-foot-2-inch hull—a relatively modest LOA compared to the many 40-, 50- and 60-footers on display at the U.S. Sailboat show in Annapolis, Maryland.

Read more about the Dufour Grand Large 360 »

After a roughly 10-year hiatus from the U.S. marketplace, the Slovenian builder Elan is back in a big way. For the 2017 Boat of the Year contest, the company launched a pair of new boats in the States, including the Elan E4, a 34-foot-9-inch performance cruiser with an emphasis on performing, designed by renowned British naval architect Rob Humphreys. The brand has been in business for seven decades and lately is perhaps even better known in America for its skis. Not surprisingly, given its complementary product lines—lots of sailors are fine skiers—its boats are as sleek and sporty as its boards.

Read more about the Elan E4 »

Grand Soleil 34

Way back in the 1970s, when the well-known Italian boatyard Grand Soleil was just getting started, its first model was a Finot-designed 34-footer. With over 300 units sold, it was an instant success, and launched the company on an upward trajectory that spanned the intervening decades, mostly with an ongoing series of much larger, more complex racer/cruisers. For 2020, the builder decided to return to its roots with a completely revamped Grand Soleil 34, and it’s a terrific boat.

Read more about the Grand Soleil 34 »

Value. How does one determine it? Price is most certainly a factor. In the case of new boats, and our Boat of the Year competition, it means something more. As sailors, we wish to recognize good boats that not only are affordable but offer other, tangible rewards. The ability to get couples and families out on the water, to have a weekend escape, to take them on coastal vacations and even maybe a sabbatical to the islands, all without breaking the bank. For 2019, the judging panel determined that one boat had the potential to do these things better than the rest, which is why they awarded the Best Value prize to the Hanse 348.

With a price tag under $200,000, during sea trials the Hanse 348 wowed the judging team from the get-go. “In only about 8 knots of breeze, we were seeing 5.7 knots upwind and pointing very nicely, and even registered 6.5 knots once we cracked off,” said Tim Murphy. “It’s a pretty sweet little boat.”

Read more about the Hanse 348 »

Italia 9.98

Of the performance cruisers that made their North American debut in 2020, in terms of sheer appearance, the futuristic 34-foot Italia 9.98 was easily the most distinctive. There are actually two versions of the boat: the 34 Club—which is the cruising alternative, the primary features of which are its twin wheels—and the 34 Fuoriserie—the racing model, and the one we tested, with its tiller steering being the identifying characteristic.

Read more about the Italia 9.98 »

Beginning with the popular little J/24 way back in 1977, J/Boats has become famous for its steady introduction of terrific racing and cruising boats, almost all of which shared one main characteristic: They sailed like a witch. More than four decades later, having built more than 50 separate, mind-boggling models, the Johnstone family that designs, markets and sells the brand shows no signs of slowing down. Their latest offering, for 2020, was another fast and fun racer/cruiser: the 32-foot-7-inch J/99.

Read more about the J/99 »

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A gem in new england, tradewinds debuts 59-foot twe6 smart electric yacht, sailboat preview: dufour 44, good bread for good health, center of effort, the halfway point: sailing to bermuda.

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World’s coolest yachts: S&S 34

• August 5, 2021

We ask top sailors and marine industry gurus to choose the coolest and most innovative yachts of our times. This month Don McIntyre nominates S&S 34

The most innovative all-time classic is the S&S 34. As a class they appeared in 1967, a year before the first Golden Globe Race, and Ted Heath [then leader of the opposition and later UK Prime minister], won the 1969 Sydney Hobart in his Morning Cloud .

About 200 have been built since, including 130 in Australia where they are loved to this day. Only one has ever been lost at sea and they are renowned for their heavy weather performance.

Photo: Reuters/Alamy

In 2008, when deciding on a boat to support 15-year-old Jessica Watson’s dream to become the youngest ever, solo non-stop unassisted sailor, the choice was easy.

