BoatsIslander 34

Islander 34

Masthead Sloop · Fin Keel · First built 1964

A masthead sloop featuring a rudder profile inspired by the 1964 America's Cup defender Constellation

Designed by McGlasson & Islander, built by Wayfarer Yacht Corp.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin Keel

See her sail

The Islander 34, on the water

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

Footage from Sailing Into the Mystic

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 narrow beam gives 27 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 27
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.84
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 297
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 15.9
TenderStiff

32% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 32%

A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.

  • Draws less than ~87% of boats her size on file

Compared with 2924 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Islander 34, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Islander 34 is a masthead sloop designed by McGlasson and Islander, built by Wayfarer Yacht Corp., Islander, and Tradewind Yachts from 1964 to the present. It measures 10.2 meters LOA with a 3.0-meter beam, a 1.4-meter draft, and displaces 4717 kg. The design likely evolved from the Islander 32, incorporating a different rudder profile influenced by the 1964 America's Cup defender *Constellation*, a modified coach roof, and an added bowsprit. It was also sold in kit form as the Yachtcraft 34. Aboard *Sailing Into the Mystic*, a 34-foot Islander sloop purchased for $5,000 required extensive restoration, including an Atomic 4 gasoline engine with a suspected blown head gasket and electrical system issues.2:33 The crew moved the boat to a private backyard for repairs, where they identified two mainsails and two jibs, three of which were in good condition.26:02 The same crew later decided against a multi-year refit of their Islander, opting instead to sell it and purchase an Irwin Yachts 43-CC MKIII for immediate cruising.9:33

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 2 times across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Islander 34 on video

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model for sale, and the asking prices that came with it.

1seen for sale
1seen sold
1channel weighed buying one
US$5,000Median asking

For sale

Sold

From the fleet's own footage — our observed signal, not broker listings.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
31.7%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
15.9
Displacement / length
297.1
Comfort ratio
27.1
Capsize screening
1.84
Hull speed
6.7 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
893
Hull
Hull type
Fin Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1964
Units built
14
Designer
McGlasson, Islander
Builder
Wayfarer Yacht Corp, Islander, Tradewind Yachts

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.

King's Cruiser 3310.26 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Pelle Pettersson-designed masthead sloop featuring a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder for stable, classic cruising
Day 4: They don't tell you this! 💀 The WORST thing about reviving a sailboat alone1:31from Piratas Aderiva
C&C Yachts 3410.21 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthOffered in both deep keel and keel/centerboard configurations, this 1977 masthead sloop balances performance with versatility
Life is Like Sailing - 3 Years in a Tiny Home - A Liveaboard Boat Tour0:06from Life is Like Sailing
Seafarer Yachts 3410.29 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA versatile masthead sloop offered with yawl or keel-centerboard configurations and optional diesel power
We are sailing through the lonely islands of the Bahamas.. ❤️ | Ep.660:30from Eternal Sailing
Westerly Marine Ltd. Falcon 3410.26 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthAn Ed Dubois-designed aft-cabin cruiser that serves as the foundation for the later, extended-stern Falcon 35
Regina at the Portosanto shipyard17:58from Velero Regina
Cal Boats 3410.13 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, favoured by Jensen Marine founder Jack Jensen for personal cruising
Episode 1 - Sadie Johnson5:11from SheHelms Sailing
Moody 3410.19 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1980s mid-sized cruiser with a 40% ballast ratio, designed for stability and predictable handling in coastal waters
Episode #61 Standing Rigging, Thru-Hulls and Seacocks2:30from Sailing Nervous- Starting Over!

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Islander 32A J.H. McGlasson-designed masthead sloop that served as the foundational hull for the later Islander 33 and 34 modelsIslander 33A raised-deck masthead sloop with a 1.37-metre draft, built between 1964 and 1971 for coastal cruisingIslander Yachts 34-2A Robert Perry-designed masthead sloop later re-introduced as the Nordic 34, featuring a fin keel and spade rudderIslander 44A Bill Lapworth-designed hull reconfigured by Islander into a long-keeled cruiser with a diverse production historyIslander Yachts 36An Alan Gurney-designed masthead sloop with a 15-year production run and nearly 800 hulls launchedIslander Yachts 37A 1966 Bruce King design featuring a masthead rig and a 35% ballast ratio for balanced coastal performance

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Islander 34, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Islander 34

The newsletter

New boats, new stories. Every week, everywhere.

One email from the fleet — boats newly added, videos newly analysed. No noise.

Report an issue