Vancouver 34 Classic

BoatsVancouver 34 Classic

See her sail

The Vancouver 34 Classic, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Sailing Into Oblivion

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her heavy displacement on a moderate beam gives 32 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 32

CoastalBluewater

1.75 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.75

LightHeavy

301 — heavy for her waterline, built to carry stores and ride steadily.

Displacement / length 301

EasygoingPowered-up

16.6 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 16.6

TenderStiff

43% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 43%

Built heavy and sea-kindly — a boat made to cross oceans and forgive a rough night.

What the fleet has seen

The Vancouver 34 Classic, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Vancouver 34 CLASSIC is a Robert B. Harris-designed cutter, built by Northshore Yachts Ltd. from 1991 to 2005, evolving from the Vancouver 32 with a larger cockpit, wheel steering, and an inboard rudder. Its 10.4m LOA, 3.2m beam, and 1.4m draft displace 6350 kg. Early models with iron ballast sometimes dragged their sterns; later versions standardized lead ballast to balance the 2-foot stern extension. A 2004 Vancouver 34 CLASSIC completed an Atlantic circuit from the UK to the Caribbean, Bermuda, and the Azores, enduring a knockdown between Bermuda and the Azores that damaged the interior.11:16 Aboard "Sailing Into Oblivion," the crew emphasized traditional seamanship and manual navigation over digital tools for heavy weather, using Iridium for offshore communication.10:47

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen once across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions

Weights

Ballast / displacement

42.9%

Rig & sail area

Rig

Cutter

Ratios

SA / displacement

16.6

Displacement / length

300.5

Comfort ratio

32.0

Capsize screening

1.75

Hull speed

7.0 kn

Pounds / inch immersion

1032

Hull

Hull type

Long Keel

Construction

Fiberglass

Ballast type

Cast Iron

Production

Years built

1991–2005

Units built

122

Designer

Robert B. Harris

Builder

Northshore Yachts Ltd

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Vancouver 34 Pilot10.44 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Robert B. Harris-designed cutter featuring a deck saloon for protected cruising on a stable, long-keeled hull

GGR Entrant Live interview NO. 19 with Italian Entry Guido Cantini 06/10/20204:30 from Golden Globe Race Official

Island Packet 3210.67 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 32-foot cruiser with a 1.32-meter draft, optimized for shallow-water access and offshore stability

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Island Packet 35010.57 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 10.57-meter cutter featuring a 1.3-meter draft and a 47% ballast ratio for stable, shallow-water exploration

BEST Cruising Sailboat for $130,000 - Ep 324 - Lady K Sailing6:58 from Lady K Sailing

Morgan Yachts Out Island 3610.92 mSame hull family0.5 m longerA 1970s production cruiser featuring a 1.14-metre draft and a heavy ballast ratio for stability in shallow waters

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Henry R. Hinckley Pilot 3510.90 mSame hull family0.5 m longerA Sparkman & Stephens fiberglass classic designed for Hinckley, featuring a long keel and available as a sloop or yawl

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Hallberg-Rassy Rasmus 3510.52 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA long-keeled cruiser that transitioned from mahogany to GRP construction, offering a stable platform for blue-water sailing

Full Sailboat Tour: Hallberg Rassy 35. Full time live-aboard boat ready to sail offshore from WhiteSpotPirates

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

Vancouver 34 PilotA Robert B. Harris-designed cutter featuring a deck saloon for protected cruising on a stable, long-keeled hull Vancouver 32A Robert B. Harris-designed cutter with a long keel, built for offshore stability and global cruising versatility Vancouver 36A Tony Taylor-designed cutter with a heavy-displacement hull and long keel, built for steady offshore passage-making Vancouver 36 (Harris)A Robert Harris-designed cutter with a long keel and heavy displacement, built for steady, comfortable blue-water cruising Vancouver 28A Robert B. Harris-designed cutter with a long keel, offering a versatile sail plan as an extended version of the 27 Vancouver 32 Pilot House (Harris)A Robert Harris-designed cutter with a long keel and pilot house, built for heavy-weather stability and offshore comfort

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

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