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Beneteau First 42 Manual

29145 Views 66 Replies 18 Participants Last post by LSI, 2 mo ago

Letrappes

Discussion Starter · Jan 24, 2012

I purchased a Beneteau First 42 in December and am looking to find a manual for it. I have tons of paperwork in the boat but it was not included. I called the factory and they sent me a couple brochures but don't have a manual. Does anyone know where I might find one? I'm specifically looking for technical details such as how it was originally wired, plumbing runs, standing and running rigging specs, etc.

21 - 40 of 67 Posts

Letrappes

Discussion Starter · #21 · Jan 15, 2013

soldout2sailing:

I didn't see the post until now. I'm guessing it was the same boat as the one on my dock as it's gone now and my neighbors tell me it was headed towards Lake Arthur. If that's right, let me know. Thanks for moving it BTW as I'll be taking over that spot and have a much easier time docking now.

Congratulations on buying your new boat. I talked with some people a few months back who were interested in it as well but I guess you beat them in the end. So where is the boat ending up?

Scott

soldout2sailing

· #22 · Jan 15, 2013

Scott, I am the guy you met from VA who was looking at the boat. I did not go through with the purchase. It was eventually bought by a local, LA guy who owned a smaller Beneteau. I actually would have completed the purchase had it been closer to my home in VA.

Letrappes

Discussion Starter · #23 · Jan 17, 2013

I would've had a real hard time buying that boat being so far away as well. It could've been a real interesting trip back to VA though but without knowing a lot more about the boat who knows what could've happened. The people on the dock all say it's been at least a couple of years since it left the slip and before that it was pretty much a liveaboard and he rarely went out.

So have you found a boat yet?

soldout2sailing

· #24 · Jan 17, 2013

Funny you should ask about buying, I am having a boat surveyed today, 1/17/13 in St Maarten. If all goes as planned I will complete the purchase on 1/29/13. It is another Beneteau, unfortunately not a First 42 but the next version, a 1992 First 41s5. Boat looks great, it has been upgrade regularly and has a free mooring in St Maarten. Let me know if you decide to sail to ST Maarten and if I am not using the morring you are welcome to moor there, of course, that is if I complete teh purchase.

By the way, you were a big help in my decision on the boat in Lake Charles. The fact that your boat came in better condition, with more equipment and for less money made me go back to teh owner for price consideration. Thanks for the help!

railroadman

· #25 · Sep 4, 2013

Richard,,did you buy the first 41s5? Im the guy from LA that ended up with the 42 from Lake Charles...I may need that slip one day!!! lol

solvertje

· #26 · Sep 4, 2014

Hi,

I bought a Beneteau First 42 from 1983. Can someone send me a Manual (opration or owner's)

regards Lucien

knuterikt

· #27 · Sep 5, 2014

solvertje said:
Hi,

I bought a Beneteau First 42 from 1983. Can someone send me a Manual (opration or owner's)

regards Lucien

You are resuscitating a old thread.
In 1983 you would not normally get manual with a new boat..
You would normally get individual manuals for the major components.
Engine, heater, and so on.

solvertje

· #28 · Sep 5, 2014

ok, thanks. What I need is the electrical sheet for the most... anyone?

svHyLyte

· #29 · Sep 5, 2014

solvertje said:
ok, thanks. What I need is the electrical sheet for the most... anyone?

We may have the schematics in our doc file aboard the boat. I will check later today. If so, how good's your french?

solvertje

· #30 · Sep 8, 2014

My French is not so good... but internet will help translate it. Thx!

ssscruz

· #31 · Mar 3, 2015

I have recently purchased a 1985 First 42 “Coyote" in the SF Bay area. Some of you know the PO, vsteveh, who is a great guy, and kept her in nearly immaculate condition. He has also been of immense help in educating me on the details of the boat’s systems.

The (notably persnickety) surveyor was really impressed with the condition of the boat. But there are a number of small items that he recommended I look at. One of these was to replace the hoses at the tank and stove ends of the LPG system. Those hoses were clamped to a copper (or brass?) tubing that goes from the locker to the stove compartment. The surveyor didn’t like the temporary nature of the clamps (so the insurer wants them changed…)

I removed the hoses and took them to an industrial hose shop for replacement, they assumed the copper/brass tubing was 1/4” and made me up some hoses with 1/4” compression fittings. When I got back to the boat, the compression fittings did not work on the pipe as they were just a bit too small. I didn’t have proper calipers with me at the time, but measured the OD of the pipe at 9/32” or just over 7mm. I am 100 miles from the boat, so when I go back I will take calipers.

Does anyone have any experience with what appears to be "std equipment" on the First 42: meaning a copper-like tube (9/32” OD) from the locker to a valve (in the quarter berth locker) terminating in the stove compartment. The Eno stove has the same stubbed pipe end with no fitting. Is there a magic part? Is the best thing to replace the whole thing with a continuous rubber hose? etc...

Thanks for any insights...

