“Dawn Treader” is a 1983 O’Day 34. She was a one-owner boat when we purchased her in December of 2005. Overall length is 34 feet, and beam (the widest point of the boat) is 11 feet 3 inches. “Dawn Treader” has a shoal draft keel, which means we can go into shallower water than a boat with a full keel. We need at least 4 feet 3 inches of water to safely navigate, and more is definitely better. The top of our mast is just under 48 feet above the waterline. The boat has 4,650 pounds of ballast in the keel to keep her upright, and overall displaces 11,500 pounds.

Inside, at the front of the boat is the foreward cabin for two, with a v-berth and some good sized drawers for storage. Just aft of the v-berth is the head on the port side – including a full sized toilet, sink and shower.


To the starboard side is a hanging locker. Continuing aft there is the main salon area, with a drop leaf table in the middle, and a settee on each side. The port settee converts to a double berth and the starboard settee a single. Next on the starboard side is another hanging locker and the nav station, and to port is the galley, with double stainless steel sink, two burner stove and oven, and two ice boxes.


On the starboard side aft, there is a quarterberth, which will accommodate one large adult or two small kids.

On board, we carry 50 gallons of fresh water in two tanks, 15 gallons in the holding tank (which means we need to use a lot more of that fresh water for washing and cleaning than for drinking!) and 30 gallons of fuel for the 24 hp Universal Diesel engine. For the delivery from Detroit to Milwaukee, we will carry several extra gallons of diesel fuel in jerry jugs. Hot water capacity is 6 gallons, heated electrically or by the engine when it is running. We also have two 5 pound propane tanks in sealed lockers in the cockpit.