Irwin 34 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Underwater Shape

The 34 reads as a hybrid of a 1960s beamy CCA centerboarder and a mid-1970s IOR racer, and the lineage shows in the hull anchor. The bow carries a distinctive concave curve typical of Irwin's hand, the sheer is flattish with a molded cove stripe, and the stern sections have the peculiar tuck-up of the IOR breed. Underwater the hull is beamy and saucer shaped, with a traditional-looking low trunk cabin above. A shallow fence runs aft from the keel to form a skeg ahead of the spade rudder, and the hull shape is well matched to the centerboard rather than compromised by it. The deep fin keel drew 5 feet 4 inches, but the centerboard model proved far more popular; its board lifts into a shallow stub keel, with a Dacron rope pennant routed to the deck through a tube that doubles as a grab rail at the galley's forward edge.

Construction and Deck Details

The hull is a conventional lay-up of mat and woven roving, and the deck is a balsa-core sandwich; the basic fiberglass work appeared solid and good on every boat examined anchor. A portion of the cockpit sole is removable for what testers called the best engine access they had seen on a boat this size, and the cockpit drains are large—another uncommon feature in production boats. The companionway is generous, with only a small step above the sole. Yet the 34 also shows corner-cutting: the hull-to-deck joint was secured with screws only, deck cleats on one surveyed boat were held by sheet-metal screws, and all examined boats had bow and stern pulpits merely screwed down rather than through-bolted. Cheap through-hull valves and missing washers on chainplate bolts were further easy-to-correct but off-putting details.

Rig, Power, and Handling

The Irwin 34 is a masthead sloop with a big rig well balanced between mainsail and jib, and testers found it a good sailing boat by Ted Irwin's standards anchor. The standard Yanmar 3GMF diesel generally earns good owner reports, though some feel the boat is a touch underpowered and a 20-horse Yanmar was offered as a desirable option. A few owners report difficulty backing up straight. Most boats left the factory with solid propellers, and performance-minded sailors will want a folding or feathering prop to recover sailing ability. With a PHRF rating near 160, she is slightly slower than contemporaries like the C&C 34 but makes good passages. Many owners consider her tender, especially with the board down, yet testers found reasonable stiffness from the beamy hull's initial stability and suspected an early reef would suit heavy air. Cruisers will find she sails well under a roller-furling jib alone.

Accommodations

Below, the 34 is good production-line work with teak veneer and plastic trim. Three sound berths exist—a V-berth double, a quarter berth that runs tight at the foot for a tall person, and a settee usable as a single—while the dinette opposite converts to a small double. The head is of good size and the galley wraps in a practical U with a sound electrical panel at its aft side; the nav station sits at an angle with a small but adequate table. Seven opening ports plus forward and midship hatches give strong ventilation. Tankage is generous for the size—30 gallons fuel, 80 water, and a large holding tank—but stowage below is minimal because the tanks occupy the space under the berths, and there are no privacy doors for the forward cabin. Original standard equipment was modern and complete: hot/cold pressure water, shower, propane stove, four-inch cushions, and AC/DC systems.

Known Issues

Writing in Practical Sailor, surveyors found badly chafed Dacron centerboard pennants needing replacement on examined used centerboard models, and owners in the publication's surveys report an inordinate run of gelcoat troubles—patches lifting, large voids, and heavy crazing anchor. On a pair of the boats reviewed, the teak-and-holly cabin sole had stained and come apart in layers. The rig itself is adequate, with the only owner-reported problem being mast paint failures, perhaps from poor aluminum priming. Most seriously, the boat has little bilge, which can turn any water taken aboard into a real problem.

The Verdict

For a coastal cruiser who enjoys a project, the Irwin 34 is a handsome, well-thought-out design with a capable interior and a balanced rig. The centerboard version suits shoal wandering, and the removable cockpit sole makes the Yanmar unusually serviceable. Yet the corner-cutting in fasteners and through-hulls, thin bilge, and gelcoat and sole liabilities mean a buyer should budget for correcting basics before any offshore ambition.

Pros