Design and Construction
Sweden Yachts built the C34 in Stenungsund, and the yard’s high standards are evident throughout. The hull has a deep fin keel and a spade rudder carried on a small skeg, a configuration well suited to the boat’s intended role as a fast coastal or offshore cruiser.
The C34 measures 33 feet 6 inches overall, with an 11 foot 5 inch beam. Displacement is 13,320 lbs, including 5,188 lbs of ballast. She’s no lightweight racer, but a substantial cruiser with a firm footing.
Teak-laid decks were usual, and the wide side decks allow safe, unhurried movement forward. Below the surface, an expensively engineered system of fore-and-aft beams beneath the deckhead takes the shroud loads and transmits them to the bulkheads. It’s a detail that reflects the builder’s unwillingness to cut corners on rig integrity.
Rig, Handling, and Auxiliary Power
The C34 is rigged as a sloop, with 764 square feet of main and genoa. The shroud bases are set well inboard, allowing good genoa-sheeting angles. That geometry, together with the deep fin keel and skegged spade rudder, underpins the boat’s reputation for speed and good handling in coastal and offshore use.
The specified auxiliary is a 25 BHP Volvo MD11D diesel. Its output is adequate for the boat’s displacement and typical of the period’s conservative approach to cruising power.
Accommodation
Below, the C34 combines practicality at sea with a very comfortable interior finished in mahogany joinery. Forward, the two forecabin berths convert into a good-sized double. Moving aft, there are the heads and a large area of hanging and storage lockers.
The saloon centers on a U-shaped dinette that converts into another double berth. Opposite is a good linear galley with plenty of stowage and working space. The chart table is large enough to take a half-folded Admiralty chart, while a large double berth lies aft beneath the cockpit.
With three cabins and five berths, the C34 can accommodate a cruising family or racing crew without compromising its practicality at sea.
The Verdict
The Sweden Yachts C34 is a thoughtfully engineered Scandinavian cruiser with high construction standards, a seakindly rig, and an interior that works both underway and at anchor. Limited production and an enduring reputation mean it generally commands a high price for its age and size, but the build quality and design justify that premium.
Pros
- Very high build quality, including an engineered shroud-load structure
- Reputation for fast, well-mannered coastal and offshore cruising
- Practical three-cabin, five-berth interior with mahogany joinery
- Effective genoa sheeting from inboard shrouds
Cons
- High price relative to age and size
- Modest 25 BHP output from the Volvo MD11D auxiliary
