The Saxdor 340 GTWA (Gran Turismo Walk-Around) has arrived as the boat that aimed to fill the space between the 320 and the 400 without losing the stepped-hull pace, easy handling and value for money that built the brand.
The brief sounds ambitious: walk-around decks, a wheelhouse with wide sliding doors, two cabins and the choice of twin Mercury 250s or 300s, all on a hull of 10.78m (35.4ft). What matters is how those ideas come together once the boat clears the marina, and in this in-depth sea trial, we aim to find out.
Saxdor 340 GTWA Key Facts
- LOA 10.78m
- Model Year 2024
- Cabins 2
- Max Speed 50 knots
- Status In Production
- Yacht Type Walkaround
- Use Type Weekending
Test & Review Video
Around the Marina
Keeping in mind that this could be a first boat for some, or a step up from a smaller boat, slow-speed handling is a very important part of the package. And with joystick control for the twin outboards and a (optional) bow thruster, the 340 GTWA is an easy boat to handle in the marina environment.
It's as simple as pushing or twisting the joystick, and the boat will follow your commands. Not only that, but Mercury's Skykook system means you can push a button and the boat will hold itself in place while you deal with the lines and fenders. The helm door on the starboard side puts you right over the deck, where you can see the pontoon as you come in, and the aft window drops to keep the view clear behind you. It should be a pretty easy boat to run, even if you're berthing it on your own.
Nudge the joystick, and it slides sideways or pivots predicably, and it's easy to feed the bower naturally without the boat jerking around close to the pontoon. The bow thruster is a nice thing to have, but most of the time, all of the control will be handled by the joystick.
The only catch was the lack of a side gate, so you can't step directly from the helm onto the pontoon.
At Sea
The 340 GTWA feels quick to settle into its stride with its optional twin 300hp V8s. There are a couple of engine options, but these will be popular given their punchy performance, efficiency, and smooth cruising. At about 25 knots, the engines drop to a steady murmur, helped by the insulation of the wheelhouse design. The 340 is a boat you can use all year round and wear just a T-shirt, and there's a lot to be said for its lock-up-and-leave nature.
You can feel the added weight of the superstructure, though. And all of those moving parts tend to rattle when you come off waves or cut through the chop. The hull feels sharp and robust, but it's the door and the sunroof rattling that dims some of your confidence in how hard you can drive the boat in a big sea.
It's an easy boat to drive at speed, though. The pick-up is great and gets over the hump in the blink of an eye before topping out at a claimed 50 knots. We didn't see that on test, but it was a choppy day and, more importantly, its 30-knot cruise felt perfectly comfortable even upwind into the teeth of the short, sharp waves.
It doesn't quite have the dynamism of the 320, but it's an effortless cruiser with plentiful power that can eat up the miles effortlessly. You just have to be a bit more careful over the big waves.
The 340 GTWA shows how Saxdor thinks a mid-thirty-footer should work. The idea started as a stretched 320 with walk-around decks. The design team – led by Saxdor founder Sakari Mattila with naval architecture input from VOM Creations – pushed it out to 10.78m (35.4ft) so they could fit proper side decks, a narrower wheelhouse, and the terrace mechanisms without boxing the layout in.
That extra length gives the boat its stance. It sits low, carries a slim superstructure, and leaves clear space down each side for safe movement fore and aft. It feels like Saxdor took the best bits of the 320 and rebuilt the package, prioritising easier circulation.
Set against the Saxdor 320 GTC, the shift is obvious to get from stern to bow. Great for expanding the beam of the interior, but moving around outside isn't so easy. On the 340 GTWA, the cabin pulls inboard, but you can navigate passageways on either side of it to get to the bow.
The terraces shape much of the rear structure. Each bulwark hinges down to sit level with the cockpit floor, something you don't get on the 320 GTC, and the way these terraces connect to the wheelhouse with two-way sliding doors is really smart.
Underneath, the hull stays true to Saxdor’s formula. Twin steps, a sharp entry, and 21° of deadrise sit on a vacuum-infused GRP shell that aims to keep weight down while carrying the extra structure of the wheelhouse and terraces.
The design language holds together as a result of those choices. The reverse-shear bow, the flush anchor mount, and the low wheelhouse sit on a hull built for challenging environments and year-round use.
Wheelhouse
The wheelhouse feels brighter and more open than you expect on a boat of this length. The amount of glass really is impressive, and with a pair of sliding doors, sunroof and an aft window that drops down, ventilation options are excellent.
The dinette sits on the port side with a table that folds and adjusts for height. The table itself feels solid, not the rattly kind you get on some boats in this size bracket, so it turns the wheelhouse into a spot where you can stop for food and sit inside if the weather isn't great but still enjoy excellent views out.
