WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY...
Duncan Kent, yacht and equipment reviewer
The Vancouver 34 was designed and built with blue water cruising and long ocean passages in mind, although she is equally suited to coastal and weekend sailing. Her relatively shallow draft will enable you to sail and anchor in shoal waters, to a point, but without sacrificing her seaworthiness in rough seas and poor weather. Many love the flexibility of the cutter rig and appreciate the ability to sail under a staysail and triple-reefed mainsail in a gale. Others prefer to swap the yankee for a larger genoa for better off-wind speed. I’m in the compromise camp, preferring to keep the yankee and staysail, but fly a gennaker when the wind is light and on the beam. Like most traditional long-keel boats, the Vancouver 34C is one of modest speed but powerful demeanour. She’s not going to impress the club racer types and neither is she ideal for short-tacking up narrow rivers, but when challenged with a Channel crossing in a sou’westerly gale, she’ll romp home safe and sound with the crew still able to make a brew and eat a hot meal along the way. Nick Vass, Marine Surveyor (www.omega-yachtservices.co.uk) The Vancouvers are solid and well-made yachts but production quality from Northshore did vary quite a lot. Check the saloon windows for leaks and, like any well used bluewater yacht, wear and tear on the engine, standing rigging and teak decks will mean they will likely need replacing unless already done. The good thing is that all the Vancouver 34s I have surveyed have had a plethora of long-term cruising gear such as water makers, generators and wind vane steering systems. Engine access is limited, though, and gas bottle storage a quirky compromise.