Peterson 34

[Diarmuid]

While the Texas boats especially have a reputation for good construction, many of these boats were raced hard, hard, hard. Chainplate attachment has been an issue, & dropped rigs were not uncommon. Damn fine looking boat.

Hard to imagine chainplate attachment problems from my limited experience (my boat, of course mine was one of the later ones so maybe fixed). I heard the problem with rigs had to do with a lack of compression bars between the spreaders.

Ah -- maybe that was it. Didn't you need to totally overhaul your shroud plates, tho? Thought that was on your list of repairs to Greyhawk. And one PNW Peterson 34 (or was it a 37?) I saw for sale had lost its mast -- second time, someone said -- when the port side chainplate pulled right out thru the deck. Photos showed the damage where it exited along with text to the effect, "an easy repair for the capable do-it-yourselfer." :lol: (Memory is going; may be that exhaust leak in the car.)

 

[SloopJonB]

Likely not -- but I'm a shameless IOR whore. Those boats are like the last redhead in the bar: she'll hurt me, I'm sure to regret this later ... but we're leaving together anyhow. Some hormones will not listen to reason.

Sounds like we were separated at birth.

 

[Catamount]

Didn't you need to totally overhaul your shroud plates, tho? Thought that was on your list of repairs to Greyhawk. And one PNW Peterson 34 (or was it a 37?) I saw for sale had lost its mast -- second time, someone said -- when the port side chainplate pulled right out thru the deck. Photos showed the damage where it exited along with text to the effect, "an easy repair for the capable do-it-yourselfer." :lol: (Memory is going; may be that exhaust leak in the car.)

I did replace my chain plates, but not due to a problem in the way in which they attach to the boat -- that is pretty robust, at least on my boat (and the other Island Yacht one's that I've seen).

 

[Justified]

I own one of the last Peterson 34 built (1981).

The boat is solid and a blast to sail in 15kt+.

I have some soft spots on my deck due to old leaks from obsolete hardware. Keel is solid.

 

[Innocent Bystander]

Likely not -- but I'm a shameless IOR whore. Those boats are like the last redhead in the bar: she'll hurt me, I'm sure to regret this later ... but we're leaving together anyhow. Some hormones will not listen to reason.

Sounds like we were separated at birth.

Isn't that behavior in the DNA of any sailor old enough to have sailed early IOR?

 

[sledracr]

Likely not -- but I'm a shameless IOR whore. Those boats are like the last redhead in the bar: she'll hurt me, I'm sure to regret this later ... but we're leaving together anyhow. Some hormones will not listen to reason.

Sounds like we were separated at birth.

Isn't that behavior in the DNA of any sailor old enough to have sailed early IOR?

Yup.

Plus I have a thing for redheads. One particular redhead, to be precise...

 

[RI Grinder]

http://boats.smartcarguide.com/listing/17895624/

Slick old Peterson 3/4 tonner for sale... First owned by Jacky Mueller, then known as Spot. Jack alsso had another 3/4 tonner called Kingfish, I believe the same design.

 

[KeithMagnussen]

Peterson 34... Memories...

I sailed on Fred O'conners Peterson 34 "California Gold" which had a modified keel. Super fun back in the day and a weapon. We won PHRF Champs in like '94 with a great crew and the grinder was actually Doug Baker...

 

[hayesrigging]

I know a lot about these boats. My father owned Island Yachts/Composite Technologies here in the Galveston/Seabrook, Tx area. I was fairly young while the 34s were in production but I still know quite a bit about them. I currently have a Peterson 38 that is basically a 4' longer 34. It is for sale if anyone is interested and yes I have bought an ad and its currently listed here on SA!!

PM me any questions you have. They are great boats! I was in Chicago this past weekend and counted 3-4 right there in the mooring field in front of CYC. Good to see these old boats still around!!

 

[Diarmuid]

I know a lot about these boats. My father owned Island Yachts/Composite Technologies here in the Galveston/Seabrook, Tx area. I was fairly young while the 34s were in production but I still know quite a bit about them. I currently have a Peterson 38 that is basically a 4' longer 34. It is for sale if anyone is interested and yes I have bought an ad and its currently listed here on SA!!

PM me any questions you have. They are great boats! I was in Chicago this past weekend and counted 3-4 right there in the mooring field in front of CYC. Good to see these old boats still around!!