The helm bench - as an option - flips to face the dinette and the armrests drop down on both sides to create extra perches if needed - a really smart use of space that typifies Saxdor's pursuit of usable space and practical thinking.
The cabin layout follows the same “use every inch” approach as the decks above. You drop down through a sliding door beside the helm and land in a small lobby that splits the space between the forward cabin and the heads. It feels compact, but the glazing above and the skylights ahead keep it from feeling dark or boxy.
The forward cabin sits low in the hull with a fixed double berth that runs right up to the bow. Headroom is limited, though there’s a small bench where you can sit to pull on shoes or take the weight off for a moment. The berth itself is a decent size for a boat of 10.78m (35.4ft), and the natural light helps. A window runs behind the berth, and the twin skylights pull daylight down from under the foredeck. Storage is modest, though, with small lockers dotted around rather than a full hanging space, but for weekends away, it's fine.
The head is to starboard. It’s a simple set-up: a toilet, a compact basin and enough room to crouch and get sorted without feeling squeezed. The door swings around neatly so it doesn’t block the lobby when open. It’s not a shower compartment, but the finish is clean, and it's clever how it can be opened up when not in use, so it doesn't encroach on cabin space so much.
The aft cabin - a cost option - is under the cockpit. You lift the hatch beneath the sunpad and drop down a short set of steps into the space. The pop-up roof section above the berth makes a real difference. Without it, the whole cabin would sit under the deckhead at a crouch, but with the roof raised, you can sit up in bed, and the space feels less hemmed in. It’s still a crawl-in cabin with limited storage, the sort of place for occasional nights, but the glazing and the ventilation keep it from feeling claustrophobic.
The helm is to starboard with a low dash and space for twin Simrad MFDs. The major controls all fall to hand easily with a chunky adjustable steering wheel and Mercury's hefty throttles, which give you excellent control when bouncing through the chop. Being able to lock the side door ajar is great, too, as it means you can get some fresh air into the helm even if it's raining.
The boat we tested has the helm bench fitted, which is great for functionality when the boat is at rest, but it sacrifices the quality of the driving position. It's hard to stand and drive, and there's no bolster position, so the keen drivers will want the twin bucket seat arrangement, but most will prefer the usability of the bench, which makes the dinette so much more comfortable and usable.
The dashboard is simple and clean with dark materials, so glare shouldn't be an issue. And being inside what is essentially a well-upholstered greenhouse means the all-around view is excellent.
There are several different layouts for the aft deck, including a fully open version and one with a more substantial wet bar adjoined to the wheelhouse, but the aft cabin one is likely to be most popular. Not only for a sunbathing space it provides on deck, but with the pop-top lid, it also creates extra sleeping space in the cabin below.
Importantly, you can still have a wet bar in this arrangement, but it's a smaller one incorporated into the haunch on the port side. The grill and sink mean you can knock up a BBQ, though. There are some really nice design details that feel high quality, especially the glass and stainless steel transom, which looks and feels really solid.
Key to the charm of the aft deck is the electric folding terraces. Hit a button, and they drop down to the water level, removing the barrier to the sea and compensating for the fact that you don't get a bathing platform with the outboard engine options. They connect so well to the decks, aligning with both the aft sun pad and the aft end of the wheelhouse, so you can get out to them easily from the inside.
I've said it before, but you appreciate the deck space these provide so much more on a boat of this size, and it's space that you ordinarily wouldn't have. They're a great addition that make the 340 GTWA a seriously enticing boat to hang out on when the anchor is down.
Side Decks & Foredeck
The side decks are what separate this model from its smaller sister. Both are wide and safe, but the port side one goes up three steps, and you have to clamber over the seating, whereas to port, there's just one step. I'd argue that having the lower side deck on the same side as the helm would be better for crewing, but it's not a big issue.
The foredeck is really well designed with a comfortable wrap of seating with an adjustable table at its centre that can drop right down to create a sun pad with the help of some in-fill cushions. With the aft cabin arrangement, you always have sunbathing space available, so you can just leave the bow seating in place with the table for a permanent dining option. It's a great layout that serves the type of use this boat will get perfectly.
One area where the design strangely falls is the reverse sheer bow. It looks great, and the way the anchor sits flush to the bow is very slick, but for a boat designed in Finland, where they routinely board from the bow, the high deck and lack of forward ladder make this pretty difficult and unless you're either very tall or a part-time gymnast.
The base price for a 340 GTWA with the standard pair of 250hp Mercury V8s is €175,000 ex VAT, and for that you get standard kit including: cockpit terraces, height-adjustable table in the wheelhouse, and Mercury Active Trim.
This would be a perfectly usable package, so that tempting headline price isn't the red herring it can so often be in the boating world. But there are some options we'd include to make life on board more comfortable and cater to the secondhand market if and when the time comes to upgrade.
