Fairline Targa 34 Used Buying Guide and Specs

The Fairline Targa 34 is the muscle car of 1990s sports cruisers

Fairline launched the Fairline Targa 34 in January 1997 alongside the Phantom 38, and showed it on the water for the first time at that autumn's boat shows. MBY counts 295 built between 1996 and 2006, which makes it one of the longest-running small Targas. In the early 2000s it was the smallest model in a range of 40, 43 and 52 open Targas plus the hardtop Targa 62.

It was also the fastest. With twin 285 hp Volvo Penta KAD300 diesels a Targa 34 runs at about 40 knots, and MBY's tester compared it to a muscle car: 570 hp in a boat that weighs about 6.4 tonnes. Even the more common KAD44s gave 36 knots on test.

Owners rave about it. That is why, two decades after the last one left Oundle, used Targa 34s still sell faster and for more money than most rivals of the same age.

Five Volvo engine choices, and which to buy

Fairline's 2001 spec sheet recommended 400 to 560 hp in total and listed five Volvo Penta packages, all on Duoprop sterndrives. The company's own performance estimates were 30 to 33 knots with twin AD41 200 hp diesels, 32 to 34 knots with KAD43 230s, 37 to 39 knots with KAD44 260s, and 34 to 40 knots with twin 5.7-liter gasoline V8s of 250 or 280 hp. The KAD300 arrived later and became the top option.

MBY's real-world figures are a little lower for the mid-range engines: 35 knots for KAD41s and 36 knots for the test boat's KAD44s. For a US buyer the KAD44 is the sensible middle, with plenty of performance and broad parts support; the KAD300 is the enthusiast's pick. Gasoline boats exist but are rare and much thirstier.

All the KAD engines use a mechanical supercharger as well as a turbo, so get the compressor clutch and belt checked and ask when the drives were last resealed.

• AD41 200 hp: 30 to 33 knots (Fairline estimate), 35 knots (MBY)
• KAD43 230 hp: 32 to 34 knots (Fairline estimate)
• KAD44 260 hp: 37 to 39 knots (Fairline), 36 knots on MBY test
• KAD300 285 hp: about 40 knots
• Volvo 5.7 gasoline V8 250 or 280 hp: 34 to 40 knots (Fairline estimate)

An open boat, so think about the weather

The Targa 34 is essentially an open boat. Apart from a two-part hood on a stainless frame, there is nothing to keep the rain off, so in northern waters it can be a wet and chilly ride with the covers down. In Florida, the Gulf or the Bahamas that is less of a concern, and on a sunny day the open layout is the whole point.

The cockpit runs from transom to helm in two levels separated by a single step. Aft, a three-sided seat wraps a table that converts into a sunbed of 6 feet 9 inches by 4 feet, with a facing single seat that makes the area sociable for six or seven. Forward, the starboard helm faces a cockpit fridge and bar.

Under a hydraulically raised hatch, the engine room includes a storage box big enough for a deflated O2 Lite 265 dinghy with its oars and pump, which solves the tender problem on a boat this size.

Two helm quirks every owner fixes

MBY identified the helm as the one area where Fairline lost focus. The standard chartplotter position is low on the left of the console and partly hidden by the wheel. Most owners add a helm pod that lifts the screen toward eye level without blocking the view forward.

The second issue is the engine master switches, which sit in a recess below the bolstered helm seat. Because the boat is usually driven standing with the bolster up, a skipper's leg can knock the switches in rough water and stop the engines. A simple hinged cover cures it; check whether your boat has one, and fit one if not.

An island double on a 34-footer

Few boats of this size offer an island double in the forward cabin, but the Targa 34 does, set at an angle to use the space. It is a little short on the right-hand side for tall sleepers, and storage is limited to a single hanging locker plus lockers under the bed. An escape hatch opens to the foredeck.

The aft cabin has twin berths of 6 feet 8 inches by 2 feet 3 inches, a wardrobe, a two-seat settee and a vanity, but headroom over the beds is too low to sit up and read. Between the cabins are a wet-room head with toilet, basin and shower, a curved galley with a two-burner hob, oven and 65-liter fridge, and a dinette whose table drops to make an occasional third double. Saloon headroom is 6 feet 6 inches.

Joinery was American cherry or honey maple, and the curved, deep-gloss varnished doors are a highlight. MBY called the finish of this era truly superb.

Fuel, range and yearly costs

MBY measured 1.8 liters per nautical mile at 20 knots, about 9.5 US gallons per hour, and quoted a range of 250 nautical miles at that speed with a 20 percent reserve from the 156-gallon tank. Push to 30-plus knots and consumption climbs sharply, as with any sterndrive diesel cruiser.

MBY's UK running-cost model assumed 25 hours a year at 25 knots and 25 hours at 6 knots, totaling about 1,179 liters, or roughly 310 US gallons, of diesel. In the US, budget around $12,000 to $24,000 a year for a 36-foot slip, insurance, two engine and drive services, bellows, antifouling and canvas care.

Make sure it is the 1997 boat

YachtBuyer classifies the 1997 to 2006 boat as the second-generation Targa 34, and at least one listing shows a 1991 Targa 34 with a 3.48-meter beam and a single cabin, closer to the old Targa 33. If the build year is before 1996, the hull is not the boat described here; check the hull identification number and compare the beam with Fairline's 3.45 meters.

The successor in the range was the Targa 38, launched in 2006, and the Targa 40 of 2000 was the step up for buyers who needed a garage and more space.