Considering Pilot 34 Purchase

[Lollygag1]

Our side windows do not open which can make it warm. To counter we installed fans in forward corners of the cockpit. The previous owner had snap on shades made which drop the temp significantly when we are not cruising. Only takes a couple of min to put on take off. We also have a large sun awning. You do get better airflow when you remove the side glass aft. Our model came with the optional aft fridge which is nice but labors when its very hot. So we installed a large Yeti type cooler with seat cushion aft and use it for extra seating, table and foot rest, plus the ice holds for 5-6 days.

I do find with the hardtop anything above 13kts is quite loud. Good luck in your search

[Bacchus]

I'm not real familiar w the Pilots, especially underwater gear but most boats I've seen the difference in draft between single (with a larger tunnel) and twins ( with no or shallower tunnels) is small.
The additional protection of sand shoe sort of makes it a wash in regards to draft as I would leave more room for error w unprotected props.

[Maine Boater]

Ahhhhhh, I wish that I had the time to motor it up the East Coast myself, that would be an adventure....but unfortunately there is no way I could.
The hard back we looked at this weekend actually had a second A/C in the helm area which I think would be a super necessity with limited air flow (plus the windows were deep tinted).
I think only the newer models have the sliding windows on the sides which would be out of our budget.
Oh the dilemmas..... Might have to just close my eyes and throw a dart to choose! :-)
Thanks again everyone....all great insight.
Rob

[DavidM]

FWIW, the Pilot 34 is easy to ship by truck. We only had to remove the radar dome and spot light to ship ours from NC to Ct. Cost about $3,500 four years ago.

David

[Maine Boater]

DavidM, very good to know on the shipping....Thank you!

[Comodave]

If the hard door across the back was an add on, then it can probably be removed. You may have to patch some holes but it should be doable.

[Maine Boater]

Agreed on removing the hard back....that was one of the first things I mentioned. Especially when I asked the broker "how would the engines come out?" he said "most likely have to remove the back wall".......

[kwmeyer13]

Originally Posted by Maine Boater

Well after my wife stepped aboard a 34 Hard top this past weekend, she was SOLD! She was very apprehensive at first but once she saw the boat in person she has fallen right in love! Now, here's the biggie I need some help with.....we would have made an offer on the boat we looked at except it has a "hard back" with a door and she feels as though that really makes things feel cramped on the cockpit and not as open to the helm area....I agree, we both like the hard top, hard three sides with canvas back. That being said, I thought that I really wanted the single 370hp but after looking at this one with twins.....I have to say I'm torn. I have looked everywhere and cannot find any hard draft measurements with single vs. twins. It APPEARS to me that the twins with it's prop pockets has a much shallower draft than the single with the keel and sand shoe....is this actually the case? Can anyone weigh in on this debate. My thoughts are this, twins give maneuverability, redundancy, faster top end....BUT twice the maintenance cost, tighter quarters for maintenance in the engine room.

I'm open to hearing any and all comments on this one....we are getting very close to pulling the trigger on one of these boats!
Thank you, Rob

My 2004 has twins, I love them. It’s also has a bow thruster which does come in handy. I am 6’ (170lbs) I can maneuver around the twins well enough, biggest p.i.a. is changing the oil filter on the port engine which is on the outboard side.

We go offshore often and the twins do give piece of mind should one engine crap out.

I feel that the keel and prop pocket design provide more than enough protection while allowing for a more shallow draft. The Great South Bay on Long Island is also affectionately known as “the sand box” I have come across, well not across, more like into some uncharted sandbars and my props are in perfect condition.
Lots of tidbits here, just have to hunt around for them Yanmar Performance Data

SPECIFICATIONS

Length Overall: 36'1" 11.00 m
Length Less Pulpit & Platform: 34'0" 10.36 m
Beam: 12'3" 3.73 m
Draft (Single Engine): 3'3" 0.99 m
Draft (Twin Engines): 2'0" 0.61 m
Headroom: 6'4" 1.93 m
Clearance Height (Air Draft): 9'0" 2.74 m
Sleeping Capacity: 4
Displacement - Express: 15,000 lbs 6,810 kg
Displacement - Sedan: 16,000 lbs 7,264 kg
Fuel Capacity: 250 gal 946 l
Water Capacity: 70 gal 265 l
Holding Tank: 20 gal 76 l
Available Power - Diesel:
Single Yanmar 370 Diesel 370 HP 276 kW
Twin Yanmar 240 Diesels 240 HP 179 kW

[DavidM]

My experience with the single engine Pilot 34 is that the Mainship/Yanmar numbers published in that table are 10% high. This is also true for the single engine 34T which I owned a few years ago. Maybe the difference is lightly loaded vs normally loaded.

