Back Cove 34O Review, the Downeast Cruiser That Went Outboard

Why a Back Cove 34 for sale now usually means the 34O

Search for a Back Cove 34 for sale and you will find two very different boats. The older Back Cove 34 is a single diesel inboard in the mold of the 37. The 34O, with the letter O for outboard, pairs the deck mold and interior layout of the single-diesel Back Cove 32 with an all-new hull drawn for twin outboards, and it is the boat Back Cove has put its marketing weight behind. Hull No. 1 debuted at the Newport International Boat Show in September 2018. The builder's own literature is clear about the trade: cruising comfortably at 30 knots with top speeds over 40, from a boat that still looks like it belongs in a Maine harbor.

That is a big shift for a company whose reputation was built on single-diesel thrift. Back Cove began in 2003 as a sister brand to Sabre, and both build in Maine, with Back Cove's 240,000-square-foot infusion plant in Rockland. The decision to go outboard reflected what buyers were doing elsewhere. Owners wanted the speed, the shallow draft, the quiet and the easy maintenance of modern four-stroke outboards, and they no longer saw engines hung on the transom as a fishing-boat compromise. The 34O was Back Cove's way of keeping those customers in the family.

TRELIS, or how Back Cove keeps a heavy boat on plane

The hull uses Back Cove's patented Trailing Edge Lifting Surface, branded TRELIS. Outboard boats carry a lot of weight far aft, which tends to make them squat coming onto plane and run bow-high at low planing speeds. TRELIS is a shaped lifting surface at the aft edge of the running bottom that generates lift right where the engine weight sits, helping the boat plane at lower speed and run flatter.

The practical result is a boat that holds a comfortable plane in the high teens, which matters in fog or a short head chop when you do not want to run at 30 knots. Draft is only 2 feet 1 inch with the engines tilted down, and with them trimmed up the boat can creep into shallow coves and up rivers that would worry an inboard owner. On the Chesapeake, the Gulf Coast and Florida's west coast that draft opens up anchorages a diesel 34 cannot use.

• Draft 2 feet 1 inch, engines down
• Air draft 11 feet 9 inches with the mast
• No running gear below the hull to damage on a grounding
• Designed to ABYC, NMMA, USCG and CE Category B standards

V8 300 or V10 400, and why the bigger pair is worth it

Back Cove now offers twin Mercury V8 300 hp or twin Mercury V10 400 hp Verado outboards. The 400s are the ones to buy. They give the boat its 40-plus knot top end and let it hold a 30-knot cruise without running the engines hard, which helps both fuel burn and longevity. The V8 300 boats are still quick, but they cruise in the mid 20s and lose more performance when loaded with fuel, water and guests.

Early boats were different. At launch in 2018 the standard engines were twin Yamaha 300s, with Yamaha 350s or Suzuki 350s optional. On the standard Yamahas Power and Motoryacht saw 37 knots wide open and a comfortable 30-knot cruise, and Yachting recorded 37.5 knots. They are good engines with wide dealer support, but buyers should price them as the older generation they are. Whatever the package, insist on Mercury's joystick piloting. Twin outboards with joystick control turn a 39-foot boat into one a single person can dock in a crosswind, which is the whole point of a boat like this for many couples.

Fuel burn at a 30-knot cruise is far higher than on a single-diesel Back Cove. Exact numbers vary with load and engine generation, so a sea trial with the engines' own fuel flow readout is the only way to know a specific boat. As a planning figure, Yachting quoted an effective range of 214 nautical miles at 24 knots on the original 250-gallon tank of a Yamaha-powered boat.

A helm deck that converts for guests

The deck plan is classic Downeast with a modern twist. The hardtop is well forward, giving 360-degree visibility from the helm, and large opening windows let the breeze through on warm days. The mate's seat slides and converts into a U-shaped settee, so the same space works for a passage and for lunch at anchor. An on-deck galley keeps the cook with the party rather than below.

The cockpit is compact because the outboards take up the transom. A convertible transom seat flips to face aft or forward, and boarding is around the engines rather than over a full-width platform, which owners who swim a lot should check in person. For fishing, the engines make backing down on a fish easy but the cockpit is not set up for it. Under the one-level deck, where the 32 keeps its diesel, the 34O has a large compartment on an electric lift for bikes, paddleboards and gear.

The cabin, sized for a long weekend

Below is a single stateroom forward with a queen-sized island berth, a split head with a separate shower stall and smart storage throughout. A second couple can sleep aboard on the converted settee in a pinch, but this is a two-person cruiser. Interior joinery is in the Back Cove tradition, warm wood with clean panels, a clear step up from mass-market express boats.

The galley being on deck frees up the cabin for sleeping and storage, which is the right call on a boat this size. Fresh water is 60 gallons and holding is 36 gallons, and headroom in the cabin is 6 feet 7 inches according to Yachting,, enough for two people over three or four days with sensible use.

Two fuel tanks, a generator and the systems question

The 34O carries 242 gallons of gasoline for the outboards and a separate 25-gallon diesel tank for the generator. That arrangement surprises some buyers, but it lets owners run air conditioning overnight on a diesel generator rather than a gasoline unit, which is quieter, safer and more efficient. The downside is two fuel docks, or at least two nozzles, and remembering to keep the diesel tank topped up.

With outboards there is no engine room to service, no shaft seals, no raw water strainers for the mains and no exhaust elbows. Annual service is done from the dock or on a lift, and a Mercury dealer can handle it anywhere along the coast. That is a real cost saving against an inboard and a big part of the 34O's appeal to owners who keep the boat far from home.

What a season costs

Expect $24,000 to $45,000 a year to run a 34O, excluding depreciation. Fuel is the largest variable, because outboard owners tend to use the speed. Insurance is comparable to an inboard boat of the same value. A lift or dry-stack berth, where available, cuts bottom paint costs and keeps the hull and lower units cleaner, though at nearly 40 feet overall the boat needs a large lift.

Plan on routine outboard service every 100 hours or annually, water pump impellers every two to three seasons and lower unit oil each year. Repowering a pair of V10s in the future will be a five-figure job, but it is a dockside swap rather than a rebuild of an engine room.

How the 34O holds value

Back Cove resale has always been strong, and the 34O has so far followed the pattern. Demand for Downeast-styled outboard boats remains high, and the 34O is one of very few built by an established Maine yard. Boats with the V10 400s, joystick, generator and air conditioning sell fastest.

The catch is that outboard boats are judged on engine hours more harshly than diesels. A diesel 37 with 1,500 hours is mid-life. A 34O with 1,500 hours per engine is approaching repower territory, and the market prices that in. Buyers planning to keep the boat for a decade should budget for one set of new engines along the way.