34 gls yacht

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2022 Cruisers Yachts 34GLS

• By Capt. Chris Caswell
• April 6, 2022

The new Cruisers Yachts 34GLS is the latest iteration of the popular GLS series from Cruisers Yachts, which persists in claiming that GLS stands for Grand Luxury Sport. But I like to think it stands for Great Little Ship. This yacht defines family fun—if you look up “family fun” in the dictionary, you’ll find a picture of the 34GLS. Well, not really, but you get the idea.

The 34GLS is aimed at day outings and occasional overnight adventures, and it has enough speed (45 mph) with twin Mercury Verado outboards to satisfy all the towed water-toy needs.

Outboards generally preclude a usable transom platform, but the 34GLS has two “wings” extending alongside the engines as well as a comfortably wide walkway forward of the outboards, with all the plumbing and connections hidden so no one will trip. Like the rest of the cockpit, the area is covered with SeaDek for a cushy nonslip surface.

Interior and Accessories

The cockpit seating is offset to allow a rear-facing seat to port, the outdoor galley console, and a settee with a back that flips to become either a companion seat or aft-facing lounge. To starboard is an L-shaped settee, also with a flipping back for facing aft or forming a sun pad when folded flat. Cruisers gets credit not just for two perfectly finished tables (standard), but also for providing dedicated stowage (in a bag for varnish protection).

The mini galley includes a sink, but be sure to order the optional grill, fridge or ice maker for serious outings, and maybe even the fridge drawer under the helm seat. A standard fiberglass hardtop covers the cockpit, and our boat had both the optional SureShade to stretch the sun protection and an opening sunroof.

The skipper gets a well-arranged throne with a bench seat (adult-plus-kid size), and a Simrad electronics package with twin 9-inch displays in an eyebrowed dash to prevent reflections.  

The bow seating is via a passage to port, with a closing windshield and wind door to protect the cockpit. This is an area where parents worry, but Cruisers made the coamings high at 33 inches. The cockpit is even deeper at about 40 inches for safety.

There’s nothing unusual forward, with wraparound seats, a pedestal table that becomes a sun pad, and a 48-quart cooler. The forward-facing seats have flip-down armrests with beverage holders. The windlass ($7,355) tucks under a flush foredeck hatch, with push-button controls at the helm and at the bow.

Going below, I was impressed by the sliding screen door and usual fiberglass door. One night of dodging no-see-ums and you’ll also appreciate them. Cruisers managed to jigsaw all the important things into the living area, with a pair of settees that convert to a 77-by-48-inch double berth using the dining table, and our test boat had the optional fridge and microwave for morning coffee. A second cabin is just aft, with a single 6-by-3-foot berth tucked athwartships—perfect for a kid or mother-in-law.

A strong selling point for the 34GLS is the enclosed head with a Dometic electric flush toilet, and a counter with a vessel sink and Euro faucet. It’s a wet head with a wraparound shower curtain, a shower wand, and an opening port to vent the steam.

Cruisers also gets points for paying attention to details, such as the fully finished lockers. Lift a hatch and you find all the plumbing carefully secured and labeled in a white-finished bilge for easy cleaning. A sump handles the shower and sink so soapy water doesn’t go into the bilge, and Cruisers doesn’t cut any corners on construction with the 34GLS. The all-fiberglass hull is reinforced with rot-free foam and glass stringers, plus numerous molded sections for monocoque strength. I was also impressed by the deep gutters in the deck hatches, which should easily handle enthusiastic washdowns or downpours without water leaking belowdecks.

Our test boat had the standard Merc 300 Verados with Joystick Piloting, but you can up the ante to 350, 400 or even 450R outboards if you have a need for speed. For the Great Lakes, the 34GLS can also be fitted with Volvo Penta or MerCruiser sterndrives up to 350 hp each, but you’d lose the immense utility room under the cockpit sole. With outboards, that cavern can handle a 5 kW Kohler diesel generator, although our 34 boasted the inverter ($6,740) that can power the air conditioning ($6,235) for up to six hours.

The 34GLS has hydraulic trim tabs as standard, but the boat came up flat and fast during our test without needing a nudge from the tabs to get onto plane. Because we ran flat at speed, I suspect the tabs are there to balance the boat when Aunt Edna parks to one side.

