legend 34 sailboat

Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

USED BOAT: Van de Stadt, Legend 34

• Philippa Park
• November 12, 2015

The Van de Stadt Legend 34 is a sturdy and seaworthy yacht, built for serious coastal and offshore cruising in all weathers. Duncan Kent sails one off Portland

Product Overview

Manufacturer:, price as reviewed:.

The owner Quetzal was launched in 1972 and bought by Guy Dickinson in 2006. Prior to then Guy owned a Hunter Sonata and a variety of small plywood cruisers and dinghies. Guy has upgraded Quetzal considerably, including replacing her old Sabb with a new 25hp Beta with a feathering three-bladed prop. He’s also added a new electric windlass, solar panels, upholstery, wiring and instruments. Guy keeps her on a mooring at Castle Cove SC (www.ccsc.org.uk) in Portland Harbour, where she is protected by the long harbour wall. CCSC has a recently built clubhouse overlooking the harbour and a membership of 350 cruisers and racers of all ages. The club also provides a range of training facilities.

It’s always interesting to sail boats from the 1970s, seeing how yacht design has evolved in 40 odd years, how hull shape and interior volume has come on, what remains and what has been lost. Few design houses have stood the test of time, are so well known or are as prolific as Van de Stadt.

They were famous for such well- known designs as the Trintella, Pionier, Excaliber, Invicta, Wing, Seal, Etap and many more cruising and racing yachts. Producing over 400 designs since 1933, and some 25,000 Van de Stadt-designed yachts were launched.

We joined retired GP Guy Dickinson for a sail aboard his 1972 Legend 34, Quetzal. The Legend 34 was produced from 1969, with the majority built by the Tyler Boat Company in Tunbridge.

Performance A seaworthy masthead sloop, 34 was designed and built for ocean sailing. Despite being heavy by today’s standards, she is predictable and drama-free in her handling and exhibits a thoroughly easy, sea-kindly motion through the steepest of seas, allowing her to make up in overall passage times what she might lose against a modern yacht in lighter airs and flatter seas. At first we tacked back and forth inside the harbour walls of Portland where the water was flatter, (with a reef in the genoa and full mainsail), making a healthy 6.0-6.5 knots in 16 knots true wind. This increased to 7.1 knots on her best point of sail, a close reach, but dropped a little to 5.6 knots with the wind on her quarter. Running downwind, we unfurled the rest of the genoa and went goose-winged. My guess is that she would most often give average passage speeds of between 5-6 knots with ease, provided the wind didn’t drop below 10 knots.

At the helm Designed around the IOR racing rules, the Legend has pronounced narrowing forward and aft, which reduces accommodation and narrows the cockpit. She’s easy to helm using her long tiller and bracing your feet against the seat opposite. Most controls fall to hand, which means she can be sailed singlehanded. The mainsheet runs along the bridgedeck and the primaries are beside the helm on the coamings. Guy has yet to install single- line reefing and lead it back to the cockpit, but he’s thinking about it when it’s time to replace her slab-converted roller boom.

Her lines are sweet and her overhangs add to the classic look, as well as increasing her waterline length and consequently her speed when heeled. Her original full-depth skeg-hung rudder means she can suffer a little from weather helm when overpressed, but nothing that reefing the sails can’t sort out. Some have had their skeg shortened by 200mm or so and the rudder extended forward a little to offer some balance to and ease the weight off the helm.

Sailplan She has a fairly conservative masthead sailplan with the option of a baby stay or removable inner forestay for a storm jib. Her short boom means her mainsail is relatively high-aspect and was originally designed to be furled around the roller boom. She has a 125 percent genoa sheeted to short tracks atop her teak toerails.

Her deck-stepped mast is supported by stout shrouds, including caps and fore-and- aft lowers with a single pair of straight spreaders. Quetzal has a removable inner forestay, which makes tacking the overlapping genoa a bit more difficult.

Deck layout She has a lazarette locker, which houses two big gas bottles and another seat large enough for all the fenders and lines. To port, a full-depth cockpit locker gobbles up the large stuff like inflatables, warps, fenders etc. and still provides room for a decent battery bank. Her coachroof is at a constant height, making the long handrails easy to grab, and her side decks are reasonably uncluttered, allowing unhindered access to the foredeck, which is rather narrow, but workable. High teak toerails help considerably going forward when heeled – they also look pretty too. The cleats are stout, as is the bow roller and other static deck gear.

