Princess 34 Flybridge

volvopaul

volvopaul

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Joined
1 Apr 2007
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Location
midlands
hotmail.co.uk
Anyone on the forum know this boat, its a modern looking flybridge with proper stairs forward cabin with central bed, largeish head, guest cabin across the boat half height standing room, average cockpit, good flybridge with forward seating and an L shaped wrap round, looks a bit dumpy from the side but a lot in an 11 metre boat.

The down side is its on sterndrives, it has a bowthruster and a genny. its sort of a match for an F33, I dont think the production run was very long probably only 2 years.

Been seriously looking at princess 360 or 380 but trying to keep the southcoast mooring fees down if I can, anyone any thoughts on this one, no doubt the first downer will be its short planing length, but I need to look forward to diesel at its november 08 prices, mooring are never going to be any cheaper, as there are only usually me and mrs volvopaul on board I dont really need anything bigger than my old Corniche its just that the layout didnt work for us.
 
Production run was very short, 1995 - 1997 and I don't think it sold in huge numbers. No idea why not, but it is around the time the the UK builders were going for bigger and bigger models as the % return was much better.

Launched the same year as the 56 and the 60, it gves some indication of the direction princess were heading. I saw one in Swanage bay a few weeks ago, but I reckon they number probably less than 30.

I think 'dumpy' is a little unfair. I have always liked these boats, and would rather have one than the sealine. If only as the internal fit out was more Princess and less flowery wall paper /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

p34.jpg
 
Jez my thought entirely about it compared to an S thats why I thought id give this one a look, I wondered if you would be the first to reply! guess you and your laptop are never parted, anyway thanks, do you have any idea on performance figures?, they do look a little dumpy when you look at them from a dinghy there used to be one in Hythe marina some years back always liked it, never been inside one for years only at Earls court show when they were new.
 
the Princess 34 ia nice looking entry level flybridge cruiser
what I dont like is the sterndrive option, which is not a good idea on a flybridge boat, tough it will give better economics at the pump
look for 2x230 HP model and put a good HP bow thruster on the list even tough not included
marina manovring will be difficult, stern drive plus flybridge is never a good idea also for the seakindliness in bad stuff
 
No personal experience of the P34 only that we used to be moored near one in Ocean Village. I once watched the owner (who seemed quite an experienced helmsman) try to get into his berth on a particularly windy day and failing miserably every time because the wind just blew the bow off despite copious amounts of bowthruster. In the end he had to ask for assistance from the HM's dory
IMHO flybridges and sterndrives don't mix
 
Yes Mike im sure your right will no doubt be like an f33 I have driven was a handfull but theres plenty around and people seem to like them.

I have yet had no reply from owner via the link up system so its probably been sold, dnt know how long its been on the market, all I know its southcoast based judging by the photo its probably been a chartrer boat too, back to 360 I think though did look at henry f old phantom 42, no reply from him either?
 
I have had one for 3 seasons now and it is a very nice boat. Great use of space and it has high standard of finish with quality materials as in the larger Princesses. 50 pcs of the P34 were built between 1995 and 1997 and apparently it became too expensive to build and was dropped from production. Mine has KAD 42s and lightly loaded with higher pitch duoprops (B4) I reach 30 knots. However for normal cruising I use C3s for optimum all round performance. With these max speed is still 27 - 28 and comfortable cruising speed is 22 - 24. Having the engines in the far back makes the boat very silent but requires some trimming to get on plane quickly. After the first season I installed a pair of fixed 20mm high and * 50mm wide vertical interceptor blades (like a pair of fixed QL trim blades) at the transom to correct the somewhat bow up trim attitude of the hull. This greatly improved the handling of the boat. I was told that the boat had to be equipped with tunnels in the in the back of the hull to allow the engines to be installed higher up. Without the interceptors the outdrive legs needed to be negatively trimmed (-3) and even some tab was needed to reach optimum running angle also at planning speed. Next I will upgrade the bow thruster as the original one is under powered. Generally I find marina handling not an issue as long as one remembers that it is a stern drive boat that requires wheel input and sometime a push with the throttles. It is a heavy boat for its size and it has deep bow sections which help. This also gives the P34 good sea handling at speed.
 
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