Design and Construction
Perry gave the 34-2 a sleek profile, with a raked stem, reverse transom, spade rudder, and fixed fin keel. An optional shoal-draft wing keel was available for thinner water.
The hull measures 34.33 feet overall, with a 28-foot waterline and an 11-foot beam. Displacement is a moderate 9,656 pounds, including 3,771 pounds of lead ballast. That produces a ballast ratio of 39 percent, which, together with the fin keel, marks the boat as a steady coastal performer rather than a heavy voyager.
Construction combines a solid fiberglass hull with Divinycell foam coring for lightweight rigidity; both the hull and deck are fiberglass. Her displacement-length ratio is 196.37, placing her among moderate racers. A capsize screening value of 2.06 would have barred her from sanctioned ocean races.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The responsive masthead-sloop rig carries 545 square feet of sail on aluminum spars. Rig dimensions are I 38 feet, J 13.6, P 31.5, and E 13.5.
A sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 19.29—or about 19.8 with a 135 percent genoa—and a PHRF rating around 144 put the 34-2 firmly in club-racing company. One design summary notes that she carries more rig than 62 percent of similar sailboats, making her slightly overrigged for her size.
Theoretical hull speed is 7.09 knots. Her motion comfort ratio of 20.47 suggests a tolerable, though not plush, ride in a chop.
Accommodations
Below, the two-cabin layout sleeps four while keeping the sleeping quarters private from the saloon. There’s a V-berth forward and a private aft cabin with its own head, a rare concession in a 34-footer of this era.
The U-shaped galley includes a two-burner stove and sink, while the saloon dinette converts to provide extra berths. Varnished teak joinery runs throughout the interior, and multiple ports and hatches provide good ventilation.
Tankage consists of roughly 40 gallons of freshwater and 15 gallons of fuel. That suits weekend trips and short coastal cruising rather than long periods of self-sufficiency.
Equipment and Ownership
The small production run makes every Islander 34-2 comparatively scarce, and the few Nordic 34 sisters share the same hull. Auxiliary power comes from a 22-horsepower Yanmar diesel.
Wetted surface area is about 355 square feet, a useful figure when budgeting for bottom paint. Standing and running rigging dimensions are also well documented. The mainsheet calls for 85.8 feet of half-inch line, while the genoa sheets measure 34.3 feet, allowing owners to reorder without guesswork.
Verdict
The Islander 34-2 is a late-Perry expression of the Islander racer-cruiser idea: quick, light on her feet, and arranged below to give a couple private accommodations. The short production run and later transfer of the molds to Nordic make her an uncommon find. Her foam-cored hull keeps weight down without the rot risk of older balsa decks.
By the numbers, she isn’t a bluewater boat. As a coastal racer-cruiser, however, she remains a tidy, well-drawn package.
Pros
- Robert Perry design with a responsive masthead-sloop rig and 19.29 SA/D
- Private aft cabin with an en-suite head in a 34-foot hull
- Foam-cored fiberglass construction for lightweight rigidity
- Optional shoal-draft wing keel extends her gunkholing range
Cons
- Capsize screening value of 2.06 excludes her from ocean races
- Only about 16 built, resulting in sparse brokerage availability
- 15-gallon fuel and roughly 40-gallon water capacities limit range
- Slightly overrigged compared with peer sailboats