The bottom was designed by Ocean Five naval architects, a growing force in production boats, and it sliced neatly through wakes and chop with its 21-degree transom deadrise without throwing spray everywhere. The 34GLS is fun to drive too, and the skipper is going to have people lined up saying, “My turn, my turn!”

If you’re looking around, check out the Scout 350LXZ ($551,000), which is a foot shorter but offers triple outboards.

Whether you’re entertaining a bunch of friends or getting away for a lazy weekend, the Cruisers 34GLS fulfills the promise of grand luxury sport; even better, it’s also a great little ship.

How We Tested

• Engine: Twin 300 hp Mercury Verado V-8s
• Drive/Prop: Outboard/16″ x 16.5″ Enertia 3-blade stainless steel
• Gear Ratio: 1.85:1 Fuel Load: 200 gal. Water on Board: 0 gal. Crew Weight: 400 lb

High Points 

• Immense finished stowage throughout, including for large items such as fenders.
• Clearly labeled and user-friendly dash, with shifter and throttles, joystick, and trim-tab controls in the armrest.
• Wide walkway to the bow from the cockpit with high coamings.
• Deep hatch gutters with rubber seals and double drains.
• Needs more handrails for moving around the cockpit safely, and the strange knee-high rails on the seats are too low.
• Getting into the aft cabin past the stairs requires a bit of wiggling.

Pricing and Specs

Speed, Efficiency, Operation

Cruisers Yachts – Oconto, Wisconsin; 800-743-3478; cruisersyachts.com

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Cruisers Yachts GLS Series

The GLS Series from Cruisers Yachts ignites passion with daring design and scintillating performance. And with a GLS for sale somewhere nearby, the way you view the water is about to be forever changed.

Explore the GLS SERIES

Cruisers Yachts’ GLS line is at the very forefront of design and performance in the mid-sized, luxury yacht market. The bowriders — which range from 34 to 50 feet — are both fast and agile, but also have an incredible amount of interior volume. The blend of these seemingly at odds traits is directly owed to Cruisers Yachts’ talented workforce, which has the ability to draw from years of experience to handcraft world-class vessels.

The GLS series propulsion ranges from stern drive to triple 600 HP outboard engines hitting top ends well above a sizzling 50 mph. The boats also have beach doors — foldout sections of their gunnels that vastly increase the size of their swim platforms and the connection to the water. This feature greatly enhances a boat’s capabilities as an entertainment platform. GLS models also offer a level of fit and finish that is not seen anywhere else in this size and class of boat.

From the tight joinery in the accommodations level woodwork to the intricate stitching on the upholstery in the bow lounge, the craftsmanship one finds aboard a Cruisers Yachts GLS cannot be beat.

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2022 Cruisers Yachts 34 GLS

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• Maserati’s First Electric Boat Delivers Style and Fun on the Water—We Took It for a Spin

We're the world's only media outlet to test this stylish 34-footer on Italy's Lake Maggiore. Here's what we found.

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The all-electric Tridente is nothing if not dashing. It joins other electric boats affiliated with sports car marques, including the Frauscher X Porsche 850 Fantom Air and BMW-designed Tyde foiling electric boat . The Maserati has a much more conventional look than the other two.

The Tridente debuted alongside the car manufacturer’s newest electric vehicle, the Grancabrio Folgore, meaning “lightning bolt” in Italian. Maserati’s head of design, Klaus Busse, was on hand for both launches. Busse, a genial and strikingly tall German, had this to say about Maserati’s design approach, and Italian design overall: “If you look at the design of the Porsche 911, for example, you can see the Germans evolved it little by little over time—as if they are on a road to the idea of perfection. But with Italians, every ten years or so, they break everything and start with something fresh and new.”

Somewhat ironically, the Tridente seems to pull more from the German school of thought. Sleek and classic looking, there is nothing groundbreaking about the aesthetics. The boat has the familiar design language of an old Riva runabout—gently cambered bow deck, tumblehome in the after section—though built with modern materials and colors, and adorned nearly everywhere with the Maserati emblem.

But when the Tridente first pulled into view beside the lake’s breakwater, and the dark-blue water shimmered off its steel-gray hull, for a moment the machine looked almost surreal. It was stunning.

