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Model profile · for Great Loop buyers
Silverton 34 Convertible
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.
Roomy, well-liked family flybridge cruiser; gas versions are thirsty with tight range, so which generation and engine you get changes the Loop math.
The Silverton 34 Convertible is a family-oriented, high-volume flybridge cruiser produced across several distinct generations, from the late-1970s carbureted V-drive boats through a 1989–95 Michael Peters modified-vee restyle to an all-new, roomier 2004–06 boat with a 13'10" beam. Most were fitted with gas inboards, which owners widely describe as underpowered and thirsty — the central Great Loop concern is fuel range on gas versions. Diesel-powered examples exist and are far more Loop-appropriate on range and economy. Confirm which generation and engine you are evaluating, because failure points and range differ materially between them.
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.
Generations
QUESTION
Which generation and hull is this, and does its history match the year?
The name spans very different boats: late-1970s/80s carbureted V-drive hulls, a 1989–95 Michael Peters modified-vee restyle, and an all-new 2004–06 boat with a 13'10" beam. Failure points, fuel capacity, and Loop range differ by generation, so the generation drives most of the assessment.
src:
Silverton Owners Club; HMY Yachts/BoatUS
Your move: Confirm the model year and hull generation from the HIN and match it against the failure points and range figures for that specific run before making an offer.
Range
CLAIM
Gas versions have tight range for some Loop legs
Fuel is about 286 gal on the modern boat and roughly 250 gal on some earlier hulls. A Silverton Owners Club test of the 2004–06 5.7L MPI recorded about 0.68 mpg at 3500 rpm; owner burn reports range from ~20 gph total (older carb engines, ~14 kt) to 25–30+ gph (newer Crusaders at higher cruise RPM). With a one-third reserve, practical gas range on some legs is tight, and the '1/3 out, 1/3 back, 1/3 reserve' rule was explicitly emphasized on a MarineEngine repower thread.
src:
Silverton Owners Club test; The Hull Truth; Bass Barn; Boatered; MarineEngine forum
Your move: Get a Flowscan or fuel-flow figure at your intended cruise RPM on sea trial and plan the longest fuel-dock gaps on your route around a one-third reserve.
CONTEXT
Diesel examples are far more Loop-appropriate on range
Soundings profiled a repowered 1989 34 with twin 220-hp Cummins burning about 8–9 gph versus ~20 gph for the gas engines. The 2004–06 boat was offered with diesels (e.g. a Yacht and Boat review of twin 315 hp Cummins cruising easily at 20 kt), and Silverton Owners Club notes choices ranged from Yanmar diesels to twin 425 hp gas Crusaders. A diesel 34 roughly doubles usable range and eases the tight legs.
src:
Soundings; Yacht and Boat review; Silverton Owners Club
Air draft
CLAIM
Published clearance figures likely exclude electronics
Brokerage and guide data show roughly 12'7" clearance on the 2004–06 boat and about 13'3" on the 1983–88 boat, but these figures are almost certainly to the hardtop/bridge and do not include radar, arch, antennas, or canvas. No Silverton 34-specific first-hand air-draft measurement with electronics installed could be found.
src:
HMY Yachts/BoatUS; YachtWorld; Springline/SecureYourDream listings
Your move: Measure your own boat's true highest point with all electronics and canvas up, and identify what can be lowered or removed for the lowest fixed bridges.
Handling
CONTEXT
Stairs to the flybridge help for frequent locking
Brokers describe access to the open bridge via stairs with stainless handrails from the cockpit, rather than a ladder. Loopers on Trawler Forum value stair access for the many locks on the route.
src:
Brokerage listings; Trawler Forum
Reading the boat
CONTEXT
Roomiest of the 34 Convertible series
The 2004–06 boat is the fifth 34-foot convertible Silverton produced and, with its 13'10" beam, the roomiest of the line. The broad beam favors interior volume and stable dockside living over efficiency, consistent with the high gas fuel burn.
src:
Silverton Owners Club; HMY Yachts/BoatUS
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.