Review of X-342
Basic specs.
Looking for a new boat? Find a X-342 or similar boat for sale
The hull is made of fibreglass. Generally, a hull made of fibreglass requires only a minimum of maintenance during the sailing season.
The interior is like many other boats made of mahogany. Mahogany belongs to the hardwood species, known for being water-repellent and resistant to decay. It has an attractive wood grain and holds wood polish and varnish well.
The boat is equipped with 3 cabins, 6 berths, a galley, 120.0 liter fresh water capacity and toilet facility.
The boat has more than one rig.
One option is a fractional rig. A fractional rig has smaller headsails which make tacking easier, which is an advantage for cruisers and racers, of course. The downside is that having the wind from behind often requires a genaker or a spinnaker for optimal speed.
Another option is a masthead rig. The advantage of a masthead rig is its simplicity and the fact that a given sail area - compared with a fractional rig - can be carried lower and thus with less heeling moment.
The X-342 has been built with different keels.
Fin keel
The X-342 is equipped with a fin keel. The fin keel is the most common keel and provides splendid manoeuvrability. The downside is that it has less directional stability than a long keel.
The keel is made of lead. Compared with iron, lead has the advantage of being 44% heavier, which allows a smaller keel and hence less water resistance and higher speed.
X-342 can only enter major marinas as the draft is about 1.90 - 2.00 meter (6.23 - 6.53 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.
Unknown keel type
The keel is also made of lead.
The boat can only enter major marinas as the draft is about 1.85 - 1.95 meter (6.07 - 6.37 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.
The boat is typically equipped with an inboard Volvo Penta 2002 diesel engine at 18.0 hp (13 kW), which gives a max speed about 5.3 knots.
The transmission is a shaft drive. A shaft drive will in the long run require less maintenance than other types of drive e.g. a sail drive.
The fuel tank which is made of stainless steel has a capacity of 60.0 liters (15 US gallons, 13 imperial gallons).
Sailing characteristics
This section covers widely used rules of thumb to describe the sailing characteristics. Please note that even though the calculations are correct, the interpretation of the results might not be valid for extreme boats.
What is Capsize Screening Formula (CSF)?
The capsize screening value for X-342 is 2.03, indicating that this boat would not be accepted to participate in ocean races.
What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?
The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 6.9 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.
The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level.
The immersion rate for X-342 is about 176 kg/cm, alternatively 987 lbs/inch.
Meaning: if you load 176 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm.
Alternatively, if you load 987 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.
Sailing statistics
This section is statistical comparison with similar boats of the same category. The basis of the following statistical computations is our unique database with more than 26,000 different boat types and 350,000 data points.
What is Motion Comfort Ratio (MCR)?
The Motion Comfort Ratio for X-342 is 21.2.
What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?
The l/b ratio for X-342 is 3.15.
The ballast ratio for X-342 is 46%.
What is Displacement Length Ratio?
The DL-ratio for X-342 is 220 which categorizes this boat among 'light crusers & offshore racers'.
What is SA/D (Sail Area Displacement ratio)?
The SA/D for X-342 with ISO 8666 reference sail is 18.3, with a 135% genua the SA/D is 21.8.
Maintenance
When buying anti-fouling bottom paint, it's nice to know how much to buy.
The surface of the wet bottom is about 31m2 (333 ft2).
Based on this, your favourite maritime shop can tell you the quantity you need.
Note: If you use a paint roller you will need more paint than if you use a paintbrush.
Dimensions of sail for masthead rig.
Are your sails worn out? You might find your next sail here: Sails for Sale
If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.
| Masthead rig | ||||
| Usage | Length | Diameter | ||
| Mainsail halyard | 29.8 m | (97.8 feet) | 10 mm | (3/8 inch) |
| Jib/genoa halyard | 29.8 m | (97.8 feet) | 10 mm | (3/8 inch) |
| Spinnaker halyard | 29.8 m | (97.8 feet) | 10 mm | (3/8 inch) |
| Jib sheet | 10.2 m | (33.6 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Genoa sheet | 10.2 m | (33.6 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Mainsheet | 25.6 m | (83.9 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Spinnaker sheet | 22.5 m | (73.8 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Cunningham | 3.8 m | (12.5 feet) | 10 mm | (3/8 inch) |
| Kickingstrap | 7.6 m | (25.0 feet) | 10 mm | (3/8 inch) |
| Clew-outhaul | 7.6 m | (25.0 feet) | 10 mm | (3/8 inch) |
| Fractional rig | ||||
| Usage | Length | Diameter | ||
| Mainsail halyard | 34.1 m | (112.0 feet) | 10 mm | (3/8 inch) |
| Jib/genoa halyard | 34.1 m | (112.0 feet) | 10 mm | (3/8 inch) |
| Spinnaker halyard | 34.1 m | (112.0 feet) | 10 mm | (3/8 inch) |
| Jib sheet | 10.2 m | (33.6 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Genoa sheet | 10.2 m | (33.6 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Mainsheet | 25.6 m | (83.9 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Spinnaker sheet | 22.5 m | (73.8 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Cunningham | 4.7 m | (15.4 feet) | 10 mm | (3/8 inch) |
| Kickingstrap | 9.4 m | (30.8 feet) | 10 mm | (3/8 inch) |
| Clew-outhaul | 9.4 m | (30.8 feet) | 10 mm | (3/8 inch) |
This section is reserved boat owner's modifications, improvements, etc. Here you might find (or contribute with) inspiration for your boat.
Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what you have done.
We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for X-342 it would be a great help.
If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us. Criticism helps us to improve.