The boat is built around a carbon-fiber hull for rigidity and weight savings, and the fit and finish meets the standards one might expect: soft leathers, tight stitching, and a general feeling of solidity to the seating. This model seats eight comfortably, with wraparound seating at amidships and a scooped-out section aft that is, in effect, a giant sunpad. The cabin is tiny, but could fit a child who needs a nap out of the sun.

Maserati enlisted Vita Power, the EV marine company, for Tridente’s electric propulsion system. The boat is powered by four batteries that weigh 3,200 pounds, which explains the choice of lightweight carbon fiber for the hull. The entire boat displaces 11,400 pounds, about 2,000 pounds less than a Riva Aquariva 33. That light weight, paired with the equivalent of 600 horsepower, lets the Tridente accelerate like a proper sportscar.

When I pinned the throttle I felt real G forces pressing me into the captain’s seat—common for a high-performance raceboat, but rare for an electric vessel. The helm is a simple setup: a center touchscreen and two throttles. The reported top end is 46 mph, but I saw 42.6. At a 25-knot cruise, the Tridente has a 43-mile range, more than enough to get from Monaco to Cannes on a single charge.

Maserati says the batteries can be topped off in under an hour via a fast-charging DC connection. Running at cruise, the Maserati manifested the nimbleness requisite of a boat in this class, slicing cleanly through S turns and hard overs.

There were no waves, but I did send the Tridente through its own wake and was pleased with the way the hull split the chop. In the end, it proved a very fun boat to drive and looked exceptional with the lake and mountain backdrop.

The price may well be a bit much for most boaters to swallow, even if it’s the coolest superyacht tender on the planet. But if you want what is arguably the world’s most advanced and best-constructed electric boat, the Tridente fits the bill, an evolutionary leap for a classic-looking Italian runabout.

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Here’s Who Is Speaking At The RNC: Trump Announces Carlson, DeSantis,Vance—But No Melania

D onald Trump’s campaign announced Saturday the full slate of speakers scheduled to take the stage at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee beginning Monday, including several suspected candidates for his running mate , and conservative celebrities, though former First Lady Melania Trump is not on the official list.

Trump is expected to unveil his running mate on or before Monday when the convention begins, and all of the reported short list of vice presidential picks are scheduled to appear, including Sens. Marco Rubio, Fla., JD Vance, Ohio and Tim Scott, S.C., as well as Gov. Doug Burgum, N.D.

Trump’s sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump will speak, though several of Trump’s family members who spoke at 2020’s convention were not on Saturday’s list, including his daughters Ivanka Trump and Tiffany Trump, and his wife Melania Trump, who reportedly will be in Milwaukee for the event, making a rare public appearance.

Also notably missing from the list is Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina and Trump’s U.N. ambassador who was his only real opponent for the GOP nomination.

Conservative media personality Tucker Carlson headlines the group of celebrities on the schedule, joining rapper Amber Rose, UFC CEO Dana White, reality star Savannah Chrisley, and podcast host David Sacks.

Construction mogul Diane Hendricks, by far the U.S.’ richest self-made woman according to Forbes’ list will also speak.

Other politicians on the slate include former GOP presidential candidates Ben Carson and Vivek Ramaswamy, Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, and Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia.

Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We’re launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day’s headlines. Text “Alerts” to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here .

GOP delegates will officially tap Trump as the party’s nominee in Wisconsin. Trump is expected to take the stage Thursday after securing his third consecutive nomination. The order of speakers is not yet clear, but Carlson is expected to speak shortly before Trump takes the stage Thursday, according to the New York Times , while Trump Jr. is expected to announce his father’s running mate, according to multiple outlets . C-SPAN’s website and cable channel will carry the entirety of the RNC, while outlets like CNN and Fox News will air portions of the convention across their YouTube and television networks. The Democratic National Convention will take place in Chicago beginning Aug. 19 amid turbulence in the party due to discord over incumbent Joe Biden seeking reelection after his debate performance against Trump last month stirred questions about his capacity to run for reelection.

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California News | Prosecutors seeking restitution for families of…

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California news | prosecutors seeking restitution for families of 34 killed in conception dive boat fire.

