I'm trying this post again. I hate to be a Snob Dog ! Sorry...
A generally positive review of the PDQ 34 appears in this month's
(March 07) Powerboat Reports. Features they liked included the
large amount of light, airy space, smooth ride and exceptional economy.
In their list of Pros & Cons, the pros were: ease of topside movement,
non-skid surfaces, all-around safety and hand railings, large windows,
bright interior, wide & deep stairs with hand rails, good dinghy davits,
and molded-in boarding stairs with rails - also top-notch workmanship.
Cons were: short wiper blades, bow rail flexes under load, spray rails
not very effective, windshield mullions too wide, poor tank access,
fly-bridge 30-in rail not tall enough and escape hatches in aft cabins too
small. On that final point, I can only assume the reviewer was larger
than me as I've gone in and out of those aft hatches on several occasions
with no problem. I have no doubt that in a real emergency I could easily
exit through one of these hatches. But I suppose we have to allow for the
fact that Americans are getting bigger every day!
One of the best features of the Powerboat Reports review is their inclusion
of performance data - the first I've seen for the 100-hp model. They show
a 3000 RPM cruise speed of 18 mph (15.6 kt) with fuel consumption of
6 gal/hr which yields a mileage of 3 mi/gal and a range (assuming 90%
fuel capacity) of 426 miles.
Although we've never recorded an average consumption above 4.6 gal/hr,
I believe steady running at 15+ knots probably does consume about
6 gal/hr. In fact, this is exactly the figure I posted on our web site last
summer. (Our performance page showing our figures to date can be seen
at: geocities.com/snodoglog/Performance.html )
Itbs good to see Powerboat Reports take on the PDQ 34 b and even better
to see such a positive review.
Henry Clews
PDQ 34 Snob Dog
www.geocities.com/snodoglog
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