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Silverton 34 Aft Cabin Motor Yacht

1993–1996 · built by Silverton Marine

The Silverton 34 Aft Cabin Motor Yacht was built as an affordable production motor yacht for coastal cruising and marina-based liveaboard use, prioritizing interior volume and a separate aft stateroom over speed or sea-keeping. Its modified-V planing hull and twin gasoline V8s targeted couples and families wanting creature comforts at a moderate price point. It has a reputation as a comfortable, fuel-thirsty coastal cruiser rather than an offshore passage-maker.

This is a general read on the Silverton 34 Aft Cabin Motor Yacht class — informed background, not a verdict on any individual boat. Condition, refit history, and how a particular hull was sailed and stored matter far more than class reputation. Use it to know what to look for; for a read on a specific listing, run a free FairKeel report on that boat.

At a glance

Hull form: Other
Rudder: Twin Spade
Hull construction: Fiberglass
Production: 1993–1996
Built in: USA

What the Silverton 34 Aft Cabin Motor Yacht is known for

Aft cabin layout gives a genuinely separate owner's stateroom with private head, unusual roominess for a 34-foot production boat of this era.
Modified-V planing hull with twin gas V8s delivers reasonable cruise speeds for coastal hopping, plus easy docking maneuverability from twin screws.
Widely-serviceable gasoline engines mean parts and mechanics are generally easier to find than for less common diesel setups of the same era.
Large cockpit and, on flybridge-equipped models, generous topside space suit entertaining and marina-based liveaboard life.

Known trade-offs

Twin gasoline V8s are fuel-hungry and carry the gasoline-in-a-bilge explosion risk that diesel avoids, requiring diligent blower use and bilge-vapor discipline.
Original exhaust manifolds and risers on raw-water-cooled gas engines are a wear item with roughly a 5-7 year service life; neglected risers are a leading cause of engine failure on boats this age.
Cored deck and cabin-top sections are prone to water intrusion and core rot at hardware penetrations as these hulls pass 30-plus years old.
Gelcoat from this era is prone to blistering and print-through after decades of water exposure, cosmetic more than structural but costly to address properly.
Built to a price as a production motor yacht; wiring, plumbing, canvas and enclosure systems typically need a full refresh by this age.

Age-related quirks to expect

Original raw-water-cooled gas V8 exhaust manifolds and risers reaching end of service life (typical 5-7 year lifespan, often neglected far past that) severity: High affects: 1993-1996 (all)

Original fuel tanks (often aluminum) corroding from condensation and electrolysis against the bilge severity: High affects: 1993-1996 (all)

Gelcoat blistering/oxidation typical of late-1980s/early-1990s layup and barrier-coat practice severity: Medium affects: 1993-1994

Cored deck and cabin-top delamination at stanchion bases, windshield frames and hardware penetrations severity: Medium affects: 1993-1996 (all)

Original canvas, isinglass enclosures and upholstery long past useful life severity: Low affects: 1993-1996 (all)

Generator (where fitted) reaching major-overhaul or replacement age severity: Medium affects: 1993-1996 (all)

Systems to check before you buy

Engines and drivetrain (twin gas V8s, shafts, struts, cutless bearings) priority: motor, coastal, liveaboard

Run compression/leak-down tests on both engines, check hour meters against logs, and inspect shaft alignment and cutless bearing wear. A repower or major overhaul is the single largest cost exposure on this class.

Exhaust manifolds, risers and raw-water cooling circuit priority: motor, coastal

Raw-water-cooled gas engines corrode manifolds and risers from the inside out. Have them pressure-tested or pulled for inspection rather than judged on external appearance alone.

Fuel tanks and fuel system priority: motor, liveaboard, coastal

Check tank age, material and any history of corrosion, pinholes or prior replacement. Aluminum tanks sitting in a wet bilge are a known failure point, and a gasoline leak is a fire and explosion hazard.

Decks, cabin top and hull-deck joint for coring/moisture priority: liveaboard, coastal

Moisture-meter the cored deck and cabin top around hardware, windshield frame and stanchion bases. Soft spots indicate core rot that is expensive to remediate properly.

Generator, canvas/enclosure and house electrical priority: liveaboard, coastal

Confirm generator run-hours and service history, inspect enclosure/isinglass condition, and check shore power and battery charging systems for age-appropriate updates. These are high-visibility comfort systems that are expensive to defer.

How it fits your plans

Motor: Purpose-built as a motor yacht: twin gas V8s and a planing hull give easy handling and real cruising speed for a non-sailor, at the cost of gasoline fuel burn and higher running costs than a comparable diesel trawler.
Liveaboard: The separate aft stateroom and private head make it one of the more livable 34-footers of its era for a couple at the dock or on short hops, though systems this age need a full liveaboard-grade refresh.
Coastal: Well suited to coastal and ICW-style cruising in protected to moderate conditions. The planing hull and twin screws are not built for sustained offshore sea states.

This guide is the class. A report is that hull. Paste the listing you're looking at and FairKeel grades every claim in it against what's known about the Silverton 34 Aft Cabin Motor Yacht — where the evidence is thin, the red flags worth a second look, the costs likely to land in your first season, and whether the boat suits the plans you describe in a few short questions.

It won't read the photos or put a number on the boat — that's the $249 Deep-Dive, and for the real answer, a surveyor. It will tell you when a Deep-Dive isn't worth buying. Free, no account, usually a minute or two.

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