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Jeanneau Attalia

109K views 301 replies 33 participants last post by  Waymar83 
#1 ·
Hi all,

I've been reading the sailnet fora for a few years and have not come across anyone with any comments about the Jeanneau Attalia. Anybody have any info/experience? My 1983 has served very well for the past 4 yrs (on Lake Ontario).

I have really only one minor irritant on my boat: no hot water.

Mark
 
#3 ·
Well hello there Frank!:)

Its good to hear from a fellow Attalia owner.

There are a number of Attalias (for sale and on the Jeanneau website) but very few owners talk about their boat. Here is a review article from a few years back. quite positive.

http://www.sailingmagazine.net/UBN_1002.html

I don't know about you but I really like the Attalia, especially given her age. These days her design, layout etc are commonplace but were not in the 80s (OK as she is my first boat with a cabin so I have no ownership experience with other boats) but "she delivers".

She is on the hard now, while I'm away for a few years, but I still make plans, do research, wanting to improve performance and comfort.

As examples, I'm looking into more efficient lighting (replacing with LEDs), improving the electrical setup, looking at adding hot water, changing the (original) Genoa, etc.

I hope to sail her down to the Caribbean at some point although I have to temper my enthusiasm with lack of open water experience. Lake Ontario is big but...

-Mark
 
#4 ·
I too am a happy Attalia owner. I purchased Voyageur in 2002 and sailed her from Nova Scotia to Newfoundland, where she sailed mostly in Conception Bay. We did take her on a five-week cruise up the east coast of the province, though. She's now back in Nova Scotia and we're planning to take her down the ICW this fall for a winter in Florida/Bahamas/Cuba.

Before the trip, I've three major upgrades to make. The propane system is out-dated so I need a new locker and new hoses and fittings. Then a composting toilet. We need something that will comply with US regulations regarding heads, and the stowage situation on an Attalia is such that putting in a holding tank and all the associated plumbing looks like an awful job. And I've some wiring upgrades to do.

One of the nicest things about the Attalia is the excellent three-sided engine access. One of the drawbacks is the lack of stowage. She's also a little light for ocean work - I calculate her Capsize Screening Formula as 2.13.

Bryan
 
#5 ·
Hi Bryan,


Good to hear from a fellow Atalia Owner. On your way to "the Rock", did you stop in at St-Pierre or Miquelon? It's always been on my "to do" list. I hear sailing in Newfounland is quite spectacular.

How does she handle on the Ocean? (canvas work, steering, engine...) We sail out of Kingston, Ont, so she does not see the same wave action.

I have not heard of anyone putting in a composting toilet in a sailboat before, but I have seen them in cottages. Interesting solution. I assume it's because US regs require a certain holding capacity the Attalia does not have? I'm assuming you have the standard holding tank.

I find the 13hp Yanmar adequate for Lake Ontario, not sure about Ocean...

Looking forward to some exchanges. Let me know how the propane refit goes.

-Mark
 
#6 ·
Our trip to the Rock was quite a ride, Mark. I hadn't had Voyageur out more than a couple of times before we took off. Lesson 1 - when buying a used boat, drain and refill the fuel tanks or polish the fuel. We had to be towed into Halifax because of a clogged system.

We had pretty heavy weather going up the eastern shore of Nova Scotia and even worse (Force 5/6) along the south coast of Newfoundland. Along NS, the wind and waves were on the quarter, and Attalia's being so light they get pretty squirrelly in that kind of situation. The autopilot couldn't cope with it - we had to hand steer. Along NL we were beating and it was a cold and uncomfortable trip to St. Pierre - the autopilot worked well though. On both those legs we were under two reefs. When beating she had a tendency to fall off a wave into a trough with a mighty bang that sounded like we'd hit a rock. It was pretty disconcerting at first!

St. Pierre was a welcome stop. The weather wasn't improving, so we spent a couple of days there. Hit every one of the four restaurants, purchased wine, walked around. It's very French and worth the visit, although there's little in the way of tourist attractions. I was surprised to find that my cell phone worked there - turns out we were only 16 miles from the Burin peninsula and and I was getting a signal from Aliant.

Generally Voyageur travels well, but is very tender as you undoubtedly know. We find ourselves putting in a first reef at 15 knots and a second at 20. We can furl the 130% genoa to suit, but if I were still in Newfoundland I'd purchase a 100% jib - we hardly ever had the genny fully deployed. We've also got a very small spitfire jib - hardly more than a hankie - that we've only used once but it drives the boat surprisingly well with 15+ knots.

