O'Day 34 Buyer's Guide
The O'Day 34 is a C. Raymond Hunt & Associates design that joined the O'Day line in 1981 and was sold as the O'Day 35 from 1985 to 1989 after a transom update with a molded boarding platform. On the used market it is a 34-foot fiberglass sloop with a solid laminate hull, balsa-cored deck, and cast iron keel in deep or shoal draft, aimed at couples and small families who want a straightforward cruiser with a real navigation station.
Layouts on the Used Market
Every example shares the same 28-foot-9-inch length at the waterline, an 11-foot-3-inch beam, and about 11,500 pounds displacement. The interior is built around a fiberglass liner forming the berths, seats, and lockers: a V-berth forward, head to port, hanging lockers to starboard, twin settees and a drop-leaf table in the saloon, a starboard quarter berth with nav station, and a port U-shaped galley. Deep draft models draw 5 feet 7 inches; shoal draft draw 4 feet 3 inches but use the same spade rudder, which sits nearly as deep as the keel itself.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Most boats on the market carry an autopilot, bimini, chartplotter, dodger, and cabin heating as standard cruising kit. Often-seen additions include AIS, electric winches, hot water, and both symmetric and asymmetric spinnakers, with radar also frequent. Less common owner upgrades are solar, air conditioning, an inverter, and teak decks. For a buyer, the power-and-energy cluster (heating, sometimes inverter or solar) and the canvas-and-sail-handling cluster (dodger, bimini, electric winches, spinnaker gear) matter most for liveability and short-handed sailing; navigation electronics should be checked for age rather than assumed current.
What to Inspect
The solid hull is generally sound, but occasional osmotic blistering of the bottom is found on these boats anchor, so a survey should include a moisture reading and blister history. The cast iron keel is the bigger concern: most reflect a rather poor job of preparation and preserving the metal, and rust scaling is common if an owner has not taken time to preserve it properly anchor. On shoal-draft examples the same rudder is nearly exactly the same depth as the keel bottom, leaving it quite vulnerable to damage by grounding — inspect the rudder stock and blade carefully for any past strike.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats are typically found in the United States. For a shopper, the checklist is simple: confirm keel coating and rust history, survey the rudder on shoal models for grounding damage, scan the bottom for osmotic blistering, and verify the Universal diesel and its all-sides access beneath the bridge deck. A clean keel and rudder make the O'Day 34 a low-drama cruiser with a practical layout.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the O'Day 34. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 13 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 25 | 2 | $7,200 | — |
| Jun 25 | 4 | $20,498 | +184.7% |
| Jul 25 | 1 | $13,500 | -34.1% |
| Aug 25 | 2 | $19,900 | +47.4% |
| Sep 25 | 1 | $24,999 | +25.6% |
| Oct 25 | 2 | $14,500 | -42.0% |
| Nov 25 | 4 | $15,450 | +6.6% |
| Jan 26 | 7 | $21,000 | +35.9% |
| Mar 26 | 2 | $22,500 | +7.1% |
| Apr 26 | 4 | $32,250 | +43.3% |
| May 26 | 3 | $15,000 | -53.5% |
| Jun 26 | 1 | $19,000 | +26.7% |
| Jul 26 | 6 | $18,600 | -2.1% |
Where they're listed
O'Day 34 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 30.
Country view
30 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $19,450 | 30 | 7 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
11 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catalina 34 | 34.5' | $ 32,500 | 139 | 36 |
| Bavaria Yachts 34 | 35.6' | $ 58,206 | 69 | 10 |
| Sabre 34 | 34.18' | $ 24,500 | 39 | 5 |
| Oday 34You are here | — | $ 19,450 | 30 | 7 |
| Sadler 34 | 34.75' | $ 33,982 | 22 | 4 |
| Moody 34 | 33.42' | $ 43,433 | 19 | 2 |
| Pearson 34 | 33.79' | $ 16,000 | 16 | 6 |
| Morgan Yachts 34 | 34' | $ 32,475 | 14 | 4 |
| ODay 30 | 29.92' | $ 15,000 | 13 | 5 |
| Sweden Yachts C34 | 34' | $ 51,270 | 12 | 3 |
| Contessa Ood 34 | 33.67' | $ 20,391 | 9 | 0 |