# Duncanson 34?



## wet247 (Feb 11, 2009)

G'day all,
I'm looking to buy a Duncanson 34/35 and I would like a little feedback on my choice. Much of the intended cruising will be in the Coral Sea and Asia South Pacific region, winds about 15 to 35 knots if all goes according to plan... I'm not much of a fan of latitudes greater than about 40!
Short handed (1guy 1girl) sailing will be the primary sailing style though capacity for another couple in relative comfort is desireable.
Most of my work is with power vessels (I'm a skipper and engineer for vessels up to 25 metres) and am currently working on a 20m vessel doing week trips 110nm into the coral sea and also inner Great Barrier Reef. I have only 2400nm of delivery sailing so an easy sailing vessel is required for further learning.
Budget? Within 80,000 aussie pesos, I mean dollars, for the boat and a haul out for a look and poke around with a surveyor.I've looked in the review section here and come up empty, though other reviews have been favourable and the owners I've spoken with like their Duncansons A LOT.
Any thoughts??


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

Ok then lets start at the beginning and see where we end up.

Have you ever been onboard one ?

I am a great fan of Duncansons. The 35 has been in my favourite boat category for years. Four years back when I started looking for a new boat after some years without one I came across a Duncanson 37 aft cockpit for sale. From the advert I asolutely fell in love with the thing.

Then we went and had a look at her. Strange interior layout. The head is open to the forward cabin and is very small indeed if you are thinking of having a shower, while one of the berths actually required crawling across the galley bench top to get into it. I thought both issues might have been fixable but the other half was having none of it. While I have never seen another Dunc with the odd berth arrangement those I have seen (34's, 35's and 37AC's) have all had that bad head arrangement. I have been told that not all of the 35's had this arrangement but I cannot be sure about this.

Under 40', most cruisers would probably go for the 35 or possibly the 37. The 34 was more of a cruiser racer than the others. There is also btw a 34' 1/4 tonner that is much more racer than cruiser.

The 35 is a lovely looking boat no doubt. Some had a weird offset propshaft that makes manoeuvering under power interesting to say the least but plenty of them were a more standard arrangement. I've heard reports of leaks that were very difficult to fix where chainplates pass through the decks. A lot of the 34's were saildrive which is no bad thing really. For cruising you could maybe do with a bit more tankage though this is moreso with the race inclined models.

Build quality is supposedly excellent. Some hulls experienced bubbling but I'd reckon they'd have all been fixed years ago now. Interior joinery was generally OK, through hulls etc were of an exceptable quality, engines mainly Volvo I believe, rigs were good and strong. Plenty of Duncs have done the Syd-Hob which tends to speak for itself.

Draft is acceptable for cruising. From memory the 34 drew just under two metres, the 35 about the same. Basic configuration was not dissimilar to the S & S 34. Moderate fin, skeg hung rudder. For their day they were good boats uphill but unless you are going to employ a huge number one or an assy they offer only moderate performance off the wind when compared with more modern designs.

In short for a young couple they are a fine boat. You could also look at S&S 34. We ended up with a Van de Stadt 34 which is also a nice boat. East Coast 31 is anothe likely candidate.

Good Luck in your search.



wet247 said:


> G'day all,
> I'm looking to buy a Duncanson 34/35 and I would like a little feedback on my choice. Much of the intended cruising will be in the Coral Sea and Asia South Pacific region, winds about 15 to 35 knots if all goes according to plan... I'm not much of a fan of latitudes greater than about 40!
> Short handed (1guy 1girl) sailing will be the primary sailing style though capacity for another couple in relative comfort is desireable.
> Most of my work is with power vessels (I'm a skipper and engineer for vessels up to 25 metres) and am currently working on a 20m vessel doing week trips 110nm into the coral sea and also inner Great Barrier Reef. I have only 2400nm of delivery sailing so an easy sailing vessel is required for further learning.
> ...


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## wet247 (Feb 11, 2009)

Thanks for the great reply TDW,
I've been aboard one though only for a rum and a sticky beak rather than seeing how she performed. I had similar thoughts about the head arrangement to yourself as I am 6'2"- perhaps dismissing them as me being spoiled by having most of my sea time on stink boats with good appointments. I'll have a bit of a look at your other suggestions, thanks. Being up in the tropics, I don't always get to see a lot of yachts "in the flesh"
Thanks again.
Troy


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Hi Troy
We own a Duncanson 35 and like her a lot. We sail on Moreton Bay and fix her in Manly. She is extremely well balanced and very safe and predictable and considering her age and conservative hull shape... well, she is not slow.

