The 34ft. multi-chine design's options and small design changes I have in mind

There are several possible configurations given with the plans in this 34ft. multi-chine design.

The first choice is the draft - the keel. Options included with the plans are: 1.8m, 1.55m and 1.3m with a center-board and even a bilge keel. In general the deeper the keel the better she sails, but the narrower and shorter the keel root. The implication of a short keel root, is higher grounding stresses when you run into the hard stuff. A short-deep fin keel also makes drying out next to a sea wall that much more precarious. I had initially decided on the on the 1.55m draft, as it is a rugged option, still sails very well compared to the 1.8m version, and does not have the added complexity and maintenance of a center-board. However, when it came to lofting out the plates and I saw the dimensions of this keel, I thought for about 30 minutes and then abruptly changed my mind. To me it just didn't look quite right. Nice one! So to cut a long story short I lofted the deep keel on the same plate and cut it out so she will have a 1.8m draft after all. There is enough deep blue out there.
The rudder options include a skeg hung rudder, a balanced spade rudder, and a double rudder configuration if you choose a center-board or bilge keel. Details for two tiller options or wheel steering are included. I chose a balanced spade rudder and tiller because the I know the feel is so good and it is what I prefer. Also the rudder stock is huge and most importantly it is simple, mechanically, compared to other the possibilities.
Transom. Two reverse transom options are drawn. One is just a well curved transom, the other a 'sugar-scoop' . I chose neither as you will see later.
A fractional rig and masthead rig are drawn (a cutter rig may be possible if the fore hatch is not in the way - but is not in the plans). I chose the fractional sail-plan because I like the small easy to manage jibs, important if you use hanked on head-sails and not roller furling, as I plan to. Also I just plain prefer the aesthetics.
Material options in the plans are steel or aluminum multi-chine (or wood core & glass-epoxy round bilge - with the other plans).

Having made up my mind about these basic choices, I had some small design changes in mind to the boat as drawn. They are mostly things that I am leaving out.

In the bow I left out the self draining anchor well and its attendant cover (though the bracing is there), as the anchor chain will be fed down a hawse pipe under the Simpson Lawrence 555 manual windlass, and lead to a chain box back from the bow and as low as possible.
I have found cockpit-seat lockers less than useful in my experience, so I am not putting the one shown in the plans in (just about everyone disagrees with me about this one). I see cockpit seats as a liability and much too easy to clutter the locker to the point of no hope. Instead, I built the cockpit seats symmetrically (though there is a Lewmar escape hatch in one). Also I had hoped to get a nice radius bend put in the front edge of the cockpit seats, but this proved too expensive. The other option was to use a 1/4 section of schedule 80 rudder tube to provide a comfortable edge to the seat. I didn't do that either in the end as the welded edge, as designed was quite comfortable.
I really like the aesthetics and practicality of an almost flat reverse transom, one that lends itself to bolting on a servo-pendulum self-steering vane. Personally, I favor the less agricultural Sailomat & Windpilot types, leaning toward the latter. You can get an idea of what I'm after from the photo below

This is a round bilge 40 ft. (photo courtesy of the 'Van de Stadt Designs' booklet). It illustrates the shape of transom I want. Note the 'dog-house', an option also on the 34 footer.

I don't favor scoop transoms for boarding as they become dangerous in even small seas. The problem is that you use a scoop transom, if you have one, and boarding there then becomes a habit, even when it is rough. I got my foot trapped once, in a moment of inattention, between the underside of the transom, and an inflatable dinghy's tube that I was standing on. The stern lifted slightly in an 18" swell, the dinghy slipped underneath, and then the stern settled on my foot. To say that it hurt a little, doesn't begin to describe the pain. The right place to board a sailboat is amidships or just aft of that point, end of story! That is how I will set up my boat.
I mostly hate working on diesel engines, so I am leaving mine out. Perhaps in the fullness of time I will change my mind and add one - I have made allowance for this eventuality. In the mean time I have added some useful battery capacity as ballast in its place. Quite a number of voyagers go without engines. I will try this too. I plan to make a long sweep to move the boat along in dead calm (this is wishful thinking in all probability). A four stroke 5-9.9HP outboard on the transom is another possibility. Another is a small petrol powered sail drive (yes, I did say petrol (okay gas to you Americans). If you have any doubts about petrol engines in a sailboat, then read Annie Hill's book)
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