Living aboard The companionway steps are very steep and the lower one is small, so care needs to be taken when descending. You arrive at a half bulkhead on the edge of the galley to port, where there’s a pole to grab to steady yourself. Headroom is 1.83m (6ft) all the way forward to the heads and handholds each side under the portlights – which are on the small side and don’t open, making it a little dark inside with all the teak joinery. The saloon has a couple of vents in addition to the main hatch.

She has up to six berths if you include the large forepeak V-berth (1.90m long, 2.10m wide at the head and 0.65m at the foot), the saloon double (converted by dropping the table), the single settee to starboard in the saloon and the quarterberth – the latter two making the best sea berths. The heads is where she compares least favourably to a modern cruiser. There’s no shower and only enough room for a smallcorner basin. A vent above keeps it fresh and there’s a small port for natural light. The heads door closes off the forecabin when fully opened and there’s a second door between it and the saloon for privacy. A hanging locker opposite is useful for stowing oilskins. There is plenty of deep stowage beneath the forepeak bunks, but access isn’t easy and there are no shelves or lockers above the berth.

Chart table

To starboard by the companionway, the chart table is small (0.75m x 0.54m ) and on Quetzal the corner drops away to allow access to the quarterberth. Instrument space is good, though, and there’s useful stowage in the dedicated nav seat.

The galley is tightly L-shaped with room for a cooker and oven, although having two full-size sinks means there’s no worktop space. Guy has overcome this brilliantly by building a fold-over tabletop on the bulkhead. While there are lockers behind for crockery and a few other things, most food will have to be stored in the saloon lockers. Guy is also converting the aft return of the saloon settee into a top- loading fridge compartment.

Maintenance The engine is not the easiest to access, although there are side panels in the cockpit locker and under the quarterberth. The top step lifts up for checking and the whole front can be removed for servicing.

OUR VERDICT ON THE BOAT

What’s she like to sail? The Legend 34 is typical of a lot of IOR-styled boats of the 1970s, but I love the way these classics sail. She’s heavy, yes, but her lines are sleek and her keel not too long. She feels positive, steady and safe under sail, with a reassuring motion in big seas. Her deep-vee bow parts the waves without a hint of slapping and her generous keel keeps her tracking on rails.

Fast for her day, the Legend still has the ability to surprise – her displacement giving good momentum to punch through waves. Although she’s reasonably stiff, her high-aspect main means you need to use her mainsheet track to spill the gusts. She could also do with a decent kicker or flattening reef in strong winds.

Her powerful genoa needs reefing first – we put a roll in when the wind started to blow 20 knots or so over the deck, which isn’t unreasonable. This balanced her out and took some of the weather helm away. In reality she prefers to be reefed at 16 knots true for comfort, although under full sail she coped admirably when we set off out of Portland Harbour in a strong easterly.

What’s she like in port and at anchor? If you like cosy, snug interiors together with a sparse but practical layout, this boat should appeal although, dare I say it, she won’t be to everyone’s taste. The toilet and washing facilities are just one level above utilitarian (functional might be the word), so you might be tempted to stop over in a marina if/when you have company unless they share your simple requirements. Saying that, the forward cabin is the pick of berths, the others are a half- decent size, the saloon double measures 1.90m x 1.10m (6ft 3in x 3ft 7in), and the quarterberth 2.0m x 0.75m (6ft 6in x 2ft 6in).

The cooker would cope with a meal for six hungry sailors, but you’d need to have an extended worktop, or make sink and cooker covers for food preparation. I’d also be tempted to lose one sink and have that as a fridge, rather than disturb seated guests every time they want another cold beer.

Unlike on many modern yachts there is plenty of stowage space – it’s just not all that user-friendly. The saloon lockers are excellent and quite deep, but there’s nowhere for clothes other than under the bunks.

Would she suit you and your crew? If you like a sturdily-built and classically shaped yacht that looks downright pretty from most angles, then the Legend might be for you. While the design is quite dated, I believe there’s still a place for these delightful boats and I’d certainly be more than happy to chance a well-maintained example over a long ocean passage.

In performance terms she’s not going to win races around the cans any more, but she’ll log some impressive passage times when it blows and your crew will at least be able to sleep, eat and ablute off watch without fear of being bruised from head to toe.

