[jgrasell]

Interested in purchasing a Beneteau Oceanis 40 to 45. Currently working in Abu Dhabi and hope to live on the boat. Any comments about this boat or suggestions regarding other boats that I should consider is greatly appreciated. Besides a place to live my wife and I will use the boat to sail along the coast of UAE and Oman and explore the many islands.

 

[Yorksailor]

Beneteaus represent excellent 'bang for the buck' Sail well, good storage for the sail things, good acommodation. Not as strongly built as the semi-custon cruisers but adequate for most purposes. I sail in on the US east coast and in the Caribbean and in the last 6 ys and 15,000 miles, except for the odd hurricane, I have not been through anything that a Benateau Oceanis could not handle. (In the four hurricanes I was tied up in th mangroves so the Beneteau would have been fine)

Good luck Phil

 

[MJBrown]

They're good boats, I think you'll be fine with one. We're on our fourth and all have been good values, great to sail and very comfortable. In the used market the 411, 423, 461 and 473 should fit your needs. New the 43 or 46 would do you well. We have the 43 and it has a very roomy salon but lacks the extra storage in the cabins the 46 has. Both sail very well and will let you see 8 to 9 kts of speed on a regular basis. The 40 is a smaller version of the 43 but only has one head and lacks some of the storage the 43 has in the galley.

 

[gene80]

Smaller Beneteau's

They're good boats, I think you'll be fine with one. We're on our fourth and all have been good values, great to sail and very comfortable. In the used market the 411, 423, 461 and 473 should fit your needs. New the 43 or 46 would do you well. We have the 43 and it has a very roomy salon but lacks the extra storage in the cabins the 46 has. Both sail very well and will let you see 8 to 9 kts of speed on a regular basis. The 40 is a smaller version of the 43 but only has one head and lacks some of the storage the 43 has in the galley.

MJ, sorry to thread hijack but do you have any experience with the 381 or 361? My wife and I are in the market for newish crusing boat in the 80-100k range to operate out of South Florida with ambitions of 6 months in the Caribbean. We've looked at the 361, 381, and the 411. Any opinion?

Also looking at Catalinas due to larger main cabin or the Jeanneau's.

Thanks,

Gene

 

[MJBrown]

We had a 361 for 7 1/2 yrs and loved it. It's a great boat, sails well, and comfortable below as well. The separate shower is bigger than what we have in our 43. It has a large aft cabin and good size galley. Numerous ports and hatches provide good ventilation. Huge cockpit locker for storing all your boat goodies. I've single handed her in winds up to 30 kts with zero issues. We've made runs as long as 12 hours and always felt comfortable. I think she'd be a good choice for something in that price range.

I'm not familiar with the 381 but did consider moving to a 411 which is a nice boat with a good reputation. If you have the extra money to buy a 411 versus the 361, all things being equal, I'd go for it. The extra room and overall size of the boat would be nice to have.

I hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions. You can always send me a private message if you want to take this off line.
Mike

 

[soulfinger]

We looked at a 381, and while pretty, we were really concerned about the lack of storage space, especially in the galley. After seeing the 381, we didn't even bother looking at the 361, which is sort of a squashed version of the 381.

 

[CrazyRu]

And, I guess, any potential buyer needs to read this:

Report of the
Marine Accident Investigation Branch
Investigation into the capsize of the Yacht
OCEAN MADAM
with the loss of one life
in the Bay of Biscay
8 October 1997

http://www.maib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/Ocean Madam.pdf

 

[night0wl]

Beneteaus (in general) are great boats that make some compromises that make them very price competitive compared to Catalina.

Here are things that drive me a bit nutty about my era of Beneteau

> Iron keel instead of lead which is starting to rust already
> Not enough zincs...undersized zincs. My boat eats through zincs very quickly...so the diver gets $70 a month from me.
> Interior is usually manufactured surfaces, not a lot of teak...modern looking
> Winches are a bit undersized, and you could stand to have an extra one to manage all the lines
> A bit "over-engineered" but not to the extent of Hunter...the innovations look cool, but at sea sometimes tried/true is better than new/innovative.