LOS ANGELES — Prosecutors are seeking restitution for the families of 34 people killed in a scuba dive boat fire in 2019 that was the deadliest maritime disaster in recent U.S. history.

A judge will determine the amount on Thursday during a hearing in federal court in Los Angeles. The proceeding comes nearly five years after the Sept. 2, 2019, tragedy off the central California coast, which prompted changes to maritime regulations , congressional reform and several ongoing civil lawsuits.

The captain of the Conception, Jerry Boylan, was convicted last year of one count of misconduct or neglect of ship officer following a 10-day trial in federal court in downtown Los Angeles. The charge is a pre-Civil War statute colloquially known as seaman’s manslaughter that was designed to hold steamboat captains and crew responsible for maritime disasters.

He was sentenced to four years in prison and three years of supervised release . He is out on bond and must report to the Bureau of Prisons by Aug. 8. His appeal is ongoing.

FILE – Defendant Jerry Boylan, captain of the dive boat, Conception, leaves federal court in Los Angeles, May 2, 2024. Prosecutors are seeking restitution for the families of 34 people killed in the boat fire in 2019 off the California coast. A judge will determine the amount on Thursday, July 11, during a hearing in federal court in Los Angeles. Boylan’s criminal negligence as the captain of the boat led to the deadliest maritime disaster in recent U.S. history. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)

FILE – In this photo provided by the Ventura County Fire Department, VCFD firefighters respond to a fire aboard the Conception dive boat fire in the Santa Barbara Channel off the coast of Southern California on Sept. 2, 2019. A scuba dive boat captain is scheduled to be sentenced by a federal judge Thursday, May 2, 2024, on a conviction of criminal negligence after 34 people died in the fire aboard the vessel nearly five years ago. (Ventura County Fire Department via AP, File)

FILE – Barbara Chan, whose brother Raymond “Scott” Chan was among the 34 victims of a fire on the scuba dive boat Conception, holds up a photo of the victims, Oct. 24, 2023, in Los Angeles. The captain of the boat is scheduled to be sentenced by a federal judge Thursday, May 2, 2024, on a conviction of criminal negligence. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun, File)

FILE – A standing memorial to the people who died aboard the Conception dive boat is seen along the coast near the Santa Barbara, Calif., harbor on July 12, 2020. Federal prosecutors are seeking justice for 34 people killed in a fire aboard the Conception in 2019. The trial against Captain Jerry Boylan begins Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, in Los Angeles with jury selection. (AP Photo/John Antczak, File)

FILE – Photographs of loved ones lost in the fire on the scuba dive boat Conception are placed at a memorial on the Santa Barbara Harbor on Sept. 4, 2019, in Santa Barbara, Calif. Federal prosecutors are seeking justice for 34 people killed in a fire aboard the Conception in 2019. The trial against Captain Jerry Boylan begins Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, in Los Angeles with jury selection. (AP Photo/Christian Monterrosa, File)

FILE – A woman gets emotional after placing flowers at a memorial for the victims of the Conception in the Santa Barbara Harbor on Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2019, in Santa Barbara, Calif. Federal prosecutors are seeking justice for 34 people killed in a fire aboard the scuba dive boat Conception in 2019. The trial against Captain Jerry Boylan begins Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, in Los Angeles with jury selection. (AP Photo/Christian Monterrosa, File)

FILE – National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) shows the wreckage of the dive boat Conception on a dock in Southern California. Federal prosecutors are seeking justice for 34 people killed in a fire aboard the Conception in 2019. The trial against Captain Jerry Boylan begins Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, in Los Angeles with jury selection. (NTSB via AP, File)

In this Sept. 2, 2019, file photo provided by the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, the dive boat Conception is engulfed in flames after a deadly fire broke out aboard the commercial scuba diving vessel off the Southern California Coast. Federal authorities are expected to vote Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020 on what likely sparked a fire aboard a scuba dive boat last year that killed 34 people off the coast of Southern California. The pre-dawn blaze aboard the Conception is one of California’s deadliest maritime disasters, prompting both criminal and safety investigations into the Sept. 2, 2019 tragedy that claimed the lives of 33 passengers and one crew member on a Labor Day weekend expedition near an island off Santa Barbara. (Santa Barbara County Fire Department via AP, File)

