{"id":134195,"date":"2025-01-31T06:13:28","date_gmt":"2025-01-31T06:13:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/?post_type=review&p=134195"},"modified":"2026-04-28T08:40:45","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T07:40:45","slug":"fairline-targa-34-used-boat-test-consistently-gets-rave-reviews","status":"publish","type":"review","link":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/reviews\/aft-cabins\/fairline-targa-34-used-boat-test-consistently-gets-rave-reviews","title":{"rendered":"Fairline Targa 34 used boat test: Consistently gets rave reviews"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Targa 34 combines unrivalled speed with integrity in a truly spectacular feat of engineering and interior spatial planning… These are not our words but an extract from More Than Skin Deep<\/em>, Fairline\u2019s self-published book from 2002.<\/p>\n

While it\u2019s easy (and fun) to scoff at marketing puff, we have to admit that, in this case, it contains an element of truth. Every owner of one the 295 Targa 34s built between 1996 and 2006 we have spoken to raves about the performance and handling and the sheer practicality of accommodation that Fairline has managed to cram into a package that\u2019s just 34ft 6in long.<\/p>\n

One such owner is Southampton-based Martin Bridgewater: \u201cWhat attracted me to the Targa 34? The style and layout,\u201d he replies without hesitation. \u201cI\u2019ve always had sportsboats. I started with a Fletcher, then moved up to a Regal and saw the Targa 34 as the next step up. When I go away, nine times out of ten it\u2019s to the Isle of Wight, and while staying in a marina is fine with a smaller boat, you just don\u2019t have the luxuries. I never have more than two of us on board and when it\u2019s just me there\u2019s loads of room.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the early 2000s, the Targa 34 was the smallest of Fairline\u2019s Targa range, which at the time comprised the 40, 43 and 52 open-top models, as well as a 62 with a retractable hard top. But when equipped with twin 285hp\u00a0 Volvo Penta KAD300 engines, the Targa 34 was also the fastest, notching up speeds in the order of 40 knots.<\/p>\n

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A slightly awkward helm layout can be improved with a few DIY tweaks<\/p><\/div>\n

Other Volvo Penta units fitted to Targa 34s over the years include the test boat\u2019s 260hp KAD44s, which generated 36 knots; and the 200hp KAD41s, which were good for 35 knots. While it would be easy to draw comparisons with an open top sports car here, the grunt on offer from the T34 arguably makes the muscle car category a better call. And to continue the automotive comparisons, hauliers have an old adage that says trucks need 10hp per tonne, so a modern day 40-tonner will have an engine of around 400hp.<\/p>\n

But in the case of a T34 with KAD300s, you get a total of 570hp \u2013 a truck-and-a-half\u2019s worth of motive power in a vessel that weighs just 6.4 tonnes. That\u2019s why it feels so quick.<\/p>\n

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With its facing starboard seat, the lower tier of the cockpit feels brilliantly sociable<\/p><\/div>\n

Open boating cockpit<\/h2>\n

Potential purchasers would do well to note that the Targa 34, in common with the 40, 43 and 52, is essentially an open boat. That means that, apart from the vessel\u2019s canvas covers, there\u2019s precious little to stave off the British weather. That\u2019s not an issue on a balmy summer\u2019s day of course but if you\u2019re like me and you were trained never to put to sea with the front, rear and side covers up because of the visibility limitations of peering through wibbly-wobbly clear vinyl screens, it can make for a wet and chilly ride.<\/p>\n

But let\u2019s pretend for a moment that it\u2019s a joyously warm and sunny English summer\u2019s day and focus on the joys of open-top boating: \u201cTake the covers off and it\u2019s beautiful, isn\u2019t it?\u201d says Martin. \u201cThe boat looks fantastic, you\u2019ve got loads of sunlight coming in, which is great, and when you get going, it handles really well. It\u2019s great at speed and cruises superbly.<\/p>\n

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: The curved galley fits all the facilities you need into a modest footprint<\/p><\/div>\n

You never have to slow down too much because it\u2019s such a sensible and well designed boat. Where I do my boating, we get the Solent chop and the 34 cuts through that really well. But if the wind\u2019s coming from the wrong direction, it can be a bit annoying, as you\u2019re going to get wet!\u201d<\/p>\n

In a 2008 MBY article on the Targa 34, our writer commented on its \u201csexy open style\u201d and even today, the same holds true. With its sweeping curves and sleek design, the T34 cuts a lovely profile on the water. The cockpit stretches all the way from the transom to the helm and is divided \u2013 but not separated \u2013 into two parts by virtue of a single step ahead of the aft section.<\/p>\n

At the port quarter, a big three-sided seating unit wraps its way around a dining table that can be topped with an infill to create a sunbathing area. Opposite that, a single seat facing the table completes a super-sociable arrangement, capable of seating six or seven people with ease.<\/p>\n

From here, a central step leads forward to a second seating area, where the boat\u2019s starboard helm leads back to a cockpit fridge. And it\u2019s also worth noting that the Targa 34\u2019s engine room, located beneath a hydraulically operated hatch, contains a storage box capable of housing a deflated O2 Lite 265 dinghy along with its oars, seat and pump. On a boat of this size, the tender can be a thorny issue so being able to carry one out of sight is a major plus.<\/p>\n

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Fairline boats from this era enjoyed a superb calibre of build and finish<\/p><\/div>\n

That said, the helm area is the one place where you feel Fairline may have taken its eye off the ball. The standard position for the chart plotter is at the bottom left of the console, which places it rather low down and partially obscured by the wheel.<\/p>\n