 

[danielgoldberg]

And, I guess, any potential buyer needs to read this:

Report of the
Marine Accident Investigation Branch
Investigation into the capsize of the Yacht
OCEAN MADAM
with the loss of one life
in the Bay of Biscay
8 October 1997

http://www.maib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/Ocean Madam.pdf

What do you think this shows, and why do you think "any potential buyer" needs to read it?

 

[CrazyRu]

What do you think this shows, and why do you think "any potential buyer" needs to read it?

Well..
1. There is a boat with word "Ocean" in its make.
2. The boat has point of vanishing stability of 109 degree.

I have no problem with either fact as separate entities.
However I'm having problem with company making a boat with point of vanishing stability of 109 and calling it "Oceanis".
I know, I'm weirdo…

And, I think that potential buyer needs to read to this line, at least…

Contributory Causes and Underlying Factors

4. The skipper's over-optimism about the ability of Ocean Madam to
withstand heavy weather and breaking waves.

 

[danielgoldberg]

Well..
1. There is a boat with word "Ocean" in its make.
2. The boat has point of vanishing stability of 109 degree.

I have no problem with either fact as separate entities.
However I'm having problem with company making a boat with point of vanishing stability of 109 and calling it "Oceanis".
I know, I'm weirdo…

And, I think that potential buyer needs to read to this line, at least…

Contributory Causes and Underlying Factors

4. The skipper's over-optimism about the ability of Ocean Madam to
withstand heavy weather and breaking waves.

The debate about Beneteaus and the like have raged on for quite some time, and I won't rehash that here. Obviously there are boats out there of more robust construction. That said, I will note that indicting an entire brand because one 39' boat, no longer in production, with three crew, 2 of which were not sailors, capsized in a Force 9 storm in the Atlantic Ocean 12 years ago, really not does advance your argument very far. Many, MANY, serious bluewater boats have been rolled in the world's oceans in that kind of weather. And many, MANY, Beneteaus have crossed oceans and withstood heavy weather. Pointing to one incident and extrapolating from that, either way, is not sound logic or reasoning.

I do agree, as I've said several times, that mass production boats are not as stoutly built as certain other more limited production models. But telling a guy who specifically stated that he wants a boat for coastal cruising and living aboard not to buy a Beneteau because of this one story really doesn't do the poster any favors and really leads him astray, IMHO.

Not picking a fight with you, just my opinion, and I didn't want the OP to get the impression that a Beneteau (or Hunter, Catalina, Jeanneau, Hanse, etc.) is not suitable for his stated intended use.

 

[MJBrown]

It's name that Beneteau has used from time to time. Doubtful anyone is going to buy the boat and cross an ocean based on the name alone. Anyone that would has more to worry about than that.

 

[CrazyRu]

T But telling a guy who specifically stated that he wants a boat for coastal cruising and living aboard not to buy a Beneteau because of this one story really doesn't do the poster any favors and really leads him astray, IMHO.

Not picking a fight with you, just my opinion, and I didn't want the OP to get the impression that a Beneteau (or Hunter, Catalina, Jeanneau, Hanse, etc.) is not suitable for his stated intended use.

I don't see in any of my posts any suggestions to buy or not to buy the boat. I believe in free and well thought-out choice...

Here is example, it is taken from BeneteauUSA FaQ page
Beneteau Previous Models:

Visually inspect the keel to hull joint. It is not uncommon to have a small (1/8") gap at the front and rear seam of the keel to deck joint. This is caused by the keel having a flat top and the hull having a rounded shape. The gap should be cleaned with mineral spirits, allowed to dry and filled with 3-M 5200 Marine Adhesive.

After reading this, I wonder, why keel having a flat top, and hull having rounded shape?

There are many other examples from same page, should I continue?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not picking up a fight either. Questions like this one bother me all my life...

 

[gene80]

What eats Zinc?

Beneteaus (in general) are great boats that make some compromises that make them very price competitive compared to Catalina.

