Design and Construction
The 349 is built with bluewater passagemaking in mind, and the construction details follow that brief. The hull is hand laminated in solid fiberglass, while the deck is vacuum-bagged with a Divinycell core in the interest of lowering the boat's center of gravity. Protection against blisters comes from the PolyClad3 gelcoat, which carries a 10-year limited warranty. Beneath the waterline, the boat carries a Full Foil full keel with attached rudder and encapsulated lead ballast, a configuration that pairs with a displacement/length ratio of 278 to deliver a seakindly motion and the ability to stand up to a blow. Above the waterline, Island Packet chose a scoop transom instead of a drop-down swim step for safety in extreme weather, and added a set of hull portlights alongside robust combination toerails/bulwarks, grippy anti-skid, high double lifelines, and a stainless steel rubbing strip outboard to ease dock approaches.
Rig and Handling
A major change from previous designs is the mast step moved aft, which makes it possible for Island Packet to offer a Solent rig option alongside the standard IP cutter configuration. The Solent rig features a self-tacking headsail trimmed with a Hoyt jib boom flying on an inner stay up in the bow, plus a Code Zero tacked to the anchor roller/sprit. The cutter rig dispenses with the Code Zero in favor of a genoa on the same stay, with a staysail set inside on a Hoyt jib boom as per the Estero. Both rigs sit under a keel-stepped, aluminum Sparcraft single-spreader mast supported by stainless steel wire shrouds, with mid-boom sheeting on the main. Sail options include standard Dacron, a Quantum performance laminate package, and in-mast furling. Under Solent rig with Code Zero, the test boat made 3.5 knots at a 50-degree apparent wind angle in 9 knots of apparent wind and came about without hesitation. Under power, the Yanmar 45hp common-rail diesel turned 5 knots into a slight headwind at 1,500 rpm and 6 knots at 2,000 rpm with power to spare. A Jet Thruster in the bow, requiring a smaller aperture than a conventional thruster, made close-quarters maneuvering easier still.
Accommodations
Light belowdecks is a strong suit, thanks to the hull portlights and cabintrunk ports that admit a wealth of ambient light in concert with overhead hatches. Every version comes with full interior LED illumination and an abundance of securely placed grab rails. The cockpit is large, deep, and equipped with sturdy coamings, large drains, a single Edson wheel, a Raymarine chartplotter, an instrument display spanning the companionway, and a pair of burly strong points for clipping on a tether. The helm seat hinges up to reveal a propane locker. On the test boat, joinery was finished in a cedar veneer with an L-shaped galley to starboard of the companionway featuring a Force 10 stove and top-and-bottom front-opening Vitrifrigo fridges. Forward of that, a pair of swiveling bucket seats divided by a small table faced a conventional settee to port, with a breaker panel alongside the aft-most seat. The forepeak cabin sat forward of a spacious head to port with an offset double berth to starboard, and a large storage area lay aft of the galley across from the quarterberth. Customers can specify everything from layout to saloon seats to countertop material as semi-custom projects.
Deck and Equipment Details
The swim step includes an integral telescoping ladder with stainless steel handholds in the outboard steps, and recessed LED lighting in the scoop aft assists dinghy ops after dark. The double anchor roller/sprit is vintage IP, rock-solid stainless steel handrails run the full length of the cabintrunk, and two large Dorades with stainless steel cages double as handholds. Harken winches and furlers are standard, and the boat is offered in colors beyond the company's signature tan. On deck, writing in Cruising World, judge Alvah Simon found the on-deck flow good, the nonskid effective, and the pushpit and pulpits with seats and cleats very well executed.
Performance Under Sail
Beyond the Solent rig's light-air showing, the 349 proved herself in stronger conditions. Writing in Cruising World, judge Alvah Simon recorded speeds over 7 knots on a test sail with beautiful Quantum sails, and noted the boat performed very well. With a SA/D ratio of 17 and 763 square feet of sail area on the 100 percent foretriangle, she is capable of long passages of 1,000 miles to the Galapagos or 3,000 miles to the Marquesas. Simon allowed she may take a little longer to get there than a peppier rival, but the evolution in the company's approach is clear.
The Verdict
The Island Packet 349 is a thoughtfully modernized cruiser that keeps the marque's full-keel, solid-fiberglass, bluewater character while introducing aft-mast stepping and a Solent rig option that broadens her light-air range. Build quality is outstanding from the fiberglass work to the caliber of hardware, and the semi-custom accommodation program lets owners tailor the interior. She is a serious passagemaker, not a speed demon, and her premium positioning reflects that.
Pros
- Full Foil keel with encapsulated lead ballast and solid hand-laminated hull for bluewater service
- Solent rig option with self-tacking inner headsail and Code Zero extends light-air capability
- Scoop transom chosen for extreme-weather safety; deep cockpit with strong points and good sightlines
- Semi-custom layouts with abundant light, handholds, and LED lighting throughout
- PolyClad3 gelcoat with 10-year blister warranty
Cons
- Displacement/length ratio of 278 means she is no lightweight and may be slower to destination than peppier rivals
- Standard cutter dispenses with the Code Zero, limiting the light-air Solent advantage unless optioned
- Premium position places her above some comparable European cruisers
