Thoughts on Mariner 34
just about to buy 1 here in MD - pls tell me what your experience has been - good & bad.
It depends on what you're looking for I guess.
First off - this was our first big boat, and we looked at lots of boats (Nordic Tug, Lord Nelson, Camano, Ocean Alexander, Tollycraft, Island Gypsy.) We live in Seattle so a trawler is a good boat for up here. We bought our boat in 2010 and still have it. We were torn between it and a Camano, but chose it because it had a larger cockpit and it felt more solid and well-crafted.
We like it a lot. We haven't used it as much as we'd like due to scheduling, but it's very comfortable. We have a single cabin, and for the 2 of us it's fine. The only problem we've had that
wasn't self-inflicted (hitting submerged objects, for example) was the bow thruster gave out, but that was an easy fix. We have added a heater and stern thruster, updated the electrical / battery system and hope to replace the navigation system this winter.
I don't like the helm seat, as ours only seats one person. It would be more comfortable if we could sit together. I just bought a folding director chair and we set that up for trips. (Our dining table / seating is aft.) And even though the brightwork doesn't seem like much, it is - we don't under cover because of the mast and have to do brightwork annually. Thank God for Bristol Finish.
Because it's a little "obscure" (not a production boat) I had trouble with little things like replacement bulbs for the engine room, and had to use Taco tape (weatherstripping) when the rubber strips came off the windows. (I even asked waterfront guys / engineers in Seattle and they had no idea where I could get the same material.) Those are nits but were irritating at the time. The cockpit shower leaked which drove me nuts, again a nit.
The Cummins diesel is great and w/300 gallons of fuel capacity we fill up every other year - it's pretty fuel efficient. I will say that with the engine almost smack dab in the middle of the salon (underneath) it does get loud in the salon when underway, even with the insulation. We have a very thin rug on the floor and could probably do better to muffle the sound.
What's nice about this boat also is that it's not too beamy. I've had people asking if we'd sell for just that reason - packs a lot into a reasonable sized package.
There's plenty of storage in the salon, sleeping berth, lazarette and up on the flybridge. We haven't had to use the block and tackle but it's nice to have although I always bang my head on the boom.
Cleat location is not my favorite feature for convenience / accessibility to the lines from the dock side but I think overall they provide for more secure mooring.
Overall if you're not in a hurry to get somewhere, it's a great boat. It's comfortable and reliable, not fancy but solid and well-made. We get a lot of compliments on its appearance too - not necessarily important but being safe, comfortable, economical and pretty is a very nice thing!
Ours came from Annapolis by the way, they had it shipped out here b/c there's a bigger market for trawlers here apparently. But it's a great cruiser. If we ever replace it, we'd probably go for a Ranger Tug, because I love the thoughtful design, but who knows.