Tiara 3500 Open Used Boat Review

The Tiara 3500 Express, larger sistership to the highly successful Tiara 3100 Open, is a big boat for the LOA and, with a 13'9" beam, there's a lot of volume that Tiara uses for creature comforts. The optional four foot swim platform provides easy access to the cockpit (as well as stowage for watercraft or inflatable) through twin gated passages to port and starboard but, before you get to the cockpit, take a look at the Tiara "trunk". The center section of the transom hinges upward hydraulically to provide a 95 cu. ft. walk-in garage that will easily hold everything from the outboard to chairs to bicycles, not to mention the usual necessities such as fenders and spare anchor.

The cockpit is the heart of an express cruiser, and the 3500 has plenty of usable living space. A lounge stretches across the transom (it's too comfortable to call a bench seat!) and our test boat had the optional fold-away aft facing seat that can be used with a removable table for alfresco dining.

The helm is on the same level, with enough companion seating for four people plus the skipper, who has an individually adjustable seat. The dash has a full array of VDO Vanguard gauges, as well as acres of room for flush electronics installations. Charts are protected under a plexiglass lid next to the dash, and SeaStar hydraulic steering is standard. Tiara built their own windshields and these are oversized and rigid, with three wipers and even windshield washers. The aluminum radar arch was standard, as is the canvas top and complete enclosure.

Wide side decks lead forward, and there's a sunpad on the cabinhouse, complete with drink holders, rails, and stowage pockets. The entire foredeck is surrounded by a husky welded stainless-steel rail, and the bow plank has an anchor roller with chain locker.

If the cockpit is the heart of the 3500 Express, then the cabin is certainly the soul. Step below and you're in a spacious and airy saloon that is equally at home for entertaining friends or spending weekends aboard. A sumptuously upholstered L-shaped settee (don't waste money on the optional leather--the vinyl is stunning!) to starboard has a removable coffee table, but it's perfect for lounging. At night, a filler cushion and privacy enclosure turn this area into a private cabin for guests or kids with a queen-sized berth.

To port is an all-fiberglass enclosed head with VacuFlush head, shower, and vanity with ample storage. Just forward is a dinette that seats five (an innovative pedestal seat is removable) and also converts to a double berth. The galley is opposite, with microwave, two-burner electric cooktop, refrigerator/freezer, and lots of storage. Another thoughtful touch: when your foot lands on the top companionway step, a night-time cabin lighting system turns on so you don't have to grope for switches.

Forward is a private stateroom with queen-sized berth (big storage bins are underneath with air-lift lids), and there is even a hidden sink tucked under the vanity. The standard interior finish is teak, or you can opt for a whitewashed ash finish. By the way, the cabin is completely sealed off from both the anchor locker and the engine compartment, so there are never any fumes or odors.

Power for our test boat was a pair of Caterpillar 3208 DITA diesels of 435 HP each. Normal access to the engines is through a mid-cockpit hatch but, at the touch of a switch, the entire deck including the helm seating, tilts forward on hydraulic lifts to expose the engine compartment. Our boat had the optional 6kw Onan generator in sound shield, which also fits neatly in the engine room and exhausts through the main engine system. Access to all the systems is superb, and your surveyor will be pleased to see that all of the hoses have double-clamps and all wiring and plumbing is neatly secured.

Speaking of construction, the 3500 has an 18° transom deadrise. Hull sides and deck are balsa-cored for strength, and the hull is further supported by a stringer system of fir plywood encapsulated in fiberglass. After the hull is molded, it is placed in a post-production mold that provides total support until the hull is fully cured. In addition to assuring an absolutely flawless hull, this system eliminates the "hard spots" from bulkheads or stringers found on boats that aren't supported during the finishing process.

From a performance standpoint, the 3500 Express is a boat that just loves to run. We were lucky enough to test the boat in less than ideal conditions, since the true measure of a boat is never found on glassy seas. Off Newport Beach, the steep chop was the confused remains of a winter storm, overlaid on big swells running down the Catalina Channel, but Helsing took delight in shoving the throttles forward to the stops. The 3500 comes onto plane without needing trim tabs and, in fact, the boat runs flat without tabs at most speeds, although tabs are useful for balancing weight or wind lean.

Flat out, we were running at 35-plus MPH and, in spite of the long gray seas, the ride was amazingly soft. We found a couple of big holes where even the props were clear of the water, but there was no bone-crushing impact as the hull sliced back into the water. At 2200 RPM, we were still on plane and eating up the miles at a comfortable 27 MPH. Even running down the swells, the steering was hands-off neutral (thanks to the full-length keel) with none of the usual wander of a modified vee-hull. Best of all, we never topped 90 decibels on Sea's sound meter, even with the big Cats thundering away just below our feet.

But the essence of any yacht is in the details, and this is where Tiara really shines, so take time to poke into all the corners. All the gray water on the boat leads to a collector and exits through one opening in the hull. The dashboard gauges (which even include transmission oil pressures) are all grouped by function so they're easy to scan. The fiberglass and joinerwork is flawless, and even out-of-sight areas are neatly finished.

See Tiara 3500 listings.

Specifications:

LOA w/o pulpit	35'8"
LOA w/ pulpit	38'10"
LOA w/pulpit & platform	42'10"
Beam	13'9"
Draft	2'10"
Ht. above waterline	9'10"
Displacement	21,500 lb.
Fuel	354 gal.
Water	124 gal.