The trick with a boat of this age is to find one that you have to persuade the owner to part with. If he or she is reluctant to sell, or wants to know your life history, then there’s a fair chance she’s been looked after and kept in tip-top condition. Be prepared to keep spending money, though – boats of this era need regular attention and updating to keep them seaworthy.

FACTS AND FIGURES

Guide price £17,500-£25,000 LOA 10.36m (34ft 0in) LWL 7.86m (25ft 9in) Beam 3.05m (10ft 0in) Draught 1.4m (4ft 7in) Displacement 4,150kg (9,130 lb) Ballast 1,600kg (3,520 lb) Ballast ratio 38.5% Sail area 56.67m2 (610sq ft) SA/D ratio 22.42 Diesel 40lit (8.8 gal) Water 275lit (60 gal)  Engine original: 16hp Sabb; now: 25hp Betamarine Transmission Shaft drive Designer E.G. Van de Stadt Builder Tyler Boat Company (Tunbridge) Website www.stadtdesign.com

The Legend 34 is a 34.0ft masthead sloop designed by E. G. van de Stadt and built in fiberglass by Tyler Boat Co. Ltd. (UK) since 1969.

The Legend 34 is a moderate weight sailboat which is a very high performer. It is stable / stiff and has a good righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a fast cruiser. The fuel capacity is originally very small. There is a short water supply range.

Legend 34 for sale elsewhere on the web:

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• Sailboat Reviews

Like other Hunters, the 34 bears the stamp of a mass-produced boat--but she's better than older Hunters.

When the Hunter 34 was introduced in late 1982, it was the second of the “modern” generation of Hunters, the first being the rather remarkable Hunter 54. The Hunter company has been strongly identified with the long-distance singlehanded racing of its president, Warren Luhrs. Although Luhrs has not been particularly successful in his racing, his own boats have been innovative, and the concepts of innovation and high-tech have to some degree rubbed off on Hunter’s production boats.

Hunter has always gone after the entry-level cruising boat owner, and has traditionally pushed its “Cruise Pac” concept—a boat delivered equipped down to the life jackets, and ready to go. This certainly reduces the amount of decision making required by inexperienced boat owners, and has been a successful marketing strategy. For more experienced sailors who would rather choose their own gear, the Cruise Pac idea is not necessarily a plus.

In just over three years, over 800 Hunter 34s were built. For the 1986 model year, the 34 was phased out in favor of the even more Eurostyled Legend 35.

A number of Hunter 34 owners responding to our survey moved up from smaller boats in the Hunter line—exactly what every builder would like to see happen. All reported that the Hunter 34 was lightyears ahead in both design and workmanship compared to earlier models.

Because the Hunter 34 was only in production for a few years, few changes were made between model years. You are therefore less likely to find major upgrades on older boats than you would find on a boat that has been in production for a long time.

Sailing Performance

The Hunter 34 is a fast boat, particularly in light air. This is due almost entirely to her huge rig, which towers over 51′ above the waterline. Owners report that in winds of from seven to 12 knots, the boat is practically unbeatable in club racing. The typical PHRF rating of 135 for the deep keel boat is faster than most other cruiser/racers of her size.

There is a price to be paid for that speed, however. A number of owners responding to our survey report that the original Hunter 34 is a very tippy boat, in either the deep keel or shoal draft version. In winds of 15 knots true or more, it’s time to reef the main when going upwind. In fact, the boat’s lack of stability is the single most commonly criticized aspect of the Hunter 34’s performance in our survey. One owner was considering cutting several feet off his mast. Others have stepped down from 150% headsails to 135% or smaller overlaps.

Normally, you would expect a boat with a 42% ballast/displacement ratio to be stiff. The keel of the deep-draft Hunter 34, however, has most of its weight and volume up high, while the shoal draft keel, even with its extra 220 pounds of ballast, still has a fairly high vertical center of gravity. This just goes to show that you can’t judge a boat’s stability by its ballast/ displacement ratio—you’ve got to know how far down that weight is, too.

Models late in the production run had more ballast. The 1985 Hunter 34 brochure shows about 450 pounds more ballast than in the 1983 model. For cruising, the additional ballast would be a real plus. For club racing with a full crew, the lighter boats could be sailed faster.