David

[Lollygag1]

With the enclosed back it will make it more of a challenge to entertain. However it will likely be warmer so it will extend your boating season. We decided on a single for lower cost maintenance. We do not go offshore often.

[Rhodewaves]

I have a 34 pilot with a hardtop and use it the way you want to. Our boat has twin 240’s and we love the boat. It does everything well and my wife feels very safe on her. We had a 30 before nice boat fit to small for a second couple

[timb7734]

I had a 2001 Pilot 34, I sea trialed both the single and the twin, chose the twin for shallower draft, operated the boat in south Florida. Twin Engine with hardtop, NextGen generator, hard windows, cockpit air as well as cabin, Isenglas partition in cockpit that could be rolled up.

Great little cruiser, good in anchorages. I found the single engine to be very loud underway, single had two speeds, 8 mph or 14, and it labored to get on semi plane at 14, threw a huge wake. Twins went just enough faster to cruise easily at 16 and were quieter with a lower wake IMO. Also had a bow thruster.

Galley is great for cooking light meals and breakfast, fridge is a bit small, and the wet head was tight. Our boat was a sea water head flush, but that can be dealt with through using a non permeated hose and draining it before leaving for a while. Ran a simple awning from the hard top to the transom to provide shade and that helped with the a/c in the cockpit. I think the boat would have been a little cramped without cockpit a/c in the Florida heat, but we also had a dark green hull.

[vtmackey]

I have a 2006 MS 34 Hard-top with dual 240s. My highest priority is if and when you get into heavy weather will it bring you back. If your a "Dock Potato" no problem for us that like to travel I can't recommend the 34 any higher if your not in the Sabre or Back Cove league.


In the last 1.5 years have traveled from Tortola to San Juan to Dominican, to Turks and Caicos, up the bahama chain to Florida, across Obachobie to Venice Florida the.n up to New England, now in the Cape Cod area.


I won't bore you with war stories but the MS 34 Pilot has been well tested. If your offshore away from Sea Tow the two engines are very comforting.


The big question is what are you really going to use the boat for?

[ewandeane]

We own a 2000 MS Pilot 34 with canvas top. Single engine Yanmar, with bow thruster.
Had it for just over a year.
I'm 6'2", I can get in the engine compartment, but its tight. A twin engine, not a chance. Change zincs, impeller, alternator belt? Don't know how you would do it, way too tight.
I really like tho open feel of the boat, I come from a sailing background so with the big windows and with the canvas open to the cockpit, feels way batter to me than feeling stuck inside regular trawler cabin.
Yes, the canvas can be a pain, but I've heard the hard tops can be louder while under way.
V berth is plenty wide at the aft section for the two of us and 40lb dog. We replaced all the original foam and higher density and egg crate on top to eliminate the feel of the cushion seems.Haven't slept on the interior settee yet, but the exterior settees, are really comfy. Again, new foam and sunbrella.
We really like the boat, great for socializing, or just the two of us.
The big downside on ours is the holding tank. PO replaced the original with a 10 gallon tank, way to small.

Good luck with your search.

[Lollygag1]

1 Gallon holding tank. Yikes. Who would downgrade

[NIKBRUSH]

I just purchased a 2007 Mainship Pilot 34 soft top. I really wanted a hard top they are stunning. My decision to buy a soft top was based on the following:

Hard tops have different windshield from the soft tops. Take a moisture meter to the deck in front of the 3 windshields and draw a conclusion.

Take a moisture meter to the hand holds on a hard top. Make sure they are fastened tight.

Look for delamination on the wings

Check out the liner on a hard top

We have screens /or strataglass inserts for the 2 sides and back.

On either a hard top or soft top check for delamination near windlass and 2 switches. Usually high moisture content.

Regarding 2 engines: air conditioning water pump way up front, potable water pump way up front, strainer for shower way up front, other stuff way up front (belts impeller etc). Bottom line for DIY single engine.

[JamieM]

I have a 2002 Pilot 34 with single 370 that is an amazing boat. I would have bought a sedan but the prices were higher and the bridge area didn’t seem to get a lot of fresh air. I ended up with a soft top but purchased a hardtop kit from Atlantic Towers. These custom hardtops look great and are well made. I have stratoglass side and rear panels. It’s the best of both worlds and I saved a substantial amount of money. Great set up for the weather here in Nova Scotia which is very similar to the weather in Maine.

Best of luck with your purchase.

[ewandeane]

Jamie, could you send a picture of you hard top? What you have done interests me.
Thanks, Ewan.

[JamieM]

Here’s a couple of photos of Pilot 34’s with the custom hardtop conversion. I’m installing mine this week so I’ll have photos soon.

[ewandeane]

Thanks for the pix.
I really like the radar tower and the added handholds it gives when going forward.
Dare I ask (roughly) the cost?