Etap Yachting built the 34S from 1997 through 2006, completing 85 hulls. That modest production run places it firmly among the foam-injected, double-skin cruisers of the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Design and Construction
The 34S wasn’t a clean-sheet design. It was a thoughtful reworking of the 1991 Harlé Mortain Etap 35, carrying that platform forward with a new full-length coachroof and a revised interior layout by Mortain & Mavrikios.
The boat continued Etap’s signature double-skin construction method, with closed-cell polyurethane foam injected between inner and outer fiberglass skins to make the vessel unsinkable. The 34S has a solid fiberglass hull and deck.
At 10,000 pounds displacement, with 3,200 pounds of iron ballast and a 32 percent ballast-to-displacement ratio, the 34S is a moderate-displacement 34-foot cruiser. Its 11.55-foot beam, 6.07-foot-draft fin keel, and spade rudder give it a mainstream performance-cruiser footprint for the period.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
Compared with its 1991 predecessor, the 34S received a taller rig. Period testing found the change worthwhile: Yachting Monthly described the boat as a sharp performer that handles well.
The fractional sloop carries 680 square feet of sail area, producing a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 23.44—enough to keep the boat moving without requiring a large crew. A capsize screening value of 2.14 and a comfort ratio near 19 place it in the coastal and moderate-offshore cruising realm rather than among lightweight racers.
A waterline length of nearly 30 feet—29.76 feet—supports a theoretical hull speed of about 7.3 knots.
Accommodations
Below, the 34S provides six berths in three cabins, reflecting its family-cruiser intent. Reviewers described the galley as good and the heads as roomy, meaningful endorsements in a 35-foot hull where space is contested.
The interior décor changed during the production run. Early boats left the factory with light beech trim, while later examples adopted striking, rich mahogany. That difference can help buyers distinguish early hulls from later ones. The full-length coachroof added to the older 35 hull presumably also improved the sense of space below.
Verdict
The ETAP 34S is a considered interpretation of the unsinkable-cruiser concept. It combines a proven 1991 hull with a taller rig, a reworked deck, and a revised interior. Its limited production makes it somewhat uncommon on the water.
It will appeal most to buyers who value foam-core safety construction and a practical three-cabin layout more than volume production and resale liquidity. The 34S rewards such priorities.
Pros
- Etap’s unsinkable, double-skin, foam-injected construction
- Taller rig than the 1991 predecessor, with confirmed good handling
- Six berths in three cabins, plus a good galley and roomy heads
- Distinctive progression from beech to mahogany interior trim
Cons
- Limited production of 85 hulls may complicate parts availability and resale
- Based on a 1991 hull rather than a fully modern design