Hayes, maybe you can clarify the pedigree of the Peterson '3_' lineup. As I've understood it, Doug designed Ganbare as a 3/4 tonner, but it measured in at the IOR cup in Italy as a 1-tonner. Ganbare nearly won the class anyway. Then it went into production via various builders as the Peterson 34; but also 'stretched' versions up to the 37? Is that right, the P35 & 37 were basically the 34 with extended transoms? And you say your 38 is also of the same design?

Then Contessa made the 35 and 34 OOD; how related are they to the P34, & hence Ganbare? I'm uncertain which of these models are separate designs, and which are tweaks to the P34. Thanks for any info you have!

 

[view at the front]

I have always admired that boat, which unless mistaken, I have known as a Ganbare 35. My favorite was Sitka from Vancouver, BC which had a great record there.

I had a chance to race on one a couple of years ago in a local race in La Manzanilla, Mexico, on one that was cruising down the coast to Central/South America. I was not disappointed. We held our own against a few racer/cruisers from PV that were down for the weekend.

Where is Blue now?

 

[dolphinmaster]

Likely not -- but I'm a shameless IOR whore. Those boats are like the last redhead in the bar: she'll hurt me, I'm sure to regret this later ... but we're leaving together anyhow. Some hormones will not listen to reason.

Sounds like we were separated at birth.

Isn't that behavior in the DNA of any sailor old enough to have sailed early IOR?

accurate as acussed. Two beautiful children by the redhead, post iOR heyday, she is now in OR. still always comparing the 20-25 downwind in the gulfstream with 10', chute up surfing, hour after hour, during the SORC "80. etc.

 

[SloopJonB]

I know a lot about these boats. My father owned Island Yachts/Composite Technologies here in the Galveston/Seabrook, Tx area. I was fairly young while the 34s were in production but I still know quite a bit about them. I currently have a Peterson 38 that is basically a 4' longer 34. It is for sale if anyone is interested and yes I have bought an ad and its currently listed here on SA!!

PM me any questions you have. They are great boats! I was in Chicago this past weekend and counted 3-4 right there in the mooring field in front of CYC. Good to see these old boats still around!!

Hayes, maybe you can clarify the pedigree of the Peterson '3_' lineup. As I've understood it, Doug designed Ganbare as a 3/4 tonner, but it measured in at the IOR cup in Italy as a 1-tonner. Ganbare nearly won the class anyway. Then it went into production via various builders as the Peterson 34; but also 'stretched' versions up to the 37? Is that right, the P35 & 37 were basically the 34 with extended transoms? And you say your 38 is also of the same design?

Then Contessa made the 35 and 34 OOD; how related are they to the P34, & hence Ganbare? I'm uncertain which of these models are separate designs, and which are tweaks to the P34. Thanks for any info you have!

Ganbare was designed as a One Tonner - Peterson wanted to build a Two Tonner but the financing his grandmother provided only stretched to a stripped out One Tonner. I read an interview about his dealings with Eichenlaub getting the boat built (strip planked). When he saw the estimate he asked Carl Eichenlaub "Why so much?" Eichenlaub replied "Doors & Drawers son". The beginings of totally stripped out race boats ensued.

At the Worlds in Italy Ganbare came second to Ydra but was generally seen as the faster boat.

AFAIK Coopers here were the first to put the design into production - the Cooper Ganbare. The first boats had to be rebuilt in the bilge because they had attached the keels to the bare hull - no floors in way of the keel bolts. The keels wiggled around so much the boats had to be pulled. I saw a line of 1/2 dozen of them in the yard I was building my boat in at the time. Don Martin was Coopers Manager at the time. He left Cooper to set up on his own and took the Ganbare hull with him. He built a new "wedge" deck mould that was much better looking than the sort of cobbled together one on the first series. Later he did it again, shortening the cabintop, thinner keel, three spreader rig etc. He only made 3 or so of that Mk III version.

For someone who wasn't around in those days the boats can be confusing. The rule shaped the boats so much there was little variation in them - a 1/2 Ton, 3/4 Ton, 1 Ton and 2 Ton from a given designer would all have very much the same basic hull design, only getting progressively bigger. Each "new" design was really the last design tweaked slightly - for local conditions, to alter the rating slightly and so forth.

 

[12 metre]

I have always admired that boat, which unless mistaken, I have known as a Ganbare 35. My favorite was Sitka from Vancouver, BC which had a great record there.

I had a chance to race on one a couple of years ago in a local race in La Manzanilla, Mexico, on one that was cruising down the coast to Central/South America. I was not disappointed. We held our own against a few racer/cruisers from PV that were down for the weekend.

Where is Blue now?

