Beneteau 235

[murph182]

I''m looking at boats to sail on the Chesapeake and this one has got my attention. I checked out the message boards here and only found a few comments. Anyone have any opinions on this boat? Any specific items that I might need to watch out for?

I''ve been sailing most of my life, but never owned a boat larger than 14ft, so this is a big step. One of the things that appeals to me about this boat is that it''s small enough for me to singlehand (I''ve got tons of experience on larger boats) and gain experience with the systems I would find on larger boats but big enough to cruise the Bay. I was looking at boats in the 30 foot range, but the money and knowledge needed to keep them in shape is a bit daunting. I think this would be a good first "real" boat for me.

Like I said, I could really use opinions on this boat specifically, but if someone has a better idea for what would be right for me, by all means shout it out.

[Jeff_H]

These are really great little boats. Both the centerboard and the fin keel versions sail very well and would be excellent choices for the Chesapeake. They seem to be built simply but reasonably well. I have been aboard an number of used 235''s and they seem to hold up well. They offer reasonably good speed for their size, but of course a 23 footer doesn''t do as well as something aa little longer with the short chop on the Chesapeake. Still, this should be one of teh better boats that size for what you want to do. Get the boat surveyed.

Good luck,

Jeff

[murph182]

Thanks Jeff. I''ll be sure to get it surveyed. That was going to be my next question, actually, so thanks for saving me the effort