UNDERSEA
T ne exploration vessel Alucia – used in the recent BBC documentary series Blue Planet II – has been listed on the Airbnb holiday rental site and is now available for hire by underwater adventurers. The vessel – operated by Ocean X – is based in the Baham
If the use of the word ‘new’ in my introduction has confused you, let me explain.
Yes, Dehler has had a 34 for many years. The vessel was introduced in the mid-80s and became an instant hit. Around 1,500 were built and, in fact, the model is widely credited with having forged the German manufacturer’s reputation for high-performance cruisers.
But this is the ‘new’ 34 – and she’s a radically different animal. She joins a growing list of restyled Dehler models manufactured after Hanse’s takeover of the company a few years ago. Among other changes, the switch introduced the legendary Judel/ Vrolijk design team to the revamped Dehler line-up.
While the two boats share roughly the same LOA, the new 34 is a major departure from its ancestor. Decades of boatbuilding innovation and advances are obvious – not only in terms of design, materials and construction, but also in the tricky matter of successfully marrying performance with cruising comfort.
Looking for clues of the original design in the new 34’s interior space and layout is a futile exercise – they may as well be different boats. The early 34s had narrow hulls and living areas that could be described as cramped, basic – even utilitarian.
The younger sibling enjoys far more volume thanks to a slightly wider beam – and crucially, a beam that’s carried a long way aft. And the designers have used that volume well. She’s supremely comfortable, even luxurious, and for a 34-footer, the sense of space is pretty damn impressive.
At the other end of the equation, the boat’s go-fast attributes are everywhere. A low profile and the clean lines are accentuated by numerous drag-minimising features. Pop-up cleats, sheets running under the coach-roof, flush hatches, a below-deck windlass – and a streamlined bowsprit for the gennaker.
In addition, the new hull’s equipped with a plumb bow – it adds around 1.3m to the original 34’s waterline length. It’s now 9.6m, about a metre shy of the yacht’s overall 10.7m length. And consider the yacht’s underwater appendages.
Thanks to Hanse’s production line efficiency and flexibility, Dehler buyers are offered a smorgasbord of performance-boosting options. Standard 34s come with a 1.95m keel – or a 1.55m shoal draught version if you like anchoring closer to shore. But there’s also a third option – fitted to this boat – a 2.1m keel with a T-bulb. She’s also equipped with a deeper rudder to handle the extra horsepower.
If the standard Selden alloy rig’s too tame for you, there’s a taller version that boosts the working sail area from 65m2 to 71m2. I didn’t meet the owner of
between a racing-crew in hot chilli mode – and a chill-out area for friends and family.
Sail controls are easy thanks to the cockpit being surrounded by six Lewmar 45 winches – two primaries right at the helms, two secondaries a little further forward, and two more on the coachroof, either side of the companionway hatch. In tandem with a battery of Spinlock clutches, these service the multitude of halyards and reefing lines running from the mast’s base.
So for sailors who like to tweak, this Dehler is a feast. With the double-ended German mainsheet system, the sail can be adjusted from either helm. There’s a full- width traveler built into the cockpit floor, just forward of the helms – and again, the horse’s control lines terminate right at the helms.
Jib sheets run through turning blocks well aft and can be fed to either the primaries or secondaries. In family mode, when you may have a disengaged crew, I’d leave the mainsheet