Sitka is a Chaser 33 (Peterson 3/4 ton design of the same era). Indeed a nice looking boat. Teak decks. She is still around in fine shape at Heather Civic in Van, just a few boats away from mine.

I'll see if I can take a couple of photos next time I'm down at the marina.

 

[Chris 249]

I know a lot about these boats. My father owned Island Yachts/Composite Technologies here in the Galveston/Seabrook, Tx area. I was fairly young while the 34s were in production but I still know quite a bit about them. I currently have a Peterson 38 that is basically a 4' longer 34. It is for sale if anyone is interested and yes I have bought an ad and its currently listed here on SA!!

PM me any questions you have. They are great boats! I was in Chicago this past weekend and counted 3-4 right there in the mooring field in front of CYC. Good to see these old boats still around!!

Hayes, maybe you can clarify the pedigree of the Peterson '3_' lineup. As I've understood it, Doug designed Ganbare as a 3/4 tonner, but it measured in at the IOR cup in Italy as a 1-tonner. Ganbare nearly won the class anyway. Then it went into production via various builders as the Peterson 34; but also 'stretched' versions up to the 37? Is that right, the P35 & 37 were basically the 34 with extended transoms? And you say your 38 is also of the same design?

Then Contessa made the 35 and 34 OOD; how related are they to the P34, & hence Ganbare? I'm uncertain which of these models are separate designs, and which are tweaks to the P34. Thanks for any info you have!

All the info I can find in print (and there's a lot of it) says that Ganbare was designed as a one tonner, as noted. Ron Holland, who had done Transpac to Tahiti with Peterson on the 33' flush decker Spirit, was working along the same lines but since he didn't have Peterson's grandmother he ended up with a quarter tonner the same year.

The Contessa 35 by Jeremy Rogers Yachts was an enlarged Ganbare type; not just stretched but bigger all-round. The 34 OOD was a later wider-sterned one design, not to any rating rule.

All this is just from my collection of old mags with design studies, interviews and other stories, I was in short pants when Ganbare came out.

 

[Diarmuid]

Thanks much, Sloop & Chris. That clarifies all the little snippets of history I've found on this family of boats. (Love the Eichenlaub quote! Periodically, someone will ask me about refacing cabinets or "... just putting new doors and drawers on the existing cabinets." You have to explain new boxes take about a week; doors and drawers, five weeks. The big ol' empty shell is the cheap part. )

 

[Cruisin Loser]

Didn't you need to totally overhaul your shroud plates, tho? Thought that was on your list of repairs to Greyhawk. And one PNW Peterson 34 (or was it a 37?) I saw for sale had lost its mast -- second time, someone said -- when the port side chainplate pulled right out thru the deck. Photos showed the damage where it exited along with text to the effect, "an easy repair for the capable do-it-yourselfer." :lol: (Memory is going; may be that exhaust leak in the car.)

I did replace my chain plates, but not due to a problem in the way in which they attach to the boat -- that is pretty robust, at least on my boat (and the other Island Yacht one's that I've seen).

Hey Greyhawk,

Hope everything is well and the winches are still working for you. Didn't see in the 1-2 this year (Sparky did Marion-Bermuda again).

There was a Peterson 35 in southern New England, built by Metalmast Marine, named Not By Bread Alone, that was competitive for many years.

Cheers,

Rob

 

[Sol]

Cool- I am also a California Gold alum-along with Spuds-had a ball with that crew!

Peterson 34... Memories...

I sailed on Fred O'conners Peterson 34 "California Gold" which had a modified keel. Super fun back in the day and a weapon. We won PHRF Champs in like '94 with a great crew and the grinder was actually Doug Baker...

 

[sledracr]

California Gold was a tough boat to beat back in the day in SoCal. Remember seeing the transom more than the bow, from a variety of other boats.

Cool- I am also a California Gold alum-along with Spuds-had a ball with that crew!

Peterson 34... Memories...

I sailed on Fred O'conners Peterson 34 "California Gold" which had a modified keel. Super fun back in the day and a weapon. We won PHRF Champs in like '94 with a great crew and the grinder was actually Doug Baker...

 

[KeithMagnussen]

California Gold was a tough boat to beat back in the day in SoCal. Remember seeing the transom more than the bow, from a variety of other boats.

Cool- I am also a California Gold alum-along with Spuds-had a ball with that crew!

Peterson 34... Memories...

I sailed on Fred O'conners Peterson 34 "California Gold" which had a modified keel. Super fun back in the day and a weapon. We won PHRF Champs in like '94 with a great crew and the grinder was actually Doug Baker...

What boat were you on?