Design and Construction
Lapworth’s design has a hand-laid, solid-fiberglass hull and a balsa-cored deck. The Mark III combines a fin keel and spade rudder.
The boat measures 33.24 feet overall, with a 26-foot waterline, 10-foot beam, 10,200-pound displacement, and 4,650 pounds of lead ballast. Like the rest of the Cal 34 line, it is internally ballasted, leaving the toe of the keel vulnerable to damage in a hard grounding.
The earlier Cal 34 had a relatively unsophisticated, hand-laid-up hull. Owners nevertheless considered the series above average in the strength of its hull, deck, and rig. These light-displacement boats derive much of their stiffness from furniture bonded to the hull rather than from massive structural material. Older Cal boats weren’t heavily built, and their furniture and bulkhead tabbing were relatively light, but the series remains comparatively free of structural defects caused by poor workmanship or materials.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The Mark III carries a masthead sloop rig suited to coastal racing or family passages. It is known for balanced, forgiving handling and speed in 10 to 20 knots of wind, while remaining capable offshore. It also offers a spacious interior for its era.
The standard rig has an I dimension of 41.25 feet and a J of 13.75 feet. A genoa of roughly 150 percent LP measures 425.93 square feet, while the symmetrical spinnaker has an area of 869 square feet.
The taller rig used on the later Cal 2-34 and 3-34 was just over two feet taller than the original, with a boom three feet shorter. This gave the sail plan more modern proportions, reduced mainsail area by 40 square feet, and increased the mainsail’s aspect ratio from about 2.5:1 to 3.25:1. Those boats carried a PHRF rating six seconds per mile faster than the original. Owners surveyed considered the Cal 34 about as fast upwind as similar boats and somewhat faster downwind.
The shorter boom also allowed the traveler to be moved to the bridge deck. That arrangement suits cruising because the helmsman can handle both the mainsheet and tiller.
Accommodations
The Mark III’s cruising emphasis brought the bridge deck and additional wood trim. Across the broader Cal 34 series, the accommodation plans show how the design evolved. The later Cal 3-34 adopted a conventional layout, with the galley aft to port and a quarterberth and chart table to starboard. In the saloon, a starboard settee faces a dinette to port. This version also offered more creature comforts than the earlier models.
Both layouts have V-berths forward, with the head between the main and forward cabins. The boat easily has as much interior space as older boats three feet or more longer, and there is 6-foot-2 headroom on the main cabin’s centerline.
Later boats adopted the oiled-teak interiors common in the 1970s. The original varnished mahogany plywood looks lighter and brighter, but it requires more upkeep and blackens when exposed to salt water.
Known Issues
Owners report several recurring problems. Most seriously, the main bulkhead can delaminate when the chainplates leak. That potentially significant structural problem warrants a careful survey of the bulkhead area, the deck around the mast step, and the fiberglass keel molding. The main bulkhead can delaminate when the chainplates leak. That potentially significant structural problem warrants a careful survey of the bulkhead area, the deck around the mast step, and the fiberglass keel molding. The keel molding should not sound hollow when tapped, as a hollow sound may indicate that the ballast casting has come loose after a hard grounding.
Several owners also report chainplate failures caused by metal fatigue. Some have found sloppy rudders resulting from wear in the fiberglass tube that serves as both stuffing box and bearing.
Crazing is very common in the deck gelcoat. Unless it has been painted, the distinctive blue Cal sheerstrake is also likely to be badly faded. Aluminum-framed cabin ports tend to leak, and the stanchions lack backing plates, which can cause localized deck crazing.
Older boats used gate valves rather than seacocks on the through-hulls, and these should be replaced. Owners also recommend enlarging the cockpit drains because the two small stock scuppers are inadequate for the large cockpit.
Engines, Steering, and Refits
Wheel steering was standard on the Cal 3-34 built in 1976 and later. Adding a wheel is also one of the most common modifications to earlier boats. It frees considerable cockpit space, although boats with the longer boom require the mainsheet to be relocated.
The engine is installed beneath the cockpit and is reasonably accessible from the quarterberths. It drives through a V-drive, and some owners report problems with that unit. Many also note that the boat pulls strongly to starboard under power.
Diesel engines appeared in the mid-1970s, including models from Farymann, Westerbeke, and Perkins. Parts for the Farymann are difficult or impossible to find. By contrast, the older Atomic Four gasoline engine may be the most desirable option for parts availability and longevity.
The Verdict
The Cal 34-III is a rare, refined final chapter in Lapworth’s racer-cruiser line. It combines the basically unchanged, seaworthy hull with a cruising-oriented bridge deck and a tall rig of more modern proportions. The result is balanced handling, useful speed, and unusually generous interior space for its era.
Its small production run makes it a specialty find. More importantly, the known bulkhead and chainplate vulnerabilities call for a disciplined survey.
Pros
- Final and most refined Lapworth Cal 34 iteration, with the added protection of a bridge deck
- Balanced, forgiving handling, offshore capability, and good speed in 10 to 20 knots
- Roomy interior for its era, with efficient layouts and 6-foot-2 headroom
Cons
- Main bulkhead delamination caused by leaking chainplates presents a serious risk
- Reported chainplate fatigue, sloppy rudders, and inadequate cockpit scuppers
- Gate valves and missing stanchion backing plates on older examples