Using headsails smaller than 150% on the Hunter 34 would be a good idea, particularly if you couple them with a modern roller furling system. A 135% jib can more effectively be reduced to 110% than a 150% genoa can be reefed to 120%. Since the boat is sensitive to sail area, a good headsail roller furling system is a must, in our opinion.

According to several owners, the Hunter 34 carries substantial weather helm in anything more than very light air. This may in part be due to the boat’s tenderness. As boats with wide sterns and narrow bows heel, the waterplane becomes substantially asymmetrical, which can give the boat a pronounced tendency to head up.

This weather helm may be exacerbated by an original rudder design that some owners report was both too small and too weak for the boat. Several owners reported cracking of the original rudders, which Hunter replaced with a larger, stronger, “high performance” rudder. Unfortunately, in some cases Hunter only paid part of the replacement costs; owners were stuck with the rest. We wouldn’t want a Hunter 34 without the high performance rudder. The better rudder was standard equipment on 1984 and 1985 models.

The complex B&R rig, with its swept-back spreaders and diamond shrouds, is also a headache for some owners. There’s a lot of rigging for a novice to adjust, and according to our survey, the dealers who commissioned the boats were not necessarily more capable of adjusting the rig than the owners.

One problem with the B&R rig is that, on any point of sail freer than a broad reach, the mainsail will fetch up on the spreaders and shrouds. You can apply patches to keep the spreaders from poking holes in the mainsail, but we think the shrouds are likely to chafe on the sail almost from head to foot when running, no matter what you do.

In addition, the lack of either forward lower shrouds, baby stay, or inner forestay means that if the headstay goes, the rig may follow before you can do anything to prevent it. One owner in our survey reported losing his rig when the roller furling headstay failed. Most new sailors have enough trouble tuning a simple, single spreader rig with double lower shrouds. The multi-spreader, multi-shroud B&R rig may seem incomprehensible to them, and they may never be able to tune the rig for good performance.

The boat is very fast upwind, but only average in speed off the wind. With a spinnaker, downwind performance would be greatly improved. The high aspect ratio mainsail simply doesn’t project enough area for efficient downwind sailing, particularly since you can’t square the boom to the mast due to the swept-back spreaders.

Most Hunter 34s are equipped with the Yanmar 3GMF, a three-cylinder, fresh water cooled diesel that puts out about 22.5 hp. This is an excellent engine, although early versions, according to some owners in our survey, were plagued by vibration.

Some of the first Hunter 34s were equipped with the Westerbeke 21 diesel. In our opinion, the Yanmar is a much more desirable engine. For boats to be used in salt water, check to make sure that the engine is fresh water cooled, rather than raw water cooled.

Some early versions of this engine lacked fresh water cooling, and they will not last as long when used in salt water.

Access to the engine for service is good. The Yanmar is more than adequate power for the boat, and she should cruise under power at 5 1/2 knots or more without any trouble. The fuel capacity of 25 gallons should give a range of about 275 miles.

Construction

Hunters are mass-produced boats at the low end of the price scale. The Hunter 34 was the first “small” Hunter to be built with a molded hull liner. A molded liner can add considerable strength to a single-skin boat, and the use of integral molded furniture components can greatly speed assembly. Assembly is the right word, too: these boats are assembled, rather than built.

The original tooling for a hull liner is quite expensive. It is therefore only practical on a boat that is expected to have a fairly large production run.

Not everything about the Hunter 34’s hull liner is a plus, however. According to several owners, any leakage from the stuffing box can be trapped between the liner and the hull, never draining to the bilge. This could not only smell bad after a while, but could possibly cause problems in a cold climate if trapped water freezes without room to expand. The preassembly technique common with liners also means that many systems are installed in ways that can make them difficult to service after the hull, deck, and liner are put together.

Hunter quality control is criticized by some owners in our survey. Complaints include chafed hoses, raw edges, systems hooked up improperly, and leaking ports and hatches. In our opinion, that’s a quality control problem, pure and simple, and it can be a maintenance headache for owners. One owner reported a leaking hull-to-deck joint. When he checked it, he found that many of the bolts had apparently never been torqued down when the hull and deck were joined. We don’t think the boat should have left the factory in that condition.

On the positive side, owners of Hunter 34s who had owned older Hunters report that in general the construction details of the 34 are superior to those of older boats.