Jon Saunders in Perie Banou twice circumnavigated solo breaking 12 world records. David Dicks as a 17-year-old took the family S&S 34 Seaflight around solo nonstop, followed shortly after by Jesse Martin, also 17, solo and unassisted on Lionheart . Jessica on Pink Lady [then unofficially took] the record from him, and it still stands today!

S&S 34 stats rating:

Top speed: 7 knots LOA: 10.23m Launched: 1967 Berths: 6 Price: £22,000 Adrenalin factor: 20%

Don McIntyre

Australian explorer Don McIntyre finished 2nd in class in the 1990/91 BOC Challenge solo around the world race, recreated the Mutiny on the Bounty, and resurrected the Golden Globe Race in 2018.

He is currently organising the 2023 Ocean Globe Race, celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the original Whitbread, amongst other events.

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34' True North Sailboat - boats - by owner - craigslist

For sale is a 34' True North Cutter rig Bluewater cruiser. It is a Stan Huntingford design built in North Vancouver and finished in Nanoose Bay by its original owner who was a shipwright with his...

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9 seriously injured, 2 kids killed after suspected drunk driver crashed into Michigan birthday party

By Luke Laster

April 21, 2024 / 8:34 PM EDT / CBS Detroit

BERLIN TOWNSHIP, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) —  Flowers and stuffed animals could be seen around a garage on the Swan Boat Club property in Berlin Township on Sunday after a suspected drunk driver crashed into a birthday party at the boat club Saturday , killing two young children. 

According to Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodnough, an 8-year-old girl and her 5-year-old brother were killed Saturday afternoon when a 66-year-old woman allegedly crashed into a building around 3 p.m. at the Swan Boat Club. 

"First aid was provided to approximately 15 victims, which included adults and young children," said Goodnough, who was visibly emotional Saturday night while delivering the tragic news at a press conference.

Goodnough says nine of those 15 people suffered serious, life-threatening injuries.

"Unfortunately, in tragedy, two of the victims were pronounced deceased at the scene. This includes an 8-year-old female and a 5-year-old male who are siblings of each other," Sheriff Goodnough said.

On Sunday, the garage could be seen boarded up with police tape and flowers scattered around.

Goodnough says the alleged drunk driver may have come from Verna's Bar and Grill, only three and a half miles away from Swan Boat Club.

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office says the 66-year-old suspect is expected to be arraigned on Monday. 

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Luke Laster joined the CBS News Detroit team in August of 2022, and for this Marine City native, it's a return home.

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Woman charged in Michigan birthday party crash that killed 2 kids posts bond

Mother of siblings killed in Michigan boat club crash sues suspect, tavern

Florida man, 69, killed in single-vehicle Monroe County crash

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• Sailboat Guide

Norlin 34 MK I

Norlin 34 MK I is a 33 ′ 7 ″ / 10.2 m monohull sailboat designed by Peter Norlin and built by Solna Marine (SWE) starting in 1972.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

Hulls molded by Älvdalen Plastic (SWE). The MkII version was introduced in 1975 which was longer and had a taller rig. Designed to fall into the IOR 3/4 ton bracket.

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California lawmaker sounds alarm over migrant boat landings: '3 to 4 ... a week'

by JACKSON WALKER | The National Desk

SAN DIEGO (TND) — A California lawmaker is warning about an influx of migrants using boats to land on beaches and enter the U.S. illegally.

San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond took to X Tuesday with news of migrants who are now arriving on county shores in boats. These arrivals then rush into suburbs, adding to California’s swelling migrant population, Desmond claims.

San Diego is getting 3 to 4 boats washing on the shores a week, with illegal immigrants running into neighborhoods,” Desmond wrote . “This is on top of the over 130,000 migrants dropped on the streets of San Diego. San Diego is the epicenter for illegal immigration, with nearly 1,000 people a day dropped on the streets.”

