Seafarer 34 Buyer's Guide
The Seafarer 34 is a McCurdy & Rhodes-designed cruiser built by Seafarer Yachts from 1972 until the model left production, a 33-foot-9-inch fiberglass sloop that sleeps five and carries a wheel-steered skeg rudder. On the used market she appeals to couples and small families who want a real nav station and a convertible double without stepping up to a 40-footer.
Layouts on the Used Market
Two principal configurations turn up among surviving boats. The standard masthead sloop carries a fin keel, while an optional stub keel with centerboard was offered for shoal drafting anchor. A later Mark II brought a slightly taller rig, worth noting if you compare light-air performance between early and late boats. Below decks the constant is the five-berth plan: a bow V-berth, an L-shaped or optional U-shaped saloon settee around a drop-leaf table that makes a double, and a starboard single. The head sits just aft of the bow cabin to port, the galley is starboard at the companionway, and the navigation station faces it across the cabin — a layout that has worn well because the pieces do not fight each other.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
The most consequential factory choice was power: a diesel was a paid option against the standard gasoline Universal Atomic 4, so confirm what sits in the engine bay before you negotiate anchor. For onboard energy and cruising range, the gasoline-versus-diesel question outweighs most other upgrades. Sail-handling differences are mostly the Mark II's taller mast and the optional yawl rig for divided downwind control. Beyond those, buyers should simply verify the galley's stove, ice box, and sink are intact and that the navigation station electronics have been modernized to taste — the structure of the boat is the value, not the original instruments.
What to Inspect
The deck is balsa-cored, so probe around winches, stanchions, and the chainplates for softness that signals core saturation anchor. The hull itself is solid fiberglass and not cored, which removes one class of hidden failure. Check the rudder post where it exits the skeg for play, and confirm the wheel steering is free of excess backlash. On gasoline examples, the Atomic 4 demands carburetor and fuel-system attention as a matter of course; diesel boats should show clean heat exchangers and no coolant stains.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
For a shopper, the short list is:
- Confirm sloop versus optional yawl and fin versus centerboard before comparing boats
- Verify diesel option or budget Atomic 4 servicing on gasoline boats
- Sound the balsa deck for core damage at every penetration
- Exercise the wheel and skeg rudder for free, quiet movement
- Check the five-berth layout fits your crew with the saloon table dropped
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Seafarer 34. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 1 row
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 25 | 1 | $19,500 | — |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.