# New Dufour 34



## tommyt (Sep 21, 2002)

I spent some time on the new 40 at Sail Chicago and have become enamored with the new Dufour 34. I have not sailed one or even been on one as yet.
Anyone out there that has had the opportunity to look closely at this new model that would like to share your thoughts?
As there are usually many opinions out there I would also like input on Dufour and the quality and design of these new models.

Thanks,


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## GordMay (Dec 19, 2002)

See their site:
http://www.dufouryachtscanada.com/dufour_factory_tour.html

Notable deficiencies:
Hull-Deck joint is screwed - not bolted
Hull is Cored & Vacuum Bagged
Hull Liners are Bonded In

Gord


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Check out the October issue of Yachting World, they had a review of the Dufour 34.

Goog Luck


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## paulk (Jun 2, 2000)

Would tend to thnk vacuum bagging is an asset, rather than a deficiency, and would certainly want the pans & support grids moulded to the hull - what good would they be if they weren''t? Hinckley builds their boats that way too. Using screws instead of bolts would be an absolute no-go for me. I''d want to check, however, whether they''re sheet metal screws simply holding the fiberglass pieces of the hull and deck together temporarily (because if tthat''s what they are, then it will only be temporarily) ,or whether they are machine screws that are threaded through a plate that has been moulded into the hull along the rail. The latter procedure is followed by some builders, since it enables them to provide the security of bolts (with even better spreading of loads, due to the continuous plate in the hull) at a lower cost. (You only need one guy to install them, instead of having a second guy inside the boat holding the nut.) It can look like they''re simply screws, however, so it would be worthwhile to check. I suspect they might be screws in this case. Dufour''s interior cabinetry has not impressed me with its strenght or solidity, though they may have improved since I last looked. too.


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## Sailor-man (May 11, 2003)

Check out the review on the new D34 in the October edition of Pacific Yachts

It''s available online here:

http://sailingsource.com/dufour/readingroom/pacif_ycht_d34.php


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## kmeeks (Dec 9, 2002)

I was recently aboard a 34 while at the Long Beach Boat Show.

I liked it better than the comparable Hunter, Catalina, and Beneteaus that were being displayed. 

It seemed to be of better quality construction - and had a good layout.


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## GordMay (Dec 19, 2002)

Paulk is correct, of course - I meant to say "observations", not deficiencies.
They have a detail dwg, showing a "Screwed" hull-deck joint.
The Deck is bedded /w Sikaflex then Screwed to hull flange. Then Toe-rail is then screwed thru'' both, covering first screw. Like Paulk I view this as a major deficiency, and a tell-tale of overall design/build quality. Quality is always an issue, but MUCH more so with a "Cored" hull. Failing persuasive evidence otherwise,I''d pass.
Regards,
Gord


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## turbo87 (Sep 7, 2002)

Check out the Dehler 34. Narrower beam and more expensive but better built and more of a "sailors" boat. You get more "stuff" with the Dufour.
Priority Sail in the Chicago area sells Dehlers. Here is the web site and let me know how you made out. As you guessed, I am a Dehler 34 owner. 

http://www.prioritysail.com/sailboats/new/dehler/34/index.html


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## magnusmurphy (Jul 7, 2000)

This hull-deck issue is really confusing. I noticed that (if I understand it correctly) the Aerodyne yachts (considered quality yachts) don''t have any screws or bolts through the joint - its "bonded" only with modern material.

The Dufour has Sikaflex for this, with an integrated glassed in wood liner and then two layers of screws as mentioned above.

Are bolts really always better? How many boats have bolts that have worked themself loose, thereby not actually giving any structural support? Screws could be better as far as that is concerned.

It is likely that this whole issue is blown out of proportion. Isn''t it more likely that something else will fail completely in bad wheather (like the crew), before the hull-deck joint fails on almost all boats, no matter how it was put together?

MM


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## Sailor-man (May 11, 2003)

Dufour''s construction methods are on a par with other high-end production builders. Both the Classic series and the new 34, 40 and 44 meet Bureau Veritas Standard One and CE Category A, both standards for unrestricted off-shore cruisers ... The hull comes with a 10 year guarantee vs. 5 years for Hunter, Beneteau and Catalina.


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## Sailor-man (May 11, 2003)

If anyone else has seen or sailed the new D34 or D40 .. pls post your opinions as these boats are getting good reviews.


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## paulk (Jun 2, 2000)

Hull-deck joint bolts, on top of a solidly bonded layup, may be somewhat of a belt and suspenders approach. Many hulls are layed up in port & starboard sections which are bonded together along the stem/keel and stern without any mechanical fastenings at all along that join. No one seems to look askance at them! IMHO, however, that bolts would be better than screws if there are going to be mechanical fastenings. If a screw loosens, or strips the threads in its glass matrix, it has no holding power whatever. If the bolt loosens, it''s still holding things together until the nut actually falls off - not likely with the corrosion, paint, and crud that I''ve seen on many through-deck bolts on many boats, including mine. 
The problem with having any mechanical fastenings is that they require holes which then admit water. The water gets in and starts to destroy the boat with delamination, osmosis, corrosion, rot, and everything else. This is why teak decks are now getting glued down by some yards , (epoxy is fantastic stuff) instead of screwed down: fewer holes to admit water. A hull/deck joint may not rip apart spectacularly in a gust of wind, but may cause sleepless nights from drips onto wet bunks and from repair bills, made in efforts to stop or head off more major, but less obvious problems. Using screws implies taking a shortcut that raises questions about what other sortcuts may have been taken. THAT is the problem, not the fact that the boat is rated Bureau Veritas Standard One and CE cat. A. If the quesions raised by using screws are answered to your satisfacttion, fine, you''ve found a good boat for yourself. I f the questions aren''t well-answered, that''s fine too - you''ve avoided a problem. Either way, happy sailing!


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