Tiara 3500 Open for Sale, a Used Buyer's Guide

The case for a Tiara 3500 Open for sale in 2026

A Tiara 3500 Open for sale is one of the more sensible ways to put a well-built 35-foot express under you without paying new-boat money. Tiara, the Holland, Michigan builder that grew out of S2 Yachts, made its name with boats designed to handle short, steep Great Lakes seas, and the 3500 Open is a textbook example. It sits between the dedicated fishing boats and the pure cruisers in Tiara's range of the period: a deep-V express with a protected helm deck, a usable fishing cockpit and a cabin that sleeps a couple and two kids.

The boat is no longer built, and Tiara's own website listed it from at least 1999 into 2001, so every example is now roughly a quarter century old. That is not the problem it sounds like. Tiara's lamination, hardware and joinery have aged better than most production boats of the era, and the market for these boats is driven almost entirely by engines and maintenance, not by structural worries. Buy the engines and the owner's records, and the hull comes with them.

A Great Lakes hull with more bow flare

BoatTEST described the 3500 Open it tested as having a hull design with more bow flare, sloping sheer lines and an integrated pulpit, and praised its smooth, dry ride. The test took place in 20 knots of wind with three-foot rollers, which is real-world weather rather than a glassy showroom day, and the testers reported the boat showed no stress in those conditions.

The hull is a deep-V with conventional inboard shafts and rudders, the setup most experienced owners prefer on a boat that may spend time offshore. Beam is 13 feet 3 inches on a 35 foot 6 inch hull, which is generous for the length and explains the stable feel at rest and the roomy cockpit. Draft is about 3 feet 4 inches, shallow enough for most Chesapeake and Bahamas anchorages if you keep an eye on the running gear.

Hardtop helm deck and a cockpit that can fish

The bridge deck is the best feature for most owners. An integral hardtop shades the helm and an L-shaped lounge to port, and a wet bar with a sink and ice maker sits just aft of the helm seat. The windshield gives good sightlines and has a vent to move air on hot days. A hatch in the bridge deck sole gives a quick look into the engine room underway, which matters on a boat where most checks are done by the owner.

Aft, the cockpit has an aft bench with storage below, non-skid gunwales with flush rod holders, raw and fresh water washdowns, a wide transom door and an integrated dive ladder. It is not a tournament cockpit, but trolling for salmon on Lake Michigan or for stripers off Montauk is well within its brief. Owners who fish seriously often add outriggers and a small livewell, both of which the cockpit can accept.

• Integral hardtop over helm and companion lounge
• Bridge deck hatch for underway engine checks
• Flush rod holders and washdowns in the cockpit
• Transom door with integrated dive ladder

A cabin sized for weekends, not weeks

Below, the master berth is forward and set at an angle to gain leg room. The saloon settee converts to an upper single and a lower double, which is how the boat sleeps up to five. The galley runs along the opposite side with decent storage, and the head is full size with a vanity and a separate shower stall. Headroom is about 6 feet 6 inches.

This is a classic one-cabin express layout. It works beautifully for a couple and is fine for a family on weekends, but there is no private second stateroom. If you need one, the step to a Tiara 3600 or 3900 class boat, or a Sea Ray Sundancer with a mid-cabin, is the answer.

Crusader gas or Cummins diesel, the decision that sets the price

BoatTEST lists twin 385 hp Crusader 8.1L MPI gasoline inboards as standard power on the boat it tested, with twin 370 hp Cummins 370B diesels as the option. Older hulls in the fleet may carry different big-block gas engines or other mid-size diesels, so confirm exactly what is in the engine room and get the serial numbers into your survey.

For most buyers the diesel is worth the premium. The Cummins B-series is a simple, well-supported six-cylinder engine that will run thousands of hours with normal care, and it burns roughly 20 gph at a 22-knot cruise. Comparable gas boats typically burn far more at the same speed and the engines have a shorter working life. Gas makes sense only if you run fewer than 50 hours a year on a lake, where the lower purchase price will never be eaten by fuel bills.

Tested speeds and fuel burn with Cummins diesels

With twin Cummins 370B diesels, BoatTEST recorded a top speed of 31.3 knots at 3,000 rpm burning 35.1 gph, in rough conditions with two people and full fuel and water. Best cruise came at 2,250 rpm, 21.9 knots on 20.6 gph, for a range of about 345 nautical miles on the 360-gallon fuel capacity listed in the test, with a 10 percent reserve.

The curve is worth studying. Between 1,750 and 2,500 rpm the boat delivers almost the same efficiency, around 1 nautical mile per gallon, so you can pick a cruise speed between 14 and 25 knots to suit the sea state without paying much of a fuel penalty. Above 2,750 rpm efficiency drops off quickly. Owners who cruise at 2,250 to 2,400 rpm report long engine life and comfortable motion.

Running costs for an older diesel express

Expect $16,000 to $32,000 a year to keep a 3500 Open in good order, excluding depreciation. That covers a 40-foot slip (the overall length with pulpit and swim platform is about 40 feet 8 inches according to BoatTEST), insurance on a $65,000 to $140,000 boat, diesel service, bottom paint and winter storage in northern waters.

Older boats have predictable big-ticket items. Canvas and isinglass enclosures last seven to ten years, exhaust risers and aftercoolers on diesels need attention on a schedule, and air conditioning units from the original build are near the end of their life. Factor a $15,000 to $30,000 refresh budget into the first two years if the seller has not already done it.

Used prices and what moves them

In 2026 most 3500 Opens ask between about $65,000 and $140,000. The low end is a gas boat with high hours and original electronics. The high end is a late diesel boat with documented service, a newer enclosure and modern Garmin or Raymarine glass at the helm. Repowered boats are a special case: a professional diesel repower with receipts can justify a price at or above the top of the range.

Tiara resale is consistently stronger than mass-market brands, so do not expect a bargain on a good example. The value is in buying a boat whose hull and joinery will outlast the engines you install in it, rather than a cheaper brand that will need structural work.