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Letrappes

Discussion Starter · #32 · Mar 4, 2015

I'm on my 1983 First 42 right now so I tried to measure it. Mine goes through the bulkhead behind the stove into the hanging locker before the hard tubing begins. It seems to measure just over .29" OD but it's rather hard to get in there with calipers. Just remember if you replace it that the stove is meant to swing so you need something flexible where it connects in the cabin.

Reactions: 1

ssscruz

· #33 · Mar 4, 2015

Letrappes said:
I'm on my 1983 First 42 right now so I tried to measure it. Mine goes through the bulkhead behind the stove into the hanging locker before the hard tubing begins. It seems to measure just over .29" OD but it's rather hard to get in there with calipers. Just remember if you replace it that the stove is meant to swing so you need something flexible where it connects in the cabin.

Thanks. Sounds like the same stuff. Does it have a compression fitting for the hose connection to the metal pipe? Just hoping that is some sort of a standard fitting (in the US).

Heinous

· #34 · Mar 4, 2015

Nice boat!

Letrappes

Discussion Starter · #35 · Mar 4, 2015

No fitting. The rubber hose is clamped to the copper tubing.

svHyLyte

· #36 · Mar 4, 2015

Coyote was owned by a member of our Club and was very well maintained so you've managed to take over a good boat. The tubing connections on the boat are/were the Beneteau standard and quite adequate, your surveyor's opinion not withstanding. Now you've got a fix to manage that will, hopefully go well enough although, if you are not skilled with such work, it would be wise to have a qualified gas technician make the change/repair.

Beyond the foregoing, something we, and several other owners of the boat we know, do as a matter of practice is that, once done cooking we shut off the solenoid control while a burner is still lit to burn off the gas in the line and then manually close the valve on the Propane tank. In that manner, unless needed for cooking, there is no gas in the system and no possibility of leakage.

FWIW...

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ssscruz

· #37 · Mar 4, 2015

svHyLyte said:
Coyote was owned by a member of our Club and was very well maintained so you've managed to take over a good boat. The tubing connections on the boat are/were the Beneteau standard and quite adequate, your surveyor's opinion not withstanding. Now you've got a fix to manage that will, hopefully go well enough although, if you are not skilled with such work, it would be wise to have a qualified gas technician make the change/repair.

Beyond the foregoing, something we, and several other owners of the boat we know, do as a matter of practice is that, once done cooking we shut off the solenoid control while a burner is still lit to burn off the gas in the line and then manually close the valve on the Propane tank. In that manner, unless needed for cooking, there is no gas in the system and no possibility of leakage.

FWIW...

Thanks. I feel quite fortunate to have this boat. Steve, the PO has been hugely helpful in spending time going over systems etc. I actually was not ready to buy a boat quite yet. But this one was hard to pass up.

I will go talk with an LPG specialist to see what fittings they recommend. I think if I get a qualified opinion (and installation) with clamps, then maybe I should go that way. Steve mentioned that he thought those were more reliable anyway.

On shutting off after cooking...yes this is how I have always done it on other boats. I had an RV that this did not really work on (since it took a long time to re-charge the line with gas). But most boats seem to work well this way...

RandyonR3

· #38 · Mar 7, 2015

The "gas" system was something we replaced shortly after we bought the boat and I had all the lines made up by "Whale Point" marine there on San Pablo Blvd, But then again, I swapped out everything including the stove for a newer model.
Congrats on the new purchase, was wondering who bought the boat.......

We're up in the delta until the first part of April , then the bay for a few weeks until we start heading south.. If I can Be of any help, give me a shout....

You might check out our site.... SailingOnR3.com

ssscruz

· #39 · Mar 12, 2015

RandyonR3 said:
The "gas" system was something we replaced shortly after we bought the boat and I had all the lines made up by "Whale Point" marine there on San Pablo Blvd, But then again, I swapped out everything including the stove for a newer model.
Congrats on the new purchase, was wondering who bought the boat.......

We're up in the delta until the first part of April , then the bay for a few weeks until we start heading south.. If I can Be of any help, give me a shout....

You might check out our site.... SailingOnR3.com

Hey Randy,

Sorry for the delay in replying. I have been on the road, and am just now seeing your post. I measured the current tubing at 8mm. The hose guys tell me that 5/16ths swages will work fine, being just a few thousanths different. So I have put those on my new hoses, and will install the next time I am on the boat...which may be another week and a half. I live in Santa Cruz, and still have the boat at RYC for a couple of months until my slip in SC is vacant. We will see how that goes.

Checked out your site. Looks like you have a nice spot in the Delta.

Where are you headed once you leave there?

Scott

RandyonR3

· #40 · Mar 14, 2015

ssscruz said:
Hey Randy,

Sorry for the delay in replying. I have been on the road, and am just now seeing your post. I measured the current tubing at 8mm. The hose guys tell me that 5/16ths swages will work fine, being just a few thousanths different. So I have put those on my new hoses, and will install the next time I am on the boat...which may be another week and a half. I live in Santa Cruz, and still have the boat at RYC for a couple of months until my slip in SC is vacant. We will see how that goes.

Checked out your site. Looks like you have a nice spot in the Delta.

Where are you headed once you leave there?

Scott

No plans this time out, except we'll be headed south, and the wife says Half Moon Bay for Clam Chowder...

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