Around 50 to 100 CT-34s were built through the mid-1970s. Traditional and long-keeled, the boat was intended for blue-water cruising as well as coastal passages.
Design and Lineage
The CT-34’s traditional lines and long keel place it firmly among the conservative cruising boats of its era. Its pedigree comes from a Rhodes plan drawn about half a century earlier, rather than from the later Ta Chiao designs by Perry or Garden. That lineage gave the CT-34 a timeless profile, along with a decidedly old-school motion and stability envelope.
The boat measures 27 feet 8 inches on the waterline and 10 feet 3 inches in beam. It displaces 16,100 pounds, including 5,300 pounds of iron ballast, for a ballast-displacement ratio of 32.9 percent. Those figures describe a stiff, weighty hull rather than a light racer—a classic Taiwanese heavy-displacement cruiser.
Construction
Ta Chiao built the CT-34 using robust solid fiberglass construction. Both hull and deck are solid fiberglass rather than cored, reflecting the early hand-laid, solid-laminate methods the yard had adopted by the mid-1960s.
The design has encapsulated ballast, a keel-stepped mast, an attached rudder, and a long keel integral to its intended seaworthiness. This arrangement is typical of the classic CT series and consistent with the boat’s traditional cruising role.
Rig and Sail Plan
The CT-34 carries a cutter rig with a moderate, manageable sail plan for a heavy 34-footer. Its sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 14.93, marking a moderate, manageable rig for a 34-footer of this ballast.
The mainsail is roughly 288 square feet, with a 37.3-foot luff and a 15.2-foot foot. A 130-percent genoa measures about 419 square feet, based on a 43-foot I dimension and 16-foot J. The inventory also includes a 135-square-foot staysail and two yankee options: one near 57 percent LP at 170 square feet, and another near 90 percent at 287 square feet. These sails provide flexible headsail combinations for different wind strengths.
For downwind sailing, the asymmetrical sail measures 863 square feet. A 121-square-foot storm jib completes the bad-weather inventory.
Accommodations and Cruising Role
The CT-34 was conceived as a blue-water and coastal cruiser, not as a day sailor or racer. Its traditional long-keel Taiwan-cruiser interior emphasizes stowage and sea-keeping rather than a modern open plan. It is suited to a couple or small crew making extended voyages.
The boat carries 50 gallons of water and 50 gallons of fuel. Auxiliary power comes from a single 22-horsepower Yanmar diesel engine.
The Verdict
The CT-34 is a traditional, well-built heavy cruiser with a Rhodes-derived hull and solid fiberglass construction. It has become a recognizable classic from the early wave of Taiwanese yacht exports.
Its modest sail plan and long keel are better suited to patient offshore sailors than to speed seekers. The limited production run also makes each surviving example a piece of cruising history.
Pros
- Robust solid fiberglass hull and deck
- Iron-ballasted long keel intended for seaworthiness
- Traditional Rhodes-derived design suited to blue-water and coastal cruising
- Cutter rig with a comprehensive headsail inventory, including a storm jib and asymmetrical sail
Cons
- Heavy displacement and a moderate sail-area-to-displacement ratio limit light-air performance
- Limited production of around 50 to 100 boats means fewer examples and less familiarity with spares
- Traditional long-keel configuration is less maneuverable than later fin-keel cruisers