Conception commercial dive boat victims Kaustbh Nirmal and Dr. Sanjeeri Deopujari of Norwalk, Connecticut. Attorneys held a press conference announcing the filing of a wrongful death and survival action claim on behalf of three passengers and one crew member, including Normal and Deopujari, killed in the Conception commercial dive boat fire off the coast of Santa Barbara, CA Monday, January 13, 2020. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Conception commercial dive boat victim Yulia Krashennaya of Berkeley, CA. Attorneys held a press conference announcing the filing of a wrongful death and survival action claim on behalf of three passengers and one crew member, including Krashennaya, killed in the Conception commercial dive boat fire off the coast of Santa Barbara, CA Monday, January 13, 2020. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Lisa Fiedler of Mill Valley was on the dive boat Conception at the Channel Islands when it caught fire early Monday. (Photo from Facebook)

Conception commercial dive boat victim Alexandra Kurtz. Attorneys held a press conference announcing the filing of a wrongful death and survival action claim on behalf of three passengers and one crew member, including Kurtz, killed in the Conception commercial dive boat fire off the coast of Santa Barbara, CA Monday, January 13, 2020. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

Jeffery Goodman, left, attorney, Robert Mongeluzzi, Attorney and Robert Glassman, attorney, at a press conference announcing the filing of a wrongful death and survival action claim on behalf of three passengers and one crew member killed in the Conception commercial dive boat fire off the coast of Santa Barbara, CA Monday, January 13, 2020. Pictured at right are victims Yulia Krashennaya, of Berkeley, CA and Kaustbh Nirmal and Dr. Sanjeeri Deopujari of Norwalk, Connecticut. (Photo by David Crane, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)

FILE – This Monday, Sept. 2, 2019, file image taken from video released by the U.S. Coast Guard shows a Coast Guard Sector San Diego MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter video screen, as crew responds to the vessel “Conception” boat fire off Santa Cruz Island near Santa Barbara, Calif. Federal investigators say all six crew members were asleep when a fire broke out in the scuba diving boat off the coast of California, killing 34 people. (U.S. Coast Guard via AP, File)

FILE – This Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2019, file photo provided by Santa Barbara County shows divers and support crews from many agencies working the scene of the Conception dive boat fire off Santa Cruz Island, Calif. Federal investigators say all six crew members were asleep when a fire broke out in the scuba diving boat off the coast of California, killing 34 people. (Santa Barbara County via AP, File)

Nearly 1,000 people gather at the Santa Monica Pier for a vigil to remember the dive boat fire victims on Thursday, Sep. 5, 2019. 34 divers died below deck when the dive boat Conception caught fire off the coast of Santa Cruz Island on Monday. (Photo by Scott Varley, Daily Breeze/SCNG)

A group hugs each other as nearly 1,000 people gather at the Santa Monica Pier for a vigil to remember the dive boat fire victims on Thursday, Sep. 5, 2019. 34 divers died below deck when the dive boat Conception caught fire off the coast of Santa Cruz Island on Monday. (Photo by Scott Varley, Daily Breeze/SCNG)

California Assembly member Richard Bloom speaks to the large group gathered at the Santa Monica Pier for a vigil to remember the dive boat fire victims on Thursday, Sep. 5, 2019. 34 divers died below deck when the dive boat Conception caught fire off the coast of Santa Cruz Island on Monday. (Photo by Scott Varley, Daily Breeze/SCNG)

A photo of the boat Conception, taken by the Ventura County Fire Department, before it submerged after catching fire while anchored off Santa Cruz Island, Calif., on Monday, Sept. 2, 2019. Multiple people are feared dead after the dive boat caught fire before dawn Monday, according to the Coast Guard. (Ventura County Fire Department)

Lisa Fiedler of Mill Valley was on the dive boat Conception at the Channel Islands when it caught fire early Sept. 2, 2019. (Photo provided by Alicia Love)

SANTA BARBARA, CA – Sept. 4: A photo of Allie Kurtz is among the memorial growing, Wednesday morning, Sept. 4, 2019, at the harbor in Santa Barbara, Calif., for the victims of the Conception dive boat fire. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 03: Candles are lit in Santa Barbara Harbor at a makeshift memorial for victims of the Conception boat fire on September 3, 2019 in Santa Barbara, California. Authorities believe none of the 34 people below deck survived after the commercial scuba diving ship caught fire and sank, while anchored near Santa Cruz Island, in the early morning hours of September 2. Five crew members survived. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