The heads are small, but on the upside the forepeak has decent length. The quarter berths are tight, the cockpit is small, there are no cockpit lockers and working on the engine requires flexibility. But, she is a classic sail boat with magnificent lines and the most beautiful movement. She is not a high volume yacht and a bit more modest in room below deck than modern vessels. 

If you are seriously considering buying a 35 I would be happy to give you some pointers, what to look out for, based on what we learnt after we bought ours. It might help you negotiate a better price.


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## Cyacht (Sep 15, 2009)

*Duncanson 37*

Hi, this is an old thread, I know but I am considering the purchase of a Duncanson 37 and want to get some opinions from Duncanson owners. Primary usage would be live aboard for 3 to 4 months of the year and coastal cruising east coast Australia for the moment. Any good points, bad points I should look for. I dont seem to be able to google up much info on these yachts , so any input would be appreciated.
Regards, Cy.


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## tdw (Oct 2, 2006)

Cyacht said:


> Hi, this is an old thread, I know but I am considering the purchase of a Duncanson 37 and want to get some opinions from Duncanson owners. Primary usage would be live aboard for 3 to 4 months of the year and coastal cruising east coast Australia for the moment. Any good points, bad points I should look for. I dont seem to be able to google up much info on these yachts , so any input would be appreciated.
> Regards, Cy.


Ok so I'm not an owner but from looking at them the centre cockpit is probably more suitable than the aft. I say that even though I am no great fan of centre cockpits.

There aren't many aft cockpits around so I'm guessing you are looking at a centre.

The older Duncs were pretty good boats, as I said in previous post the 35s and 37s the pick of the litter for cruising.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Duncanson 37*

Hi Cy
I can only tell you of my one experience with our 35 footer, but I imagine it will translate to the Duncanson 37. I have also been frustrated with the lack of information on the Duncanson as there are a few of them out there. It is my understanding that some of the Duncansons were finished off in various yards. Therefore there is some variation between the coachhouses and how some of the technical issues weres solved. This includes whether the mast was stepped on keel or deck and whether the prop drive was centred in front of the rudder or actually exited next to and behind the rudder.

Our boat, supposedly built in 1973 had a teak deck overlay that was worn away and small screws through the teak penetrated the fibreglass deck and were leaking. Further, all the mastic around/under every fitting was gone. The only way to fix this properly is to remove everything on deck including the toe rail which is fixed onto the teak decking and is a structural member of the hull- deck joint. This is a fairly serious bit of work.

So have a good look at the deck and if it has been fibreglassed over already, how was it done. Was the toe rail removed or was the teak cut off flush with the rail?

From slow gradual leaking through the deck, we had extensive delamination to the plywood bulkheads and have re-glassed them all. The damage was restricted to the areas directly under the deck. The lower half of the boat was strong and solid, typical of the time.

The chain plates are glassed onto the inside of the hull and they are glassed so that the fibreglass droops down and allows any water to run through. This can look a bit strange when first encountered but makes perfectly good sense.

The hulls of the duncansons are extremely well finished, that is the outside only. On the inside the coarse glass roving were just left unfinished without any surfacing tissue. However, the effort the builders saved on the inside they put on the outside (where it counts). The hull is perfectly shaped with not even the slightest bump or abnormality. To the eye, the hull looks perfectly true.

Obviously I think they are great boats and I rather fix a beautiful classic like a Duncanson then something with less integrity.
qflez


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## Crossroads (Aug 12, 2016)

Hi,
We have a Dunc 34 in Manly and would like to meet other family members.


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## Crossroads (Aug 12, 2016)

Hi,
Do you still have the Dunc 35 in Manly?
We have a Dunc 34 in Manly and would welcome meeting other family members.
Regards
Anthony


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## Osca1600 (Aug 29, 2016)

Hi guys, I am new to this forum, although knew about this forum from previous research into boats. Basically, I have been looking into and learning all I can for the past 1-2 years. 