Attached to the post was a local news article showing a small boat which washed up at Windansea Beach in San Diego Tuesday. Authorities told the outlet they discovered several life vests cast aside near the vessel and suspect it may have been used for smuggling.

READ MORE | Illegal Guatemalan migrant arrested for alleged fatal stabbing at Days Inn in Florida

The warning comes on the heels of a viral boat landing video which circulated on social media last week. In the clip, a boat charges through the water and onto a California beach where several suspected migrants rush out and board an SUV.

We need harsher penalties on human smugglers," Desmond told reporters. "We need state and federal officials to bring more resources, whether it's more Coast Guard or National Guard."

President Joe Biden is now considering an executive order to curb immigration as the issue weighs heavily on the minds of voters. Such a command could come in tandem with a citizenship offer to illegal migrants who are married to U.S. citizens. Marriage would potentially clear a migrant’s record of evading detection or document forgery under the rule, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Follow Jackson Walker on X at @_jlwalker_ for the latest trending national news. Have a news tip? Send it to [email protected].

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• Sailboat Reviews

An older Cal 34 can be a good entry-level cruiser for the handyman, but we like the later interior.

Bill Lapworth didn’t invent light-displacement cruiser-racers, but his name is indelibly linked with the type. At 15,000 pounds of displacement on a 30′ waterline, the Cal 40 is still a fairly light boat, especially considering the low-tech materials and techniques available when she was introduced. Lapworth designed a number of smaller sisters to the Cal 40 in the late 1960’s, all looking as alike as peas in a pod.

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Lapworth should have been very flattered at the interest his Cal designs generated, for Frank Butler, now owner of Catalina, designed several successful boats for Coronado that were remarkably similar to Lapworth’s Cals.

Perhaps the most successful of the little sisters to the Cal 40 was the Cal 34. The Cal 34 was in production off and on, and in various configurations, from 1966 until 1979.

Although the hull form of the Cal 34 remained basically unchanged during its production life, enough changes were made in the rig, deck molding, and interior for the boat to have three model designations: Cal 34, Cal 2-34, and Cal 3-34.

Sailing Performance The Cal 34 was conceived as a true racer-cruiser, and early promotional literature stressed her racing performance. The original rig was a low aspect ratio masthead sloop. With a foot length of 14′ and a hoist of 33.5′, the mainsail was of typical late CCA (Cruising Club of America) Rule proportions. The long boom of the original short rig overhangs the cockpit awkwardly, with the mainsheet traveler just forward of the aft end of the cockpit. According to owners, this makes access to the cockpit lockers a nuisance, as well as squandering cockpit space. The tiller occupies the entire forward half of the cockpit, so that the helmsman sits just aft of the deckhouse, while the sail trimmers sit further aft.

The rig on the 2-34 and the 3-34 is just over 2′ taller and the boom 3′ shorter than the original. These dimensions give the rig much more modern proportions, reducing the size of the mainsail by 40 square feet and increasing the aspect ratio of the main from about 2.5:1 to 3.25:1. With the taller rig, the typical PHRF rating of the boat is six seconds per mile faster.

Most Cal 34 owners we surveyed consider the boat to be about the same speed as similar boats upwind, and somewhat faster downwind. This assessment jibes with the performance of most Lapworth designs, which are at their best off the wind. The boat’s PHRF rating, however, suggests that, on the whole, the boat is actually slower than more modern designs of the same size. The C&C 34, for example, is rated about 25 seconds per mile faster than the Cal 3-34.

According to owners, it takes a good breeze to get the Cal 34 moving. With her large, trapezoidal fin keel, the Cal 34 simply has a lot more wetted surface than more modern fin keel boats, although substantially less wetted surface than a full keel design.

Many owners of the original Cal 34 have shortened the foot of the mainsail to improve the boat’s balance. The taller-rigged boats have inherently better balance, since the center of effort of the entire sail plan is further forward. Boats with the short rig and a shortened mainsail foot are likely to be underpowered in light air.

