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Model profile · for Great Loop buyers
Beneteau Swift Trawler 34
What the published record establishes about this model, what owners report,
and the questions worth asking while a boat is still a listing. This page is about the
MODEL — a specific hull always gets its own homework.
A capable, easily-driven single-diesel semi-displacement trawler well-suited to the Loop, with a reliable Cummins QSB and a fold-down mast that clears the tight bridges.
The Beneteau Swift Trawler 34 is a single-screw semi-displacement trawler powered by a Cummins QSB 425 HP diesel, with a low folded air draft that makes it a genuinely good Loop candidate. Owner reports (YBW, Trawler Forum) point to a generally reliable engine with a few known patterns worth checking: raw-water pump on a single-engine boat, lift-pump/low-fuel-pressure shutdowns, and injector items on the earlier 5.9. Real-world range is strong at displacement speeds and drops sharply on plane. Most findings come from owner forums and boat tests, so verify everything on the specific hull and confirm which engine is fitted.
How to read this: 🟢 Fact = confirmed against a document, spec sheet,
or owner. Everything else — Claim, Pattern, Question, Context — is not yet
verified: things to check, not settled truth. Sources are linked where published.
Air draft & bridge clearance
CLAIM
Fold-down mast gives a low air draft well-suited to the Loop
The radar mast folds down to bring air draft to roughly 11-12 ft, which is what makes this boat an oft-cited good fit for the Loop's tightest fixed bridges. BoatTEST's Loop analysis names the Swift 34 as an ideal type and size largely because of this. With the mast up the boat is much taller, so the mast must actually be lowered for the low-clearance sections.
src:
YachtWorld listing; BoatTEST; Soundings
QUESTION
Can the radar mast be folded single-handed, quickly and repeatedly?
A prospective ST34 buyer on Trawler Forum found the mast had to be collapsed to clear a ~16'5" bridge and asked for a simple manual way to do it single-handed every time leaving the marina — the thread produced no easy answer. On the Loop you may lower and raise the mast frequently, so the practicality of the folding mechanism matters day to day.
src:
Trawler Forum
Your move: At viewing, actually fold and raise the mast yourself and time it; check for a lowering line, tabernacle pins, and whether wiring/antennas obstruct it, and note whether it needs two people.
CONTEXT
Measure the real air draft in cruising trim
Owners warn that manufacturer air-draft figures often omit extras — mast, antennas, radar dome, anchor light, VHF whip — so the true height can exceed the brochure number. Load and trim also change it. Measure the actual boat rather than trusting the spec sheet.
src:
Trawler Forum
Your move: Measure air draft to the highest fixed point using the tennis-ball-on-a-string method in realistic loaded trim, and list every item that can be removed or lowered.
Range & fuel
CONTEXT
Strong range at displacement speed, poor on plane
This semi-displacement hull is efficient when driven slowly and thirsty when pushed. Tests report roughly 1.9 gph at ~6.7 kts (1200 rpm) and ~1.3 gph near 7 kts, versus ~12-13 gph at 15 kts and ~17-18 gph wide open near 20 kts. Cruise at trawler speeds for meaningful Loop range; expect range to collapse to a couple hundred miles on plane.
src:
BoatTEST; Sea Magazine; Power & Motoryacht; Trawler Forum
QUESTION
What is the actual fuel capacity on this hull?
Sources cite differing capacities (commonly ~176 imp gal / ~800 L, but other figures appear), and published range estimates span roughly 200-500+ NM depending on speed and reserve assumptions. Capacity drives your usable range between fuel stops on the Loop.
src:
Power & Motoryacht; MBY; Trawler Forum
Your move: Confirm tank capacity from the owner's manual or a dip/gauge check on the actual boat, and compute your own range at a 7-8 kt cruise with a 10-20% reserve.
Handling
CONTEXT
Single screw — plan for close-quarters handling and get-home options
As a single-engine boat, close-quarters maneuvering relies on a bow thruster (commonly fitted) and there is no second engine for redundancy. This is a general single-screw trade-off versus twins, not a defect: docking is manageable with the thruster, but a mechanical failure leaves you needing a tow.
Your move: Confirm the bow thruster works and check for a stern thruster; consider carrying spares for the known raw-water-pump/fuel-system items given the lack of a second engine.
Engines
The engines research — factory options, tested performance,
and the engine-specific questions our members' dossiers carry — is part of the
full profile inside the product. It travels with every dossier and survey brief
built on this model.