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MC1
I am happy you are enjoying the website. I have seen many boats during our cruise, many of them damaged in one way or another by wind and sea, and I can tell you that you own one of the toughest, most capable and comfortable cruising boats there is.
There is little we would change to the original outfitting of the Swan. But please remember cruising styles are personal and you should outfit your boat according to your needs and wants.
In our case, we have some basic rules: keep it simple, keep it light, keep the decks and lifelines clear (no water or fuel jugs, weather cloths, etc.) and don't skimp on the quality of the gear.
Knowing what we know now, we would have started out with better sun protection at anchor, in the form of a canvas sun shade for the cockpit (we did this in Fiji).
We would also have added another solar panel or used a larger one for a total of about 150 watts, and we would have added another house battery.
We would also have completed the conversion from wheel to tiller that we originally planned but ran out of time for. Since we are spending the cyclone season in Figi, we are going to convert while we are here. Pacific Seacraft has been an excellent resource and has been very helpful providing parts and specs to us.
Other than the changes mentioned above, we have been very happy with the boat as is. It has served and protected us very well. You couldn't ask for a better seagoing vessel.
If you've got any specific questions regarding cruising and outfitting the 34, or need any clarification of the above, I'd be happy to respond. There may be a delay at times when we are between ports where there is WiFi.
Dave
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