SANTA BARBARA, CA – Sept. 4: Candles continue to burn before dawn, Wednesday morning, Sept. 4, 2019, at the harbor in Santa Barbara, Calif., where a memorial grows for the victims of the Conception dive boat fire. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

Jennifer Stafford adds water to flowers placed with candles at makeshift memorial for the victims of a scuba diving boat fire, on September 3, 2019, in Santa Barbara, California. (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images)

This image made from video released by TowBoatUS Ventura shows a burning out charter dive boat “Conception,” before it sank off Santa Cruz Island, near the coast of Ventura County, Calif., early Monday, Sept. 2, 2019. (Capt. Paul Amaral/TowBoatUS Ventura via AP)

A commercial scuba-dive boat sank amid intense flames early off the coast of Southern California and 34 passengers were unaccounted for, the US Coast Guard said. Five Conception crew members were awake and jumped into the water when flames burst out around 3:15 am. (Courtesy of Ventura County Fire Department)

The Conception was anchored off Santa Cruz Island, 25 miles south of Santa Barbara, when it caught fire before dawn on the final day of a three-day excursion, sinking less than 100 feet from shore.

Thirty-three passengers and a crew member perished, trapped in a bunkroom below deck. Among the dead were the deckhand, who had landed her dream job; an environmental scientist who did research in Antarctica; a globe-trotting couple; a Singaporean data scientist; and a family of three sisters, their father and his wife.

Boylan was the first to abandon ship and jump overboard. Four crew members who joined him also survived.

Although the exact cause of the blaze remains undetermined , prosecutors blamed Boylan for failing to post the required roving night watch and never properly trained his crew in firefighting. The lack of the roving watch meant the fire was able to spread undetected across the 75-foot boat.

But Boylan’s federal public defenders sought to pin blame on boat owner Glen Fritzler, who with his wife owns Truth Aquatics Inc., which operated the Conception and two other scuba dive boats, often around the Channel Islands.

Conception dive boat tragedy

They argued that Fritzler was responsible for failing to train the crew in firefighting and other safety measures, as well as creating a lax seafaring culture they called “the Fritzler way,” in which no captain who worked for him posted a roving watch.

The Fritzlers have not spoken publicly about the tragedy since an interview with a local TV station a few days after the fire. Their attorneys have never responded to requests for comment from The Associated Press.

Three days after the fire, Truth Aquatics filed suit under a pre-Civil War provision of maritime law that allows it to limit its liability to the value of the remains of the boat, which was a total loss. The time-tested legal maneuver has been successfully employed by the owners of the Titanic and other vessels and requires the Fritzlers to show they were not at fault.

That case is pending, as well as others filed by victims’ families against the Coast Guard for what they allege was lax enforcement of the roving watch requirement.

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Judge hears arguments for restitution to families of 34 people killed in 2019 scuba boat fire

FILE - A photo collage of the victims of the Sept. 2, 2019 fire aboard the dive boat Conception, at Santa Cruz Island, is held by a family member at federal court in Los Angeles, Oct. 25, 2023. Prosecutors are seeking restitution for the families of the 34 people killed in the fire that was the deadliest maritime disaster in recent U.S. history. A judge will determine the amount on Thursday, July 11, 2024, during a hearing in federal court in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

FILE - Defendant Jerry Boylan, captain of the dive boat, Conception, leaves federal court in Los Angeles, May 2, 2024. Prosecutors are seeking restitution for the families of 34 people killed in the boat fire in 2019 off the California coast. A judge will determine the amount on Thursday, July 11, during a hearing in federal court in Los Angeles. Boylan’s criminal negligence as the captain of the boat led to the deadliest maritime disaster in recent U.S. history. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — A federal judge heard arguments Thursday over whether a boat captain should pay restitution to the families of 34 people killed in a California scuba dive boat fire in 2019, with prosecutors seeking reimbursement for funeral expenses and more.

Jerry Boylan, the captain of the Conception, was convicted last year of one count of misconduct or neglect of ship officer following a 10-day trial in federal court in downtown Los Angeles. The charge was a pre-Civil War statute colloquially known as seaman’s manslaughter that was designed to hold steamboat captains and crew responsible for maritime disasters.

