The islander 32, 33 and 34 are all basically the same. The 33 and 34 have oh about 6-8 inches added each to the boat's hull, but the basic hull form, lines and performance is the same across the group.
They are sturdy being solid glass hulls. In the case of my 34 the deck is solid too. They are not fast by today's standard and the
cabin is cozy (read small) compared to newer vessels.
The
rudder located close to the center of motion, tends to make the boat twitchy er that is responsive. On the plus side it can turn around very smartly. The wide full bow tends to keep the
cockpit a bit dryer when going to
weather.
The barn door
rudder makes backing exciting if your new to it. Though it no longer worries me. On the plus side the cutaway
full keel and aperture prop means groundings and running over lines are less of a problem
They are a bit
tender at first but seem on rails with a 15-20 degree heel. Easy too sail and reef. With
sails balanced they track and hold the line with little input at the
helm.
The low freeboard at the stern is of some concern, though it makes
docking singlehanded easier. Though the 32's
cockpit is smaller then the 34's ( which is too larger in my mind). More cockpit drains will be your friend there. The standard two will not be enough. Mine has four. Its not a perfect design for sure. more state of the art circa 1950
Can the boat cross oceans, yes, but tankage may not be up to par. I would have no worries about heading to the crib, or across the pond in a well found Islander 32 to 34. BTW I love my 34.