Do not expect to find a lot of fancy teak joinerwork on the Hunter 34. Some owners complain that both the interior and exterior teak trim is poorly fitted and poorly finished. Obviously, you could do a lot to improve this if you wanted to—as some owners have—but don’t expect a dramatic increase in the value of the boat for your efforts.

The iron keels of the Hunter 34s can also be a maintenance headache. Some owners say the keels did not come from the factory with adequate protection to avoid rusting—which is almost impossible to prevent with an iron keel. Other owners report that the keel-to-hull seam cracks open, allowing salt water into the joint—which results in more rust. This is a cosmetic problem now, but we think it could over time become a structural problem.

The deck molding has been a source of trouble on some boats. The molded non skid isn’t very nonskid when it gets wet. There are also a number of reports of gelcoat flaws in the deck, including voids and blistering. At least one owner reports that the outer deck laminate in his cockpit has separated from the wood core.

Several owners complain that some molded deck components—cockpit locker covers, anchor well covers—are simply too light, and tend to crack.

The Hunter 34 was one of the first boats under 35′ to offer a tri-cabin layout, and this interior design is frequently cited as a primary reason for buying the boat. Now, of course, it is common for boats this size to have three cabins.

The only real complaint voiced about the interior of the Hunter 34 is the narrowness of the foot of the forward V-berth. Despite being pushed far forward in the hull, the forward cabin feels big due to the long cabin trunk, which extends clear to the anchor well, giving extra headroom over the berth. Standing headroom in the forward cabin drops off to less than 6′ due to the sloping cabin trunk.

Just aft of the forward cabin is a full-width head. This makes a lot of sense in a boat this size, since the combination of head and passageway would make for both a cramped head and a narrow passageway. According to some owner surveys, the plumbing for the toilet leaves a lot to be desired. They report that the holding tank system smells, apparently due to porous hoses and a poor vent design.

Instead of the more common U-shaped dinette, the Hunter 34 has a rather old fashioned dinette with athwartships seating. This certainly makes it easier to convert the dinette to a double berth, but it means that you can seat a maximum of four at the table for dinner. On the port side, the head of the settee berth is used as the seat for the chart table—a design compromise, since that settee is one of only two potential sea berths on the boat.

Original specifications call for a two-burner kerosene stove. Kerosene never caught on as a cooking fuel in this country, partly because it is so difficult to  get high-grade kerosene here. Propane or CNG would be far better choices for cooking fuel, since low-grade kerosene is a dirty fuel, and alcohol is expensive, inefficient, and in our opinion, dangerous.

As you would expect on a boat this size, the aft cabin is pretty small, with limited standing area. Despite the fact that the double berth is mostly under the cockpit, there is adequate headroom over it due to the fact that the cockpit is quite shallow.

The privacy of the tri-cabin layout is very important for a family with children, or owners that like to cruise with another couple. The single fixed berth in the main cabin means that the boat will sleep only five without making up the dinette. “Only” five is a pretty good number in a boat this size, and the most important thing is that it sleeps five in a reasonable level of comfort. All in all, the interior of the Hunter 34 is well thought out and livable.

Conclusions

The general design and finish of the Hunter 34 are far ahead of older boats by the company. The Eurostyling of the deck and interior were pretty unusual when the boat first came out, but fairly typical of boats built five years after the Hunter 34 was introduced.

Nevertheless, this is still a mass-produced boat with what some owners consider mediocre quality control and finishing details. It is a fast sailer, but may be so tippy that it discourages some novices. You should definitely sail the boat before you buy it. The B&R rig may also scare off some new sailors. Because of the problems with the deck molding, a used Hunter 34 should be carefully and professionally surveyed before purchase.

If you want a fast, modern small coastal cruiser with maximum room at minimum cost, a Hunter 34 would be a good choice. But remember that you’re buying a mass-produced boat, and it’s not realisitic to expect custom quality at this price.

RELATED ARTICLES MORE FROM AUTHOR

Thank you for the comprehensive report. It is very practical and enlightening allowing a potential buyer to make an educated decisiion

I have a deep keel version of the 1999 Hunter 340 – Trinity. She has excellent pointing characteristics allowing her to sail up to 15 degrees off the apparent, and we win races as a result. However, it takes a bit of wind to move her with our 110% headsail. She’s best around 15 knots apparent; above that reefing is advised going to windward. I don’t consider her tippy, but certainly if you push her, you’ll get lots of helm and the rail in the water. I’ve raced her single handed in Georgian Bay in 35-42 knots apparent, winning the Meaburywood Trophy in 2021, an inter-club race of 15 boats. I like her a lot but being on the cusp of retiring, I am looking for a bigger boat to allow longer range cruising.