I am thinking about checking out a Duncanson 35 that is for sale locally here in Hobart. The boat is a '76 model, and according to the advert was sailed over from SA some years ago. Basically, having looked at the boat in the marina, but not yet inside, it seems to be in reasonable condition, though some basic TLC wouldn't go astray, polishing the hull, cleaning the deck, and re-varnishing the wood fittings etc. According to the advert, however, it has been well maintained and upgraded but of course in truth this really needs to be established. The price is reduced down to $45K, but as it has been for sale for a while now and the owners have upgraded to a newer bigger boat, I would imagine there is likely some further room for negotiation. 

As someone relatively new to sailing, and it would be my first boat, I wish to be a little cautious before proceeding to making an offer/and a marine survey. Learning about any issues with boats I am interested in be it a Dunc or something similar seems wise to me. I do mostly like the look of the Dunc, especially the hull shape which appeals, but on the other hand the interior does tend to look a little dated, the open head into the V berth is not so great, and the quarter berths do seem awkward, let alone exactly where the chart table, coms, electrics etc are located. On the positive it does have a 3 burner stove and proper fridge (rather than an ice box), new upholstery, has been re-wired and has reasonable coms/instrumentation etc. Supposedly the sail wardrobe is in overall good condition. 

In looking through the specs for this boat overall it seems pretty reasonable, aside the anchor which is an older design and is certainly something I would want to replace with a better holding type pretty much ASAP. I do like the idea that all the sheets etc lead back to the cockpit and that the dodger and bimini would offer reasonable protection from the elements. 

I think next off will be an internal inspection and yes checking out the bilge will be a part of this process. The hull, skeg, prop arrangement, and rigging, engine/transmission etc would be a part of the survey inspection of course. 

The main issue down here in Tassie is the lack of suitable 34-36 ft sloops for sale, and/or especially within my budget. Hence, even if this boat is not exactly what I am looking for, if it meets most requirements, then perhaps it could be a reasonable first boat.


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## zenith (Oct 2, 2016)

I have a Duncanson 34 and have owned her for the past 4 years. She is a great vessel and would highly recommend her to anyone thinking of purchasing one. Smaller in the cockpit and cabin than the newer floating eskys but a solid and comfortable sailing vessel.. Happy to give further advice and info if required.


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## Osca1600 (Aug 29, 2016)

Thanks for the positive feedback on the Duncs. As I mentioned locally there is an older ('76) but tidy 35 for sale here, now reduced to $42K ono, but as well I have seen on Yachthub a Dunc 34 for around $35K ono. It looks tidy, though I don't know which build year or any of its specifications. The question however, to consider is which actually might make a better cruising boat. I have read quite a bit about each model. I am sure both would be fine for shorthanded sailing, for coastal cruising as well as some longer passages eg across Bass Straight etc. The entry price of the 34, being some $7K cheaper makes it interesting albeit one would need to get it down from its current location in Cairns. (quite a long sail back to Hobart !). 

But then again there are some other alternatives to consider in a similar vein including a 1980 Sparkman and Stephens 34 for $29K (reduced from its original asking price of $60K) and a Carter 33 also for $29K. Both of these boats being in Sydney. In truth there are probably a number of other similar types of boats within this price range also out there for sale.

So what to do. The one thing I do know is that while the 'plastic' modern boats look lovely inside and have more spacious cockpits etc. In truth I can't afford a $70K plus boat, nor at this point in time in view of my limited sailing experience do I want one, and from what I have read and been told by others there are some concerns over the longevity and sailing characteristics of such lighter types of boats. 

If I am to buy a boat, I simply wish to get the best one I can for the limited funds I have and to enjoy learning to sail with it. Until I get my own boat, therefore I will continue to sail on other people's boats, learn and ask questions.


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## honkidori (Jul 1, 2020)

Crossroads said:


> Hi,
> We have a Dunc 34 in Manly and would like to meet other family members.


We have a Duncanson 37 ketch , located at Yamba NSW


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## Hevene (Jan 25, 2021)

I found a Duncanson 35 for sale and we are considering it could be a good first boat. We want to sail it around Queensland and eventually off the the South Pacific Islands and maybe even South East Asia.

Duncanson 35 Yachthub

It seems to have the offset propeller shaft. How big of an issue is this? Should I avoid it and look for a center propeller shaft?

Also, is the Duncanson 35 a solid hull fibreglass boat or cored? I am worried about delamination. We only have a modest budget of AUD40k, really hoping to get the best boat for what we can afford.

Would this boat be ocean capable? We hope we can buy one boat and keep it for many years, so it needs to be suitable for our future plans.


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