One advantage of the shorter boom is to get rid of the traveler at the aft end of the cockpit. Instead, the traveler is mounted on the bridgedeck, or over the main companionway. While this location would be awkward for racing a tiller-steered boat, it’s good for cruising, since the helmsman could handle the mainsheet as well as the tiller.

One of the most commonly-seen modifications to earlier boats is the installation of wheel steering. This requires relocating the mainsheet on the longerboom boats, but it frees up the space in the cockpit dramatically. The Cal 34 really has a large cockpit, but the tiller and original mainsheet arrangement wasted a huge amount of space. Wheel steering is standard in the 3-34 version of the boat, built in 1976 and later.

Construction The Cal 34 has a relatively unsophisticated, hand laid-up hull. Owners consider the boat to be above average in strength of hull, deck, and rig. A number of owners report that the main bulkhead tends to delaminate due to leaking chainplates. Since this is potentially a serious structural problem, any Cal 34 should be carefully surveyed for signs of leakage in this area. Be particularly cautious about any boat in which the main bulkhead has been painted out, rather than left varnished: look carefully for water stains around the chainplates.

Other areas to check are the deck around the mast step, and the fiberglass keel molding. Internally ballasted boats such as the Cal 34 frequently suffer damage on the toe of the keel when running aground. The keel molding should not ring hollow when tapped with a mallet, which would indicate a loose ballast casting—a sign that the boat has been run aground hard.

Older Cal boats are not heavily built: their light displacement precludes excess material. Furniture and bulkhead tabbing are relatively light, notoriously so in the old Cal 40. The saying about the Cal 40 is that when the berths pop loose in the forward cabin, it’s time to reduce sail.

Despite fairly light construction, we know of several Cal 34s that have done impressive ocean voyaging. We wouldn’t consider a boat of this age and construction suitable for ocean cruising without a careful survey of all structural components. Lightdisplacement hulls such as that of the Cal 34 get a lot of stiffness from the bonding of furniture to the hull. Keeping it in place is important.

One problem area is the chainplates. Several owners report chainplate failure due to metal fatigue, and one owner found several other partially broken chainplates when he replaced on that had broken.

On the whole, however, the Cal 34 is relatively free of structural defects that would be the result of poor workmanship or choice of materials. The faults you find are more commonly a function of the age of the individual boat. For example, some owners report sloppy rudders due to wear of the fiberglass tube which serves as stuffing box and bearing for the rudder stock—a common aging problem with this type of rudder installation.

Pay particular attention to the condition of the gelcoat, particularly the deck gelcoat. Crazing is very common. Unless it has been painted, the distinctive blue Cal sheerstrake is likely to be badly faded in older boats.

In the late 60’s and early 70’s, many West Coast boats, including Cals, were notorious for mediocre systems installations, particularly wiring and plumbing. If an older Cal 34 has had a lot of electronics added, there’s a good chance that the wiring has been pigtailed onto existing circuits, a poor practice. Older Cal 34s also had gate valves rather than seacocks on through hull fittings. These should be replaced.

Other minor weak points include the lack of backing plates on stanchions, which can cause localized crazing of the deck, and leaking aluminumframed cabin ports.

Owners recommend putting in larger cockpit scuppers. The big cockpit can hold a lot of water, and the two small stock scuppers are inadequate.

Interior There have been two interior layouts in the boat. The original Cal 34 and the 2-34 have two quarterberths aft, with the galley to starboard and a dinette to port in the main cabin. The later Cal 3-34s have a more modern conventional layout, with galley aft to port, quarterberth and chart table to starboard. The saloon of the last version has a settee to starboard, dinette to port. Both layouts have V-berths in the forward cabin with the head between the main cabin and forward cabin. Head layout is different in the two models.

On the whole, we think the later layout is superior, although the galley is actually larger in the original version. On older boats, most owners use the dining table for chart work, although it would be quite easy to design a slide-away chart table to fit over the head of one of the quarterberths.

