Islander 34

The Islander 34 (built by sailboat-manufacturer Catalina Yachts) began life in 1989 as the Pearson 34, a good-running deep-V design aimed at the family cruiser market. Catalina obtained the tooling to this model in 1993 when Pearson went out of business and introduced her as the Islander 34 with a revised interior favored by many for its utility and space utilization. With 6'4" of headroom and a light, airy salon the Islander’s two-stateroom floorplan is arranged with a mid-cabin berth tucked under the elevated dinette—an innovative and seldom-seen configuration capable of sleeping eight people. The forward stateroom has an island berth, and the head compartment is very spacious. On the downside, the galley is compact with little counter space. While not large, the Islander’s cockpit is big enough for a couple of light-tackle anglers. Additional features include a spacious engine room, a large flybridge with bench seating forward of the helm, bow pulpit, and a transom door. Twin 250hp Cummins diesels cruise the Islander at 18 knots (22–23 knots top), and 315hp Cummins cruise at 20 knots (mid 20s top).