Advice on buying a Dehler 34

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Hello, just another post asking for some advice. I have been looking at buying a cruiser for several Months and narrowed my search down to a Dehler 34, one boat in particular, a 1989 fin keel 1.7m. I will be sailing around the Humber area, various places around the UK and across the water to the continent. I have a long check list of things to look out for regarding maintenance, wear and tear and will be having an independent survey conducted.

Whilst advice on the style of the Dehler 34 is appreciated I am particularly interested in specific advice and experience (even second hand) of the Dehler 34.

Thank you in advance.
 
The Dehler Owners Association seems pretty dead I'm afraid. I joined but have never got any answers and the number of posts on the forums is tiny. Prob < 1 per year.

They're good sailing boats. Faster than they look and good sea boats. Try looking up the crash test for the 31 to see how tough they are. Based on my experience with my CWS it would be worth looking at things fitted by the agent during commissioning as there was some bodging there IMHO (depends upon the age of course). Dehler build quality seems reasonably good.

Check the steering isn't stiff. Dehler were notorious for using the wrong type of nylon for the bearings. Not difficult to fix. I can't think of anything else generic. I had problems with the quadrants and eventually bought a Jefa quadrant - that of course only applies to wheel steering. Also individual circuits in switch panel weren't fused. There was a master fuse but I had to fit fuse boxes for the individual circuits. You could check that.
 
lpdsn said:
The Dehler Owners Association seems pretty dead I'm afraid. I joined but have never got any answers and the number of posts on the forums is tiny. Prob < 1 per year.

They're good sailing boats. Faster than they look and good sea boats. Try looking up the crash test for the 31 to see how tough they are. Based on my experience with my CWS it would be worth looking at things fitted by the agent during commissioning as there was some bodging there IMHO (depends upon the age of course). Dehler build quality seems reasonably good.

Check the steering isn't stiff. Dehler were notorious for using the wrong type of nylon for the bearings. Not difficult to fix. I can't think of anything else generic. I had problems with the quadrants and eventually bought a Jefa quadrant - that of course only applies to wheel steering. Also individual circuits in switch panel weren't fused. There was a master fuse but I had to fit fuse boxes for the individual circuits. You could check that.
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That's really useful thank you. As it happens the bearings do need changing as part of the condition to purchase. Thank you for the tips on electrics.
 
There are a number of Dehler 34's on the Medway, most are members of the Medway Yacht Club. Could be worth a few phone calls. Recently I did speak to an owner of a Dehler 34 whilst in the lock at Eastbourne, but he was West Country based. He seemed very pleased with his boat and had owned it over 10 years.

My late parents had a new Dehler 37, which I help collect from their Dutch yard. They had a 31 in the showroom and a 34 in the dock. They are reasonably well built boats from that period and sailed very well. IIRC the 34 was the cruising version of the DB1, which won the ¾ ton cup. Willi Dehler was known for using clever plastic mouldings in the fit out to solve simple storage problems.

If there are any teak panels in the deck, check them carefully as they were bonded to the deck and they were only plywood with a thick veneer of teak (2 to 3 mm). The 37 suffered from this when a yard pressure hosed the decks to clean them, causing several new panels to be fitted.

I think you will be pleased at how they sail, if you buy one. Good hunting.
 
Concerto said:
There are a number of Dehler 34's on the Medway, most are members of the Medway Yacht Club. Could be worth a few phone calls. Recently I did speak to an owner of a Dehler 34 whilst in the lock at Eastbourne, but he was West Country based. He seemed very pleased with his boat and had owned it over 10 years.

My late parents had a new Dehler 37, which I help collect from their Dutch yard. They had a 31 in the showroom and a 34 in the dock. They are reasonably well built boats from that period and sailed very well. IIRC the 34 was the cruising version of the DB1, which won the ¾ ton cup. Willi Dehler was known for using clever plastic mouldings in the fit out to solve simple storage problems.

Thank you Concerto. Thanks for the tip on the teak decking, indeed one of the boats I am looking at does mention the teak could could with replacing, I will make sure I look at all boats with this in mind. thanks again.

If there are any teak panels in the deck, check them carefully as they were bonded to the deck and they were only plywood with a thick veneer of teak (2 to 3 mm). The 37 suffered from this when a yard pressure hosed the decks to clean them, causing several new panels to be fitted.

I think you will be pleased at how they sail, if you buy one. Good hunting.
Click to expand...
 