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H34 or H35 Legend, that is the question

• Thread starter paul werenko
• Start date Aug 16, 2010
• Hunter Owner Forums
• Ask A Hunter Owner

paul werenko

Hello Hunter Folks, My wife and I are searching for a reasonably priced cruising boat and have gotten into a back-and-forth discussion about the merits of the H34 ('83 through '86) vs. the H35 Legend ('87 through '89). Keep in mind we will be living aboard for about 4 to 6 months a year in southern florida and will be extending our range into the islands, Cuba, the southern eastern seaboard, the gulf coast, as well as into mexico in time. We have both lived aboard in the past for many years at a time and are looking for a boat that is relatively easy to resell in a few years. Our questions are basic and your input will be appreciated, especially if coming from owners of either who care to support their contentions with experience. We are rapidly moving towards a purchase and helping us to settle this argument would be of great help. And yes, we know that the real answers are "they are both great boats, it depends upon the condition of the boat and the price you pay"... yup, we know that one... how about the things we dont know... Thanks in advance. 1) State the reasons to chose one over the other. Paint freely. 2) Based upon the differential in price of the two models, will one likely see less percentage depreciation that the other. 3) What would one expect to pay for one of these in good condition, ready to go sailing. 4) What do you hate about the other one. 5) What is the best thing about the one you like. 6) Tell us about noticed maintenance issues with either. Looking forward to some things we have not already come upon through this very informative, helpful website. Again, thanks in advance p and z  

Wow, where to begin! I've owned both. The most significant difference between the two boats is the rig. One is a masthead B&R rig the other a standard fractional rig. This means the horse power comes from the genoa on the H34 masthead while the main is the power plant on the L35. The H34 has a tendency to develop a lot of weather helm in bigger wind. Of course, there are strategies available to help control this but you need to be mindful of them. Other pros & cons: Iron keel vs Lead keel - I prefer the lead Ergonomically I prefer the layout of the 35 and especially the head in the 35 On deck the walk through transom is much more user friendly. Sailing the 35 is faster than the 34 The 35 will cost more than the 34 but will also return more at sale time. In my opinion that's a wash. If I had it to do over again I wouldn't hesitate to take the 35 over the 34. Cheers and good luck  

I agree on all points with Alan. You didn't say what price ranges are and since I haven't looked recently not sure what the differences are. My boat is a '94 35.5 and it's a great boat in every way I just don't get a chance to use it enough. And as a result have begun to think about selling. Let me know if you'd be interested. Only con I can really give is that the cockpit gets a bit small when there are more than 2 or 3 people aboard.  

Random Thoughts in no specific order: Original stoves.. 35 had a CNG which while safe can be a bear to get serviced/refilled; easy to convert to propane, though. No propane locker on either boat. Keels.. agree, lead is better but if shoal draft, think about whether you want a wing keel versus a blade. Head.. MUCH better to have head as in the 35, close to the center of (pitch) motion, instead of in a bouncy place. Tankage; many 35’s had thin aluminum tanks that hole through .. The 34 has poly tanks. Galley; I like the big double sinks and more counter and storage space of the 34.. the galley is more user friendly; but not a problem on the 35 if you’re not into cooking too much. The scooped stern of the 35 is a nice feature if you swim off the boat a lot. Probably talking under $30K ish for a great shape 34 versus under $50K ish for a 35 in great shape; both with AC and autopilots and working instruments .. Lotsa reductions out there for your “sweat equity” Alan has some good points.. When I was looking, (1990-1991) the 35 was new and out of my price range so I didn’t have the option.. Over the years, I could have moved to a different boat but found the 34 to fit the sailing I do very well. The only real maintenance issue I’ve had with the 34 is the deck beam/compression post problem that has been discussed here a lot. Another real annoyance of the 34 is that the companionway slider leaks into the cabin over the sink.. A dodger fixes that if you can put up with the reduced access. In a nutshell, both great boats.. the more modern layout of the 35 would be easier to live with, I think. .. But I see it as the old Crosby Stills Nash .. “Love the One You’re With “  