We're looking at the Airhead composting toilet - it's designed for marine use. Practical Sailor did a trial and gave it a thumbs up. Somebody local also found it to be good. We don't have anything for holding tank now - sailing on the Canadian Atlantic coast doesn't require tanks and even if you had one, you'd never find a pumpout. My wife is not 100% convinced about the Airhead, but she's willing to give it a try (especially given the alternative - we were chartering a few years ago with a holding tank and had some unpleasant experiences).

My engine is the original Volvo MD2002. At 18 hp, it seems to move me quite well. I've got a feathering prop that is very nice - I can back up in a straight line with quite adequate control.

I spent a lot of time in Kingston in the 70s and 80s as a cadet and then a signal officer in the army. It's a beautiful city.

Bryan
 
#8 ·
Very cool!

(my internet was down and now although its back up its as slow as a dial up!) :mad: chalk one up to monopolies:(

Giu, I did not know you sailed the Attalia! When I get back to Canada and put her back in the water I'll ask for a few pointers when I go racing with the kids.
 
#9 · (Edited by Moderator)
OK Attalia owners!

We are not a very talkative bunch! Probably quiet and unassuming and just prefer to go sailing.....:D

Waymar (our 1983 Attalia) has been on the hard for 18 months and it looks like I'm going to miss another seasons.:( . So I'll jsut throw some random stuff out. feel free to react/respond (or not);) . If English is not your first language, no matter... give it a try. I'm sure we can communicate:)

To keep my sanity, I need projects. We sail on Lake Ontario.

Bryan, your trip to the Rock (Newfoundland to the non-Canadians) sounds pretty incredible. I envy you able to confidently sail "real" water. You obviously have lots of experience. Did you go as a single boat or were there more of you? Keep us posted on your project to sail to warmer waters. Did you install the new composting Head yet?

Taking the boat up the St-Lawrence and into the Gulf (of St-Lawrence) and beyond ("To the Rock") is one passage I do intend to make.

Anybody have a windlass on their Attalia? Although, I guess it depends on where you sail and how much chain rode you have..... It all boils down to there is lots of stuff you can put on a boat but all that extra weight adds up...

We also have tiller steering (which I did not like at first but now I really do not see the point of wheel steering). Anybody have trouble with the rudder so far?

The engine is a 13hp Yanmar. Works extremely well. we can easliy motor a 5-6 knots. "diesel mileage" is great at about 1litre/ hr.:)

Other projects:

1)upgrade the sails and sail covers (dodger). Anybody not have a bimini? Our boat came with one but I'm not sure I want to keep it on the boat, I usually fold it up.... useful when it rains.. but I like the sun.

2) upgrade electricals/wiring. I really don't like the mess of the battery bank underneath the bunk in the aft cabin. 2 load batteries and 1 starter. I'll have to do some more reading and redo the wiring. it really is a mess...:



3) I am looking to maximise comfort and performance (in that order). Hot water is probably the #1 priority. A new genoa is a close 2nd. Has anybody experimented with sizes (110%, 130%, 150% or in between?) Has anybody purchased from FX sails? The price seems right.

4) Galley: Has anybody upgraded their refrigeration? Installed a small microwave? Waymar has, what I think is, the original refrigeration. Works fine. When we go on longer cruises we use an additional 12v cooler.

5) LEDs in the cabin is a no brainer. It's just a question of time (and money).:)

Anybody else have any experience with upgrade (and maintenance) they would like to share?
 
#10 ·
Hi

I know this is an old thread, but just wanted to say 'hi' as I am soon to be an Attalia owner. My dad and I expect to close on a very nice Attalia in about a week and a half.

So, does anyone have any tips/tricks/gotchas that we should be aware of for our first sail? We are beginners (first keel boat for both of us) and we will hire a captain for some lessons on our first sail. If you guys have any tips that are specific to the Attalia (ie. how best to heave-to, how soon to reef) they would be appeciated.

Thanks,
Dave
 
#12 ·
Dave, welcome!

Although this may be an old thread, when I'm on Sailnet I do check it. I'm not as active now because the boat is still on the hard:mad: so I'm not gaining any sailing or other experience:( . (The Attalia is our first "big" boat and my only sailing experience before was on daysailors).

I've always found "Waymar" to be forgiving and frankly, easy to sail. same principles as a daysailor (we also have the tiller steering, which I've come to appreciate). We've also cruised lake Ontario for up to 8 days with 2 adults, 5 teenagers and a dog (and we had a great time). Most of the time we are 5-6 people on board for 3-4 days at a stretch - no problems.

She will go back in the water next summer and I can't wait. I have alot of projects to improve performance, comfort and looks.


Where will you be sailing? Its a good thing to hire a captain and get some onboard coaching for the first few times. We found that it was not the sailing that was the difficult part but the docking:eek: . especially in close quarters.....:eek:

Practice taking her out and bringing her in many times... do it when you have experienced help around and when there are NOT alot of people around watching;).

