C. William Lapworth, who had designed for Jensen since the Cal 24 of 1958, conceived the boat from the outset as a true racer-cruiser and a capable California coastal performer. Its light-displacement hull carries a large trapezoidal fin keel and spade rudder. Rather than relying on excess laminate, the structure draws much of its stiffness from the bond between the interior furniture and the hull shell.
Design and Construction
The Cal 34 has a relatively unsophisticated, hand-laid hull. Like older Cal boats generally, it isn’t heavily built: light displacement precludes excess material, and the furniture and bulkhead tabbing are relatively light. The furniture and bulkhead tabbing are relatively light.
Even so, owners consider the hull, deck, and rig stronger than average. On the whole, the design is free of structural defects attributable to poor workmanship or unsuitable materials.
The boat carries internal lead ballast, with the keel formed as a fiberglass molding around the casting. That construction deserves attention during a survey. If the molding rings hollow when tapped, the ballast may have come loose after a hard grounding.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The original Cal 34 has a low-aspect masthead sloop rig and a mainsail with late CCA Rule proportions. Its 14-foot foot and 33.5-foot hoist put the sail on a long boom that overhangs the cockpit awkwardly; the traveler sits just forward of the cockpit’s aft end. The traveler sits just forward of the cockpit’s aft end. The tiller also occupies the entire forward half of the cockpit.
The Cal 2-34 and Cal 3-34 received a rig just over two feet taller and a boom three feet shorter. These changes reduced mainsail area by 40 square feet and increased its aspect ratio from about 2.5:1 to 3.25:1. Moving the center of effort forward gives the boat inherently better balance.
With the taller rig, the boat’s PHRF rating is six seconds per mile quicker. It still rates slower than modern boats of the same size, however, and the C&C 34 beats the Cal 3-34 by roughly 25 seconds per mile. Owners report that the Cal is about even with its peers upwind and somewhat quicker downwind, but it needs a good breeze to get moving. Short-rig boats whose mainsail foot has been cut down to improve balance are likely to be underpowered in light air.
Cockpit and Steering
On the original boats, the long boom, aft traveler, and tiller all make the cockpit less convenient than it might otherwise be. Many owners of original-rig boats have shortened the mainsail foot to improve balance.
Wheel steering is one of the most common modifications to earlier Cal 34s. On boats with the longer boom, the conversion requires relocating the mainsheet, but it dramatically frees up the cockpit. Wheel conversions are common on earlier boats, while wheel steering became standard on the Cal 3-34 built from 1976 onward.
The large cockpit can hold a considerable amount of water, and its two small stock scuppers are inadequate. Owners recommend installing larger ones.
Accommodations
The original Cal 34 and Cal 2-34 have two quarterberths aft, with the galley to starboard and a dinette to port. The later Cal 3-34 uses a more conventional layout: an aft galley to port, a quarterberth and chart table to starboard, and a starboard saloon settee opposite the dinette. The interior layouts differ substantially among the three versions.
Both arrangements include V-berths forward and a head between the main and forward cabins, although the head details vary. Centerline headroom in the main cabin is 6'2".
The early interior uses varnished mahogany plywood and feels lighter and brighter than the later boat’s oiled-teak “cave” look. It requires more upkeep, however, and is harder to restore once salt-water-blackened mahogany begins to deteriorate.
The Cal 3-34 adds cruising comforts, including standard hot and cold pressure water and a shower. Water capacity also increased from 26 to 60 gallons.
Engines and Access
The original engine is an Atomic Four gasoline unit beneath the cockpit, driving through a V-drive that some owners report as troublesome. Diesel engines appeared in the mid-1970s, including models from Farymann, Westerbeke, and Perkins. Farymann parts are effectively unobtainable.
Many owners argue that the old Atomic 4 may be the most desirable powerplant. Reported examples were still running strongly at fifteen years. Engine access ranges from fair to poor in the aft-galley layout and from fair to good in the double-quarterberth version. Many owners also report a strong pull to starboard under power.
Known Issues
The most important concern is the main bulkhead. A number of owners report that it tends to delaminate when leaking chainplates allow water into the structure. Practical Sailor considers this potentially serious and says any boat should be surveyed for leakage in that area. Several owners have also reported chainplate failure caused by metal fatigue. Chainplate leaks can lead to main-bulkhead delamination.
Several less serious deck and hull issues are common:
- Deck gelcoat crazing is very common.
- The distinctive blue sheerstrake is usually badly faded unless painted.
- The stanchions lack backing plates, an omission that causes localized deck crazing.
- Aluminum-framed cabin ports leak.
- Older boats used gate valves rather than seacocks on through-hulls; these should be replaced.
- Wear in the fiberglass tube that serves as the rudder-stock bearing leaves some boats with unsettled steering.
- Blistering has been only a minor problem on older Cals.
Verdict
The Cal 34 is a thoughtfully evolved racer-cruiser. Its three generations allow buyers to choose between the brighter interior of the early boats and the more modern, better-balanced rig and added cruising amenities of later models.
It is light, unusually roomy for its length, and structurally sound in the ways that count. Still, the chainplate-to-bulkhead leakage path is a serious concern, while the smaller deck, steering, and through-hull weaknesses call for a careful survey and some planned upgrades.
Pros
- Three model generations, with a taller and better-balanced rig on later boats
- Roomy interior for a 33-foot hull, with 6'2" centerline headroom
- Owners rate hull, deck, and rig strength above average, with few defects attributable to materials or workmanship
- Atomic 4 widely reported as durable and well supported
Cons
- Main-bulkhead delamination caused by chainplate leaks presents a serious structural risk
- Original short rig overhangs the cockpit and wastes space; shortening the mainsail foot can leave the boat underpowered
- Common deck problems include crazing, a faded sheerstrake, no stanchion backing plates, and leaking ports
- Older through-hulls have gate valves; stock scuppers are inadequate; some boats have unsettled steering due to rudder-bearing wear