You can solve this by adding a helm pod, which raises the plotter up towards the helm\u2019s eye line, without overly restricting forward visibility. But a second issue concerns the engine master switches, which are located in a recess below the bolstered helm seat.<\/p>\n

As the Targa 34 is most often driven from a standing position with the bolster up, these switches are exposed \u2013 and when you\u2019re in the rough, that can lead to the skipper\u2019s leg knocking the switches off and killing the engines. Again though, rectifying this is easy. A simple hinged cover does the trick so well, it\u2019s surprising Fairline didn\u2019t think of it themselves.<\/p>\n

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The timeless design will continue to look good well into the future<\/p><\/div>\n

Below decks<\/h2>\n

While the Targa 34 is actually quite compact compared to some of its more voluminous competitors, Fairline has made great use of every available inch. For instance, this is one of the few vessels in its class to offer an island double bed in the forward master cabin.<\/p>\n

Its offset mounting does result in slightly less length on the right-hand side, which means anyone above average height will find their toes hanging out, but if you bend your knees a touch, the problem goes away. Storage is somewhat limited too, with just a small single hanging wardrobe, but there are three lockers beneath the bed, which helps. And there\u2019s also a massive locker under the mattress, which is better set aside for bulky non-essential gear than to everyday essentials, as it\u2019s a bit of a faff getting to it.<\/p>\n

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The forward bed is on an angle to make better use of the space<\/p><\/div>\n

The aft cabin is home to two large, full-length single beds, one of which has a locker underneath, which is mercifully much easier to access. This cabin also has a larger wardrobe, a two-seater settee, a vanity unit with a sink and high and low-level storage lockers. But what this cabin lacks is headroom above the bed \u2013 so much so that, unlike the master cabin, it\u2019s not possible to sit up in bed to read the paper.<\/p>\n

Between the two cabins are the heads, galley and saloon. The heads is a wet room with toilet, basin and shower in a single space. There\u2019s a small locker beneath the basin and above the loo is a clever mirrored cabinet, which hinges through 90 degrees to reveal a sizeable medicine chest.<\/p>\n

The galley is also well planned, with a double burner hob, an oven or microwave\/oven\/grill, plus a sink and fridge and drawers for pots, pans and cutlery, all packed into a compact, curved space. And speaking of curves, the heads also has a lovely curved door which, like the other doors off the saloon, is deep-gloss varnished and equipped with premium quality handles. Fairline\u2019s finish in its boats of this era was truly superb and that\u2019s clearly evident down here.<\/p>\n

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The second cabin gets generous beds but limited headroom<\/p><\/div>\n

The dinette uses a table that drops down to provide an occasional third berth and the saloon also has no fewer than eight lockers, also with curved doors, which helps take up some of the slack for the bow cabin\u2019s lack of storage. Six of these form a continuous row above the sofa while two (one of which houses the boat\u2019s electrical panel) are above the galley. Once again, the finish is high gloss and once again, the sense of quality is unmistakable.<\/p>\n

With all of this on offer then, it\u2019s hardly surprising that Targa 34s continue to command a premium on the used market. And with a design that\u2019s often described as timeless, that looks set to continue well into the future.<\/p>\n

Fairline Targa 34 specifications<\/h2>\n

MODEL:<\/strong> Fairline Targa 34
\nDESIGNER:<\/strong> Bernard Olesinski
\nHULL TYPE:<\/strong> Deep-V planing
\nRCD:<\/strong> B8
\nLOA:<\/strong> 36ft 3in (11.04m)
\nBEAM:<\/strong> 11ft 4in (3.45m)
\nDRAFT:<\/strong> 3ft (0.91m)
\nDISPLACEMENT:<\/strong> 6,100 kg
\nFUEL CAPACITY:<\/strong> 592L
\nWATER CAPACITY:<\/strong> 232L
\nTOP SPEED:<\/strong> 40 knots
\nFUEL CONSUMPTION:<\/strong> 1.8l\/nm @ 20 knots
\nRANGE:<\/strong> 250 Nm @ 20 knots with 20% reserve<\/p>\n

Fairline Targa 34 running costs<\/h2>\n

Fuel:<\/strong> 1,179 litres (Estimated annual usage based on 25 hours at 25 knots and 25 hours at 6 knots)
\nBerthing:<\/strong> \u00a37,810.00 per year (based on \u00a3710 per m for a Hamble River marina downstream of Bursledon<\/p>\n

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Motor Boat & Yachting is the world’s leading magazine for Motoryacht enthusiasts. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams, as well as tests and news of all the latest motorboats.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Plus you’ll get our quarterly Custom Yachting supplement where we share the last on offer in the superyacht<\/a> world and at the luxury end of the market.<\/p>\n

Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers<\/a> and save at least 30% off the cover price.<\/em><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
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The Targa 34 combines unrivalled speed with integrity in a truly spectacular feat of engineering and interior spatial planning… These are not our words but an extract from More Than Skin Deep, Fairline\u2019s self-published book from 2002. While it\u2019s easy (and fun) to scoff at marketing puff, we have to admit that, in this case, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4149,"featured_media":134210,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","tags":[1620,1593,344],"review_manufacturer":[],"review_category":[48],"review_type":[],"review_award":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/134195"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/review"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4149"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=134195"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/134195\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":134211,"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/134195\/revisions\/134211"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/134210"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=134195"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=134195"},{"taxonomy":"review_manufacturer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review_manufacturer?post=134195"},{"taxonomy":"review_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review_category?post=134195"},{"taxonomy":"review_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review_type?post=134195"},{"taxonomy":"review_award","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mby.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review_award?post=134195"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}