Noon Ocean/True North 34

[SomeGuyInaShirt]

In my ongoing search for a different boat I came across these and was wondering if anyone here had sailed one particularly offshore or in nasty weather. I'm especially interested in hearing how they handle big waves and heaving-to. How long are the berths and what's the standing room like? Any Achilles heel in the design? Is it a wet ride?

The nice waterline to overall length and lack of teak is a big plus to me.

[TrentePieds]

How could a design bearing as its name a line from Canada's national anthem not be a sound design :-)?

"Oh, Canada — with glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free..."

Print this out:

https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/true-north-34/

There you will find the answers to what you are asking about: Length of berths and standing headroom. Your navigator's dividers can pick up the measures, and the LWL is given in the data. The rest is simple proportioning. You will not be ready to go to sea till you do such simple things intuitively.

The vessel itself is like any Scowegian double-ender or knockoff thereof. Colin Archer is the great panjandrum of double-enders thanks to his redningsskøyta design. The redningsskøyta ("rescue vessel") was meant to GO to sea, and to KEEP the sea, in the worst of weathers off a particularly snarly coast, and heaving-to was an essential evolution while rescue work was in progress.

You can be absolutely sure that a redningsskøyta (read True North 34) can take far better care of you than you can of it when rude Boreas comes roaring down from Greenland and the Denmark Strait howling like a thousand demented banshees!

The real question is whether you have, or will have, the experience to handle the ocean. The ship is simple enuff. The Achilles heel in serious sailing is always the skipper :-)!

True North was designed by the Vancouver yacht designer Stan Huntingford, alas no longer with us. He was a legend in these waters in my youth and before cookie-cutter boats came to dominate the market. People with serious cruising ambitions went to Stan for their designs.

Do not be deceived by the SA/D of a mere 14. When the above-mentioned Boreas begins to play silly-buggers, that is MORE than enuff :-)!

Note that she is a cutter. Eschew roller furling headsails if you are serious. Keep her as a cutter with hank-on headsails, and Bob'll be yer uncle when it comes time to heave to. But YOU, the skipper, need to know the technique! Gotta have your reefing evolutions perfectly under control also!

Might add that the sternpost-hung rudder has to be an absolute boon for a long-distance sailor.

TrentePieds, FDP

[Mike OReilly]

I can't tell you anything personal about the True North 34. I know it has an excellent reputation as a good seaboat. But I've never been on one. I do, however, sail another of Stan Huntingford's designs: Rafiki-37.

If the True North is anything like my Rafiki, she's a boat designed for being out there, in almost all conditions. Well designed, well built. My boat loves the open water, but really sucks in tight marines. Explains why I almost always anchor out.

[SomeGuyInaShirt]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

I can't tell you anything personal about the True North 34. I know it has an excellent reputation as a good seaboat. But I've never been on one. I do, however, sail another of Stan Huntingford's designs: Rafiki-37.

If the True North is anything like my Rafiki, she's a boat designed for being out there, in almost all conditions. Well designed, well built. My boat loves the open water, but really sucks in tight marines. Explains why I almost always anchor out.

How's your boat in a gale or worse? Pretty dry? A Rafiki 37 is on my maybe list as well. How's the engine access? What's the heaviest weather you've been in it and how was the experience?

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by SomeGuyInaShirt

How's your boat in a gale or worse? Pretty dry? A Rafiki 37 is on my maybe list as well. How's the engine access? What's the heaviest weather you've been in it and how was the experience?

It's a dry ride for normal conditions, but I've had green seas come up and over the bow when we were (foolishly) beating into a full-force gale. That was pretty wet. Most of the time she rides easy through heavy seas. Doesn't like to heal deeply.



Engine access is tight. There are front and side hatches, and you can get to the top and back through the sail locker. Some things are easy, like oil changes, impeller, coolant system. Some areas are terrible, like stuffing box. My boat has a Perkins 4108 in it. The original engine was a Volvo. Not sure what most Rafikis have. I've never seen another one in person.


Have sailed in gale conditions. Nothing more. Strategy for boats like mine are to run with it, or to heave-to. She does this pretty easy, and sits pretty stable.

[SomeGuyInaShirt]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

It's a dry ride for normal conditions, but I've had green seas come up and over the bow when we were (foolishly) beating into a full-force gale. That was pretty wet. Most of the time she rides easy through heavy seas. Doesn't like to heal deeply.



Engine access is tight. There are front and side hatches, and you can get to the top and back through the sail locker. Some things are easy, like oil changes, impeller, coolant system. Some areas are terrible, like stuffing box. My boat has a Perkins 4108 in it. The original engine was a Volvo. Not sure what most Rafikis have. I've never seen another one in person.


Have sailed in gale conditions. Nothing more. Strategy for boats like mine are to run with it, or to heave-to. She does this pretty easy, and sits pretty stable.

Nice, thanks! Yes I suppose beating into a gale is going to be unpleasant no matter what you're sailing.