Design and Hull Form
The Citation reads as a hybrid of a 1960s beamy CCA centerboarder and a mid-1970s IOR racer, and the lineage shows in the details: a concave bow typical of Irwin’s hand, a flattish sheer with a molded cove stripe, and the peculiar stern tuckup of the IOR era. Underwater the hull is beamy and saucer shaped, with a low traditional trunk cabin and a centerline fence aft of the keel that runs back as a skeg ahead of the spade rudder. The design was offered with three keel arrangements—a deep fin drawing 5 feet 4 inches, a rare shoal draft, and a far more popular centerboard model—and unlike boats compromised by bolting a board into a fin hull, the hull shape here looks well matched to the centerboard. The board lifts into a shallow stub keel on a Dacron pennant that runs to the deck through a tube doubling as a galley grabrail.
Construction
The hull is a conventional lay-up of mat and woven roving, while the deck is a balsa-core sandwich; the basic fiberglass work seemed solid and good on the boats examined. Where the design cuts corners is in the details. The deck and hull are joined on an inward flange with sheet-metal screws through an aluminum toe rail, and lifeline stanchions plus bow and stern rails were only screwed down rather than through-bolted. Through-hull valves were of the cheap variety and chainplate bolts lacked washers. On one surveyed boat the deck cleats were fastened only with sheet-metal screws. Owners in surveys report an inordinate incidence of gelcoat problems—patches lifting, large voids, and excessive crazing—and leaks at the deck-to-hull joint are a common problem that are difficult and expensive to repair because the joint is inaccessible.
Rig and Handling
The boat carries a big rig well balanced between mainsail and jib, with the mainsheet traveler on the cabin top just ahead of the companionway and shrouds set well inboard for good windward angles. With a PHRF around 160 it trails slightly quicker cruiser-racers of the day but makes good passages. Testers found her reasonably stiff with lots of initial stability from the beamy hull, though many owners consider her tender, especially centerboard versions, and an early reef looks wise in heavy air. Cruisers will find she sails acceptably under roller-furling jib alone. The standard 15-hp Yanmar generally earns owner approval yet some feel her underpowered, and a 20-hp Yanmar was offered as an option; some owners also report she is difficult to back up straight. Most boats left the yard with solid props, and performance-minded sailors will want a folding or feathering prop.
Accommodations
Below, the Citation is the strongest part of the package: a V-berth forward, head and shower to port, hanging locker to starboard, dinette to port convertible to a small double, starboard settee, and a quarter berth aft that runs tight at the foot for a tall person. The large U-shaped galley to starboard wraps an icebox and good counter space, with an electrical panel at its aft side and a small angled nav station. Seven opening ports plus forward and midship hatches ventilate well. Tankage is generous—30 gallons fuel, 80 water, and a sizable holding tank—but occupies the space below berths so stowage is minimal, and there are no privacy doors on the forward cabin. Original standard equipment was modern for the era: pressure hot and cold water, shower, propane stove, deep cushions, AC/DC systems, wheel steering, and a big cockpit with ice locker, lazarettes, and propane stowage. A removable cockpit sole section gives superior engine access, the best seen on a boat this size, and the large cockpit drains are another uncommon production-boat courtesy.
Known Issues
Beyond the deck-joint leaks and gelcoat distress, examined centerboard boats each showed badly chafed pennants needing replacement, and two boats displayed discolored, delaminated teak-holly cabin soles. Mast paint failure from poor aluminum priming has been reported by owners. The shallow bilge means any water taken aboard is slow to collect and manage, a real drawback in a flooding event. The Citation is not recommended for ocean passages until considerable basic upgrading is completed.
The Verdict
For a coastal cruiser who enjoys a project, the Irwin 34 Citation is a handsome, well-thought-out design with a genuinely good interior and complete original equipment. The beamy hull gives surprising stiffness and the centerboard variant is versatile, but the corner-cutting in fastening and the deck joint demand a careful buyer and a willing wrench.
Pros
- Well-matched centerboard hull with shoal capability and good initial stability
- Generous tankage and a genuinely roomy, well-arranged coastal interior
- Excellent cockpit-engine access and large drains rare in class
Cons
- Screw-fastened rails and deck joint prone to leaks and unsafe loosening
- Frequent gelcoat defects, chafed pennants, and minimal bilge for safety
- Underpowered feel with base engine; not suited to offshore passage without upgrades