Boylan, who was sentenced to four years in prison and three years of supervised release, was also ordered to pay restitution for what was the deadliest maritime disaster in recent U.S. history.

During a hearing Thursday in Los Angeles federal court, however, his attorney attempted to argue that restitution should not be paid because it had not been established that the loss of life was a direct result of Boylan’s actions the night of the fire.

Federal judge George Wu disagreed, saying it was “clearly shown that the defendant did not meet the safety regulation” of having an overnight roving patrol that could have caught the fire, a fact that was already established during Boylan’s criminal trial.

Boylan’s attorney, Gabriela Rivera, also argued that only specific expenses such as funeral costs should be eligible for restitution and should have documentation such as an invoice. She added that Boylan had no significant assets and would not be able to pay restitution, saying he is living off Social Security payments and has a negative cash flow from his bank account.

“He doesn’t have any family,” Rivera said. “He has no meaningful job prospects.”

Prosecutors disagreed, arguing that Boylan in fact had assets totaling six figures and that paying restitution would mean if he ever came into money in the future, he would have to pay the victims.

Kathi Mcllvain, whose son Charles died aboard the Conception, said it was “heartbreaking” to hear the lawyers argue over line-item costs. She and her husband Clark held each other during the hearing and shook their heads as the attorneys went back and forth.

“To nitpick over $700,” said Mcllvain, referring to one amount the defense disputed in their argument. “There’s no price you can put on someone’s life.”

Even if Boylan could not pay restitution now, “at least it should be on the record that he owes that, if he ever does come into money. He shouldn’t have killed 34 people. Then he would have been able to make a living,” Mcllvain said.

McIlvain found it distressing that Boylan was only sentenced to four years and would likely not serve it until his appeal, which could take years.

“Our son’s life was worth a lot more than that,” she said.

The judge said he will have a final decision on restitution amounts at the next hearing July 29.

Boylan is currently out on bond and must report to the Bureau of Prisons by Aug. 8. He was present at Thursday’s hearing but did not speak.

Thursday’s proceeding came nearly five years after the Sept. 2, 2019, tragedy off the central California coast, which prompted changes to maritime regulations, congressional reform and several ongoing civil lawsuits.

The Conception was anchored off Santa Cruz Island, 25 miles (40 kilometers) south of Santa Barbara, when it caught fire before dawn on the final day of a three-day excursion, sinking less than 100 feet (30 meters) from shore.

Thirty-three passengers and a crew member perished, trapped in a bunkroom below deck. Among the dead were the deckhand, who had landed her dream job ; an environmental scientist who did research in Antarctica; a globe-trotting couple; a Singaporean data scientist; and a family of three sisters, their father and his wife.

Boylan was the first to abandon ship and jump overboard. Four crew members who joined him also survived.

Although the exact cause of the blaze remains undetermined, prosecutors blamed Boylan for failing to post the required roving night watch and never properly trained his crew in firefighting. The lack of the roving watch meant the fire was able to spread undetected across the 75-foot (23-meter) boat.

But Boylan’s federal public defenders sought to pin blame on boat owner Glen Fritzler , who with his wife owns Truth Aquatics Inc., which operated the Conception and two other scuba dive boats, often around the Channel Islands.

They argued that Fritzler was responsible for failing to train the crew in firefighting and other safety measures, as well as creating a lax seafaring culture they called “the Fritzler way,” in which no captain who worked for him posted a roving watch.

The Fritzlers have not spoken publicly about the tragedy since an interview with a local TV station a few days after the fire. Their attorneys have never responded to requests for comment from The Associated Press, including on Thursday.

Three days after the fire, Truth Aquatics filed suit under a pre-Civil War provision of maritime law that allows it to limit its liability to the value of the remains of the boat, which was a total loss. The time-tested legal maneuver has been successfully employed by the owners of the Titanic and other vessels and requires the Fritzlers to show they were not at fault.

That case is pending, as well as others filed by victims’ families against the Coast Guard for what they allege was lax enforcement of the roving watch requirement.

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Reporting by Yuliia Dysa; editing by Tom Balmforth and Tomasz Janowski

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