I had two Dehler 34s, each for about 5 years. The first was a 1987 'Optima 101' version, the second a 1991 '34 Topp'.

Although both were Dehler 34's, there were enormous differences, both on deck & in interior layout.

Main differences from about 1989 were:
1. Taller rig (Topp), different boom (MainDrop System, single line reefing) larger clutches, much improved windows & hatches.
2. Completely different underwater appendages (elliptical balanced rudder, 'upside down' keel replaced old IOR shape (=lower COG for same draft)
3. Interior layout completely changed: Toilet aft, larger aft cabin, galley & saloon moved forward, clever use of door space etc etc.
4. Better wheel system (pushrod actuated)
5. Hull:deck bond & toerail changed from teak to integral moulding

Problems/drawbacks: Nylon rudder bearings, mast deck plate cracks, hatch leaks (pre-89), potential for steering to 'overlock' & run off end of quadrant, stemhead fairlead casting cracking, low headroom forward cabin.

Good points: very fast (pre-89 faster, some say), lovely boats to sail, very pretty lines, superb hull:keel attachment (galv steel frame bonded into hull), Willi Dehler's clever ideas (e.g storage in doors, nav seat).

I've been on my 3rd Dehler (35CWS, which has even more clever bits) for 12 years now.

Hope this helps
 
rudolph_hart said:
I had two Dehler 34s, each for about 5 years. The first was a 1987 'Optima 101' version, the second a 1991 '34 Topp'.

Although both were Dehler 34's, there were enormous differences, both on deck & in interior layout.

Main differences from about 1989 were:
1. Taller rig (Topp), different boom (MainDrop System, single line reefing) larger clutches, much improved windows & hatches.
2. Completely different underwater appendages (elliptical balanced rudder, 'upside down' keel replaced old IOR shape (=lower COG for same draft)
3. Interior layout completely changed: Toilet aft, larger aft cabin, galley & saloon moved forward, clever use of door space etc etc.
4. Better wheel system (pushrod actuated)
5. Hull:deck bond & toerail changed from teak to integral moulding

Problems/drawbacks: Nylon rudder bearings, mast deck plate cracks, hatch leaks (pre-89), potential for steering to 'overlock' & run off end of quadrant, stemhead fairlead casting cracking, low headroom forward cabin.

Good points: very fast (pre-89 faster, some say), lovely boats to sail, very pretty lines, superb hull:keel attachment (galv steel frame bonded into hull), Willi Dehler's clever ideas (e.g storage in doors, nav seat).

I've been on my 3rd Dehler (35CWS, which has even more clever bits) for 12 years now.

Hope this helps
Click to expand...

Hi Rudolph, this is really useful thank you. More items to add to my list of checks. Am I right to say that it is the Mk2 which is the taller mast?
 
The taller mast was the on 'Topp' version of post-89 models, IIRC, which I guess was the Mk2, which has 2 saloon windows each side. The last version (Mk3?) had 3 saloon windows each side.

Another thing to bear in mind is that some of the 'Mk2 & 3' had the 'Nova' finish (off white) on all the saloon furniture - not to everyone's taste.
 
rudolph_hart said:
The taller mast was the on 'Topp' version of post-89 models, IIRC, which I guess was the Mk2, which has 2 saloon windows each side. The last version (Mk3?) had 3 saloon windows each side.

Another thing to bear in mind is that some of the 'Mk2 & 3' had the 'Nova' finish (off white) on all the saloon furniture - not to everyone's taste.
Click to expand...

Thanks Rudolph, I have seen a couple with the Nova finish and the identification of the various derivatives via number of windows is helpful.
 
Get in touch with the Colne Yacht Club, in Brightlingsea Essex. There are two or three in the racing fleet owned by some of the senior sailing committee members. I had one for four happy years which was a 34 Nova Top version with the unusual tiller steering, she has now moved on to West Mersea and campaigns hard from there. A fairly bullet proof boat with only a few minor niggles, the silly nylon bearings on the rudder being simple to fix, simply drop the rudder out and ream out the nylon with some sandpaper wrapped round a bit of broomstick. Casting for bow roller is potentially a problem if it gets hit but otherwise seems sturdy enough and the teak on the cockpit seating is way too thin and unless it's been replaced will soon need to be.
Sailing wise though, these boats are a joy.
Good luck in your quest !
 
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