The other bit of advice for now is ALWAYS monitor the weather. Keep ahead of the weather, know what is coming and prepare yourself for it before it comes and you will be fine.

The final bit is remember that she draws 5'9"" (unless you have the centreboard version), which is surprisingly deep for a boat like that. - just keep an eye on the charts and the depthsounder...


"bottleinamessage" thanks for sharing the the link to your blog. You have alot of skills. (and guts to tear out the main saloon and rebuild - wow and it looks great!). Compared to the 32ft Attalia your 42 has alot of room...
 
#13 ·
Thanks for the reply and the advice.
We'll be sailing 'Summer Snow' (that's her current name, not sure yet about changing or keeping it) along the Northeastern U.S. coast. Right now she is in Mystic Connecticut, and we can keep her there for the remainder of the season, so we'll be sailing in Fishers Island Sound and probably into Long Island Sound and Block Island Sound. Mystic is about a 3 hour drive for us because we both live in NYC, but I've heard from a lot of people that it is a really great area to sail, with lots of variety in day trips and cruises. Next summer we'll have to decide whether to keep her there or bring down closer to home (which would mean sailing mostly in Western Long Island Sound).

Summer Snow is not the centerboard version, and I am a little nervous about the draft- there are a lot of rocks in Fishers Island Sound and she's been run aground in the past (with substantial damage). I think I will just try to err on the side of caution by keeping to the water that is deep enough even at spring tide, and as you said, paying attention to position on the chart and the depth sounder). From looking at the chart, it does seem like most of the rocks and shoals are marked with becons or lights, so that should help.

I will practice docking (a lot)... The slip she's in is right near the channel, so it shouldn't be too dificult a situation (although I am sure its always difficult at first).

Too bad you couldn't bring Waymar to Guyana... seems like it would be a beautiful place to sail. I look forward to hearing about your projects. Are you going to start them this winter or next spring/ summer? I'll post about anything I am working on too... I'll post some pictures too, after next weekend.
Dave
 
#14 ·
Dave,

I saw Summer Snow on YachtWorld. From the pics, the cosmetics look really great and the list of equipment as impressive. How did the survey come out? If she is structurally sound you got a really great deal! Congrats!

I'll keep you posted on the various projects- I'm willing to try a number of things, but I wont get to them before next summer at the earliest, or even put them off and do some sailing and keep the projects for the fall/winter...

Happy sailing,

-Mark
 
#15 ·
Waymar: Thanks.. Looks easy, but far from it. It seems, from what I've seen, that the early Jeanneau's were kinda short on storage. I ended up I adding 18 cabinets within the boat. Diana, my "sultan of storage", has found numerous nooks and crannies to store more stuff than I ever thought possible. I'm willing to provide details to anyone interested. The end result is that, we now have a 40' boat (not a 42 as Jeanneau would lead you to believe) that can carry 3+ months of food and supplies and still provides us a stable, comfortable home in which we have been from Maine to Georgetown, Bahamas. We're now considering the ARC to Europe next spring.

I'm glad I did this and wish I could have done it sooner.
 
#17 ·
Arglebargle, congrats and welcome! Is it one of the ones listed on Yachtworld? As long as a thorough survey reveals no flaws.. She is versatile....from singlehanded to a party boat for 8!...well built, solid, good looking (especially for a boat built 20+ years ago!).

We've had Waymar for almost five years (last two on the hard...) My only beef is: a) no hot water on my particular boat (which I will fix) and b) that hand crank for the Yanmar diesel is for show only, I have never been able to get it started, even when the engine was warm. I've tried many times ( to test for back-up options) but I've given up and my questions on the general board about Yanmars on SAILNET is that no one else has managed to start it with the crank either.

Bottle, I've done some of my own house renovation and consider myself handy with most tools. I would not attempt what you have been able to do so well. It turned out great... and I agree, storage is key (whether on land or on the water)
 
#18 ·
Thanks Mark... The survey did turn out good, and Summer Snow is as clean as she looks in the pictures. I think she has been well cared for. The survey seemed very thorough-- it lasted about 9 hours and the surveyor said that she is structurally sound. I had fun and learned a lot during the survey, but it was a huge relief when the surveyor got past all the major systems and things were still looking good.
I hear you when it comes to sailing first and doing projects in the winter... There are a number of things we'd like to do too, but aside from maintenance issues, the other stuff can wait. For example, the stove is not currently in the boat (replaced by a large refrigerator) but we'll probably just barbecue for now.
Congrats to you ArgleBargle. Where are you going to be sailing?
Dave
 
#19 ·
Attalia

Thanks for the info

Yes, my (well, soon to be mine) Attalia has no hot water either. a few other minor things i didnt like - manual bilge pump in the head, low hp engine, etc, but overall quite impressed.