The interior finish of the boats changed a lot over the years. The original Cal 34 had a varnished mahogany plywood interior with varnished mahogany trim. Later boats went to the oiled teak cave look of the 1970s.

There is no doubt that the original interior is lighter and brighter than the later teak interior. However, a varnished mahogany interior requires more upkeep than an oiled teak interior, and is harder to restore to good condition if it has been allowed to deteriorate. Mahogany blackens when exposed to salt water, while teak merely bleaches out and can be reclaimed with a little sanding.

There’s a lot more in the way of creature comforts in the 3-34, in keeping with the growing view that cruising should be more than an expensive form of camping out. Water capacity was increased from the marginal 26 gallons of the early boats to a more serviceable 60 gallons, hot and cold pressure water were standard, and a shower was installed.

The interior is a good selling point in any of the three models. For its length overall, the Cal 34—which is really just over 33′ long—has a lot of interior volume. Headroom on centerline in the main cabin is 6′ 2″. The boat easily has as much interior space as older boats 3′ or more longer.

Engine Like most boats built in the late ’60s, the Cal 34 was originally powered by the Atomic Four gas engine. The engine is located under the cockpit, but is reasonably accessible from either of the quarterberths.

The propeller is driven through a V-drive, and some owners report problems with this unit. A thorough mechanical survey is a must when buying a Cal 34.

In the mid-’70s, diesel engines made their appearance in the boat. A variety of diesels have been installed, including Farymann, 25 and 30 horsepower Westerbekes, and the Perkins 4-91. We would not buy a boat with a Farymann diesel, since parts are difficult or impossible to find. Oddly enough, the most desirable engine for the boat may be the old Atomic 4, which many owners report to be still running strong at 15 years of age or more. Parts are readily available, and are likely to be for some time to come. You could also consider replacing the Atomic Four with one of the Universal diesels designed as a drop-in replacement for the engine.

One disadvantage of the new version of the interior is that engine accessibility has been sacrificed. Owners consider access fair to poor in the aft galley interior, fair to good in the double quarterberth version.

One oddity is that many owners report that the boat pulls strongly to starboard under power, requiring a lot of helm for correction, while another owner reports that the boat pulls strongly to port with the same engine!

Buying a Used Boat Early models of the Cal 34 are well over two decades old today. A lot of changes have occurred in the industry in those 25 years, as well as in the expectations we have for medium-sized cruising boats. Certainly a lot of features of the later Cal 34s—the more efficient rig, better sail handling layout, wheel steering, anchor locker, diesel engine, bigger water capacity and other creature comforts, and more useful interior layout—make them more desirable for most uses. Of course, the price of newer boats reflects the improvements.

An older Cal 34 would be a good choice as an entry-level, medium-sized family cruising boat. A lot of the gear on older models will be painfully obsolete. The rigging, sails, and electronics are likely to be old. Unless the boat has been unusually well maintained, the wood cockpit coamings may need replacing, the hull is likely to need painting, and the deck gelcoat will be crazed.

Blistering has been a relatively minor problem with older Cals, but the hull should obviously be carefully surveyed for high moisture content.

The base price of the Cal 34 in 1969 was $16,800. This was for a stripped boat—the base price didn’t even include lifelines and stanchions.

The next year the base price climbed to $19,277, and it continued to escalate throughout the boat’s production history.

There’s a good chance that an older Cal 34 will give you all the opportunities your heart could ever desire to learn to tinker with fiberglass repairs and the upgrading of systems.

If you’re willing to do this type of stuff yourself, a 20-year-old performance cruiser that you can buy in today’s market for $20,000 or so may be a lot of boat for the money. If you want a lower maintenance boat, stick to a late model Cal 34—but be prepared to pay significantly more.

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Lots of useful info even though I’ve had a Cal 2-34 for 25 years ! Better check those chain plates…

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