O'Day 34 Tall Rig

Description

The O'Day 34 Tall Rig is an American-built racer-cruiser sailboat designed by C. Raymond Hunt Associates (with John Deknatel) and first produced in 1980 by O'Day Corp. in Fall River, Massachusetts, as an enhanced variant of the standard O'Day 34 emphasizing superior light-air performance and upwind pointing through its taller masthead sloop rig while delivering spacious liveaboard accommodations and balanced coastal seaworthiness for couples or small families on weekend passages or club racing. Constructed from balsa-cored fiberglass with a fin keel and spade rudder for responsive handling (standard 4.92-foot draft or optional shoal 4-foot version), it displaces 11,500 pounds with 4,300 pounds of encapsulated lead ballast, measures 34 feet LOA, 28.9 feet LWL, and 11.25 feet beam, achieving a hull speed of 7.0 knots and approximately 600 square feet of sail area under its tall rig configuration (I=45.83 feet, J=14 feet, P=40.75 feet, E=13.67 feet) powered by a reliable 27 HP Yanmar 3GM30F diesel inboard with 25 gallons of fuel and 40 gallons of water capacity. Renowned for its moderate displacement/length ratio of 216 and sail area/displacement ratio of 16.45 enabling respectable PHRF times around 150, bright teak-trimmed interior boasting 6'2" headroom across two private cabins (V-berth forward and aft double), U-shaped galley, nav station, enclosed head with shower, and convertible saloon sleeping up to six, plus wheel steering and a walkthrough transom for cockpit ease, the O'Day 34 Tall Rig was produced through 1984 with around 250 units built before evolving into the O'Day 35 with a minor transom extension, enduring as an affordable, low-maintenance classic for sailors valuing Hunt's elegant lines, forgiving stability, and surprising volume in a mid-30s package.