Our Options & Pick
The extra grunt of the 300hp engines (€10,000) will be welcome for the extra grunt they'll provide if the boat is carrying a heavy load and fighting some mid-season growth on the hull. The glass sunroof is a €4,800 option and well worth having for the ventilation it offers and the natural light it will draw in. You can save a few hundred Euros by opting for the canvas roof, but the glass one is more versatile.
The navigation pack is essential, and we'd go all out and spend the €11,000 on the twin 12in Simrad EVO3S MFDs so you can share data between two big screens.
The Mercury joystick control is a punchy €18,000, but it makes handling the boat so much easier. We'd recommend it, though the €3,900 bow thruster is more of a nice-to-have than a must-have.
Climate control options will depend on where you plan to keep the boat, but expect to pay around €10,000 for air-con and half of that for the Cold Climate Package, which includes a 4kW diesel heater and windscreen defroster.
The aft cabin package is well worth it for €5,400, though you do need to spend another €1,900 to get the pop-up tent, which is a bit naughty. With that, you'll want the wet bar in the aft fender box, too, which costs €2,400.
Finally, that helm sofa, which adds so much to the way the dinette works, is a hefty €4,960. It's pretty clever, though.
Our Verdict
The 340 GTWA feels like a well-judged move from Saxdor. The walk-around layout answers a gap that rivals leave open, and it gives the boat a more natural flow than the 320 GTC. The interior works cleanly with the wheelhouse and terraces, and the whole package sits neatly between day use and weekending.
Some trade-offs remain. The 320 is the sharper, quieter boat at speed, and its ride has a touch more finesse. The 340 is more cumbersome, but the broader usability stands out. In cold environments, the wheelhouse works brilliantly, and the wide passageways, decks, and cockpit terraces make for very functional deck spaces. As a year-round boat, the 340 GTWA feels on target.
The YachtBuyer Score provides a clear, category-by-category assessment of how the yacht performs in the areas that matter most. In this review, the Saxdor 340 GTWA receives an overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars.
Reasons to Buy
- Full walk-around decks
- Confident handling with 300s
- Clever interior layout
- Two decent cabins
- Great value
Things to Consider
- Aft cabin feels squeezed
- Noisy superstructure
- Bow access isn't great
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Rivals to Consider
The Wellcraft 38 Explorer takes a different approach to the same idea of fast, enclosed, all-weather running. It is the bigger, heavier boat at 11.7m (38.4ft) with a broader 3.3m (10.8ft) beam and the option of far more power, including triple outboards up to 1,050hp. That extra weight and length give it a more planted feel in heavy water, and the deeper wheelhouse and thicker structure bring a quieter ride at high cruise. The trade-off is agility. The 355 does not turn or react as easily as the 340 GTWA, and its side decks remain narrower and more enclosed. Interior volume favours longer stays, and the boat leans more toward offshore security than the Saxdor’s terrace-led dayboat rhythm. As a hull for long, fast passages in poor weather, it carries more muscle, but it gives up some of the Saxdor’s lightness and simplicity.
The Quarken 35 runs with a lighter footprint and a sharper focus on Nordic dayboating. It measures 10.7m (35.1ft) with a 3.19m (10.5ft) beam and uses a stepped hull designed to reduce slamming by redirecting spray forward and down. Powered by twin Yamaha outboards up to 600hp, it delivers lively performance and a dry, stable feel at a brisk cruise. It lacks the wheelhouse volume and terrace system of the 340 GTWA, so its cockpit stays more traditional and its weather protection depends on the chosen deck layout. Storage and overnight space are minimal, so the interior suits short hops rather than planned nights aboard.
Considering a new boat? Explore Saxdor's entire current range to find the model that best suits your needs, and compare it with alternatives from competitors to ensure you make the perfect choice.
Specifications
- Builder Saxdor
- Range 340 Series
- Model 340 GTWA
- Length Overall 10.78m
- Beam 3.1m
- Draft 0.8m
- Hull GRP
- Cabins 2
- Berths 4
- Yacht Type (Primary) Walkaround
- Use Type (Primary) Weekending
- Cruising Speed
- Max Speed
- Fuel Capacity 428 Litres
- Fresh Water Capacity 100 Litres
- Engine Model 2x Mercury Verado V8 4.6L 300hp
- Engine max range (speed type) 200 (nm)
Saxdor 340 GTWA Layout
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Main Deck
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![Main Deck Saxdor 340 GTWA]()
The terraces are a standard fit item and they make a huge difference
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Lower Deck
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![Lower Deck Saxdor 340 GTWA]()
The aft cabin extends the overnighting capability to add a couple of guests too
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