Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 51

[Pipes]

Friends,

This spring I sold my 20 year old, 32 feet boat and started to plan for a bigger and newer boat for bluewater cruising as well as cruising the wonderful Baltic archipelagos. Not being able to afford a Hallberg-Rassy 43/46 just yet, the original plan was to get a brand new Bavaria 44. But now I have been considering buying a used Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 51 (''90-95, 5-cabin version) and give her a considerable restoration. The main reasons behind the Jeanneau option is that the Jeanneau seems to be better sized for my needs (2 more bunks) at about the same price while the Bavaria is a brand new boat at the right price and probably easier to handle short-handed. I would appreciate your input on these issues with regards to ocean passage capabilites etc.

My boat of choice should accommodate two families with children and a guest or two for weeks. She should be fun and reasonably fast under sail, safe on the oceans and represent a stable second-hand value. Of course I do not want to fight structural problems like osmosis, swaying keels and the like.

I would be most grateful if you would give me your insights and reflections on the subject, as well as your first hand pros and cons with the SO 51 and Bavarias).

The wind is free

Patrick Lindblom
Sweden

[Sailmc]

I own a Jeanneau SO 43 DS and feel that Jeanneau''s quality of construction and finnish is a few steps above Bavaria''s which I also considered.It''s no Halberg Rassy but you could buy 2 Jeanneas for the price of one. A good survey should tell you of any problems. The most common thing you might see is a rusty keel. This is a maintenance issue and not a stuctural one in most cases. The SO should be a better performer as well.