Rapid Repliers! Wow, you folks have offered up some great advice and thoughts. Definitely some things in there we had not known/heard of/contemplated. Alan , you mentioned you prefered the lead keel and I can assume it has to do with material density for a lower c/g but maybe you have another reason... do tell. Loved your comments about the rig differences and powering/depowering. Excellent. Hugh , we are having both a 34 and a 35 surveyed over the next two weeks and are feeling pretty darned good about both at this time. There is about a $6k difference between the two at asking price (yeah, we know! that's nothing!) but feel that after the surveys the difference will become $10k-ish. (meaning that the 35 will stay closer to asking and the 34 will drop more based upon things we can already see). However, time and a moisture meter will tell! More info to come as info comes back to us. Kloudie , wow, your thoughts echoed ours this morning as we discussed this over coffee. You touched upon the two things we have seen with the 34's (the compression post and the leaky hatch that needs a dodger) and dont mind addressing things, actually will enjoy it, but just want to know ahead of time so we have the time/funds to deal with it correctly. We have designed/built boats from the pencil and paper on up and are not put off by work and epoxy, but the intention is sailing right now so we are trying to get a handle on just how much west systems to bring on board along with our snorkle gear and all your thoughts and time in response is invaluable. We will be happy with either boat, totally dependent upon survey info, but feel like we are looking at two great boats and either way, we will find the same bays, the same heavy weather, and the same dolphins on the bow.Thanks again to all of you and we will be back with more questions in the days ahead. Thanks, thanks, thanks. Hope to see you at anchor this winter. paul and zandra  

Those guys really nailed it I think. As an owner of an old boat that walk-through transom has a lot of appeal. In and out of the dinghy becomes a problem as we get older. And I do like to swim off the boat. But I didn't like what Claude wrote about the tanks and the galley. Those aluminum tanks will definitely leak and a double sink and galley room are important to me. The note about the keels is that the iron rusts and requires a lot more work when it comes time to haul and paint. Still I envy you the fun of finding a "new" boat.  

One more thought. If you plan to single-hand a lot (as in one of you sails while other sleeps) also consider the 37 from 1987-about 1991. Reason, Traveller is at base of companionway and easy to get to from helm. With autopilot moving the helm it is VERY easy to tack or change gears in the 37 and a lot more difficult in both 34/35. Add extra cleats mid-ship and easy to dock by yourself too. Aft berth is mounted in line of travel rather than athwart ships, which is far more sea friendly for sleeping underway. Rig is more traditional with slightly swept back sidestays, but not B&R with deep angle, so you can use the main downwind to some effect. So, if you plan to SAIL a lot, these are advantages, but if you really want a nice party boat at the dock these good sailing features become obstacles for easy travel. I've loved my 88 37 and would not trade for any of the newer models.  

Dan Johnson

Slightly disagree, Jim... I single hand my H34 a lot and it's not that difficult. Yes, the traveller is forward (and out of the way in the cockpit) as is the mainsail sheet, but can be easily adjusted when on autopilot. The jib winches are back by the helm, making them easy to tack without much fuss. Claude and Alan have pretty much summed it up otherwise.  

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• Sailboat Guide

Hunter 34 is a 34 ′ 4 ″ / 10.5 m monohull sailboat designed by Cortland Steck and built by Hunter Marine between 1983 and 1987.

• 2 / 11 Lacey Township, NJ, US 1983 Hunter 34 $20,500 USD View
• 3 / 11 Lacey Township, NJ, US 1983 Hunter 34 $20,500 USD View
• 4 / 11 Lacey Township, NJ, US 1983 Hunter 34 $20,500 USD View
• 5 / 11 Lacey Township, NJ, US 1983 Hunter 34 $20,500 USD View
• 6 / 11 Lacey Township, NJ, US 1983 Hunter 34 $20,500 USD View
• 7 / 11 Lacey Township, NJ, US 1983 Hunter 34 $20,500 USD View
• 8 / 11 Lacey Township, NJ, US 1983 Hunter 34 $20,500 USD View
• 9 / 11 Lacey Township, NJ, US 1983 Hunter 34 $20,500 USD View
• 10 / 11 Lacey Township, NJ, US 1983 Hunter 34 $20,500 USD View
• 11 / 11 Lacey Township, NJ, US 1983 Hunter 34 $20,500 USD View

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)

Shoal draft: 4.25’/1.30m

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