Hi,

I currently own a Rivera houseboat and rebuilt it from the ground up.  Unfortunately it really isn’t as big as I like (bigger family now) and I am really interested in the Nautaline 34.  Mainly I think its because I like the look of them and my parent’s friend had one and we would visit them and have a lot of fun.

Anyway, I have done a lot of searching and am getting a feel for cost and the issues to look out for before I dive in, but some other questions I had I was hoping to get some guidance on.

1. If I find one that needs stringer/transom repair (and am okay doing this myself having already rebuilt one boat) how intense is this.  For someone moderately experienced how long would this take and does it necessarily require the boat to be out of the water (although I know it would make it substantially easier).
2. Some seem to have dual drives, others single.  Is this year specific?
3. The location of the con is center in some and to the starboard in others.  Is this year specific?  Does it have an impact on the forward lower berth size?
4. I have seen setups with the forward lower berth being two twin and some having one larger bed.  Different years?  Different models of the same year?
5. Some of the later 60’s models appear on pictures to not have the forward berth, while the later ones (early 70s) have it with a window out to the forward deck…

I guess a lot of these questions could be answered if there was a central repository of information on different model years, options, etc…but I can’t seem to find one if it exists.  If something like that is out there that I haven’t found I would really like the reference. 

From what I can tell there are a lot of very knowledgeable people on the forum about these boats.  Take pity on a newbe.

Thanks so much for the information.  I do not plan on pulling any skiers behind the boat, so I am sure the single engine version will be sufficient.

So it sounds like a 69 to about 73 (I think when they stopped making the 34&rsquo would be the years to look at from what I gather.  A 43’ would be nice, but I am slip spot/cost limited on that end.  And, I am not looking for a liveabord or anything. 

Other than taking a knife/ice pick to the transom and stringers to check for condition any other words of advice when evaluating one?  It sounds like if they stopped using fiber glassed plywood for the decking/roof in this time soft spots shouldn’t be as bad?

Also, as I understand it, Gibson made that hull and it was in a number of other boats about that time including Gibson boats.  Are there other brands in that timeframe (cost) in the 34’ length with the same layout to look at?  Pros/cons of Nautaline vs the others?