Design and Construction
Perry gave the 34-2 a sleek profile with a raked stem, reverse transom, spade rudder, and fixed fin keel, with an optional shoal-draft wing keel for thinner water. The hull runs 34.33 feet overall on a 28-foot waterline, with an 11-foot beam and a moderate 9,656-pound displacement carried on 3,771 pounds of lead ballast — a 39 percent ballast ratio that, with the fin keel, marks her as a steady coastal performer rather than a heavy voyager. Construction pairs a solid fiberglass hull with Divinycell foam coring for lightweight rigidity, and both hull and deck are fiberglass. At 196.37 on the displacement-length scale she sits among moderate racers, and the capsize screening value of 2.06 would have barred her from sanctioned ocean races.
Rig and Handling
As a responsive masthead sloop, the 34-2 carries 545 square feet of sail on aluminum spars, with an I of 38 feet, J of 13.6, P of 31.5, and E of 13.5. Her sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 19.29 (about 19.8 with a 135 percent genoa) and a PHRF around 144 place her firmly in club-racing company, and one design summary notes she carries more rig than 62 percent of similar sailboats, reading as slightly overrigged for her size. The theoretical hull speed is 7.09 knots, and the motion comfort ratio of 20.47 suggests a tolerable but not plush ride in a chop.
Accommodations
Below, the two-cabin layout sleeps four and keeps the sleeping quarters private from the saloon. Forward is a V-berth; aft is a private cabin with its own head, a rare concession in a 34-footer of this era. The U-shaped galley holds a two-burner stove and sink, and the saloon dinette converts for extra berthing. Varnished teak joinery runs throughout, and multiple ports and hatches give the cabin good ventilation. With roughly 40 gallons of freshwater and a 15-gallon fuel tank, she is set for weekend and short coastal use rather than long self-sufficiency.
Refits and Ownership
The small build count means every 34-2 is a comparatively scarce boat, and the few Nordic 34 sisters share the same hull. A 22-horsepower Yanmar diesel provides auxiliary power. The wetted surface runs about 355 square feet, a figure worth knowing when budgeting bottom paint. Standing and running rigging dimensions are well documented — mainsheet at 85.8 feet of half-inch line, genoa sheets at 34.3 feet — which helps an owner reorder exactly without guesswork.
The Verdict
The Islander 34-2 is a late-Perry expression of the Islander racer-cruiser idea: quick, light on her feet, and privately laid out below for a couple. The short production and mold transfer to Nordic make her an uncommon find, and the foam-cored hull keeps weight down without the rot risk of older balsa decks. She is not a bluewater boat by the numbers, but as a coastal racer-cruiser she remains a tidy, well-drawn package.
Pros
- Robert Perry design with responsive masthead-sloop rig and 19.29 SA/D
- Private aft cabin with en-suite head in a 34-foot hull
- Foam-cored fiberglass construction for lightweight rigidity
- Optional shoal-draft wing keel extends gunkholing range
Cons
- Capsize screening of 2.06 excludes her from ocean races
- Only about 16 built; sparse brokerage availability
- 15-gallon fuel and ~40-gallon water limit range
- Slightly overrigged relative to peer sailboats