will be sailing in the pacific northwest (well, Canada, so its really the pacific southwest for us) gulf islands/san juan Is etc.

i'll post a pic if i get a chance

what modifications/upgrades have you done/plan? how big a job is the hot water?

cheers
 
#20 ·
arglebargle,

Next summer plan on the third weekend in June at Port Bedwell on Pender island for a Jeanneau owners roundezvous. Their was one Attalia there last summer. Along with 2 Arcadia's, all 85's, then multitudes of the newer versions from the early to mid 90's on! One of the Arcadia's managed to beat a new 42DS on the last leg of the two loop race, the skipper of said 42DS, ie a sales rep was none to happy the smallest boat in the race beat him! Oh yeah, I will not mention who's Arcadia it was either.......:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: It is a fun time for all, IIRC about 18 boats attended. A trip to a winery on the island, along with lots of drawing prizes for all!

You can get more info from Frasier Yachts, the Jeanneau dealer in BC, or marine servicenter in Seattle serving the US market.

Enjoy your new rig.
Marty
 
#21 ·
Well done Marty!

I hope to improve my sailing skills with some racing. I guess that's the best way.

Arglebargle, I did see your boat on yachtworld as well. I noticed it had the heater as well as few other custom pieces. I hear the sailing is beautiful but that the water there remains fairly cold so I guess you won't need the swimming platform! Her is a pic of Waymar at the marina:


I'll let you know about the hot water install. I think the easiest is the one that feeds off the engine cooling system and also plugs into shorepower. I've looked at some other options including some of the gas powered water heaters (like for the RVs) but I think I've settled on that. I also want to clean up my wiring as it is a mess and I would like to install a full set of LEDs mixed with some halogen lighting. I,ve got some links I can post. (I also got great advice from this sailnet..)

Have any of you used the shower in the head? Because we only have cold water, I have not yet showered in the head(waited to get back to the marina or just jumped into the lake). I did ask about improving the plumbing (I asked sailnet!). Got some great answers on that. Bottom line is if you don't wants some smells you can't let shower water go to the bilge. thats just asking for trouble... it has to be pumped seperately, preferably into the existing plumbing... I'll post a few pics. We can share both practical stuff as things break down and need improving as well as some sailing skills. I'm also interested in how you guys have your reefing set up, how your battery bank is installed, what soundproofing you have for the engine, any creative rearranging of cabin or systems, storage solutions...

From my standpoint, I'm still on the hard for another year so I'll not be getting any additional experience, noe will I be able to do any of the projects but I will be doing some research and will post relevant findings here!

I would like to focus on comfort, performance, style, anecdotes and a little humour!:)

Happy sailing
 
#22 ·
One might look at these hints and tips at the jeanneau-owners website the Jeanneau owners have done to their rigs.

If it has not been done, do not be suprised if the foam backed vinyl headliner will need replacing. THe headliner replacement info is my boat, which is currently getting the last interior redo in the main cabin, ie revarnishing, along with the new cusions back in late June just before the roundezvous.

Race wise at teh roundezvous, IIRC either 8 or 9 boats went out, we finished in front of the DS42 and a SO37, altho it might have been a 35. It seemed a bit bigger than a 35. I was in the middle of a bunch of 35-37's for a bit, then got goofed up on the 3rd bouy rounding, we were using crab pots, I went for a white one a bit farther than the red/yellow one for some reason, lost the crowd I was in, and allowed the other two boats to get in front of me! GRRRRRRR. Got the slow boat real quick, then the DS on the last leg by out tacking her! Every one kept looking back and seeing this little boat, ie us keeping up with everyone. I think one of the most suprised was the J USA pres or equal that was at the event!

The other arcadia skipper, went out on an SF40, kept looking back, wishing he would have been out in his boat, which is full race equiped! He has been in the top 5 out of Vancouver area for ea of the last 5-10 yrs or so. including #1 of ALL the boats in that region! The attalia did not go out, so I do not know how well/fast that one sails. She hails out of Vancouver BC. Next year if I am there, and the other arcadia shows up, we might go out on that one and show up the new boats! hee hee!

Marty
 
#23 ·
Thanks Marty,

I visit the Jeanneau site regularly but find very little (i.e. nothing) for our boats. - mostly the bigger, more recent Jeanneau's.

You are right about the foam-backed vinyl headliner. It is coming off in my boat and will be one of the "must-do's" before it goes back in the water. How may hours of work do you figure?

I have heard of the Rendezvous. I think they have one on the Jeanneau website with photos (if I recall). If I wer on the West Coast, it would be on my calendar!

Anybody actually use the shower in the head?
 
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