Here are things that drive me a bit nutty about my era of Beneteau

> Iron keel instead of lead which is starting to rust already
> Not enough zincs...undersized zincs. My boat eats through zincs very quickly...so the diver gets $70 a month from me.
> Interior is usually manufactured surfaces, not a lot of teak...modern looking
> Winches are a bit undersized, and you could stand to have an extra one to manage all the lines
> A bit "over-engineered" but not to the extent of Hunter...the innovations look cool, but at sea sometimes tried/true is better than new/innovative.

What causes the zinc to disappear so rapidly? If the zinc is totally eaten what damage would the boat suffer? Is it difficult to replace the zinc yourself?

 

[MJBrown]

Metals sitting in salt water and subjected to voltages passing through them will corrode. Since zinc is less noble it gives itself up before bronze, stainless, etc. thereby protecting the more valuable metal. If the zinc wears away and is not replaced then the metals in the prop and or prop shaft can begin to wear away, permanently damaging that item. You can look the list of metals and their nobility up in most boat electric books. You'll also find a more detailed explanation than mine.

There are a number of things that cause zincs to wear away. The salinity level of the water (the saltier the quicker they wear), improperly wired dock power, a neighbors power cord hanging in the water, a neighbors boat improperly wired, your own boat improperly wired (usually a result of a poorly installed modification involving electric connections) to name the most common. (the improper wiring allows stray voltages to leak into the water enabling the corrosion)

Zincs are easy to change. If the boat is out of the water alls it takes is a screw driver and a few minutes. If it's in the water then it takes a screw driver and either scuba gear or really big lungs For added protection some folks place an additional zinc on the shaft behind the prop.

FWIW I'm on my 4th Benny and none of them have eaten zincs out of the ordinary. One exception was our last boat that sat in the same slip for 7 years. Zincs were fine all but the last year when we had a semi derilict boat next to us. Remember my comment on your neighbors boat wiring?

I hope this helps. Perhaps others will provide additional info on the subject.
Mike

 

[gene80]

Zincs

Makes total sense. Thanks for the explanation. So Net: If you're burning through zincs first check your boat/power. If it's not due to a recent change that you made talk to others that dock near by b/c they are more than likely experiencing the same issue.

Glad I'm a diver. Although, diving in a canal doesn't sound like a lot of fun.

 

[MJBrown]

Gene80, if you're burning through zincs read up on what to check on your boat. There's plenty written on it so finding instructions shouldn't be hard. Or find a qualified marine electrician to investigate if you're unfamiliar with electricity. Also keep in mind to shut off shore power in the surrounding area before you dive. An electrical leak, likely to cause rapid zinc wear, could also be deadly to you or anyone swimming near the electrical leak. Remember you have at least 110VAC with 30 and/or 50 amp service on the power posts at your slip. Finding a nice quiet anchorage to don the gear and scrub the bottom would be my choice.

 

[malyea]

Beneteaus (in general) are great boats that make some compromises that make them very price competitive compared to Catalina.

Could I get some opinions on Catalina quality of construction vs Beneteaus (and sailability, cruiseability, etc). I'm chartering a B393 this Feb and shopping to buy something 36' to 44' in a year or so while it's still a buyers market.

Planned use is east coast, Florida, Bahamas, Carribean.

 

[MJBrown]

I don't think you'll find much difference in overall quality between the two. Each goes about it differently but the net result is the same; nicely built boats for the money. Catalina like Beneteau has a very strong following of owners and each will try to sell you on their own brand. I think it will boil down to asthetics. Which one catches your eye? How are the cockpit, instruments, sail handling gear, interiors, etc laid out? You'll also want to see how they sail and handle under power. How easy will it be to service or replace parts? How comfortable at anchor or under sail? What does the wife think? Good luck with your shopping.

 

[night0wl]

One thing I will say about Catalina vs Beneteau...(and I love my Beneteau).

The designs tend to be more tried/true for Catalina. Not fancy opening ports/hatches...not a lot of "skylights" that may leak in the future...etc. Their hardware also tends to be a bit sturdier (larger winches for the same LOA..etc). Also, they use Lead keels over Iron which have their plusses and minuses.

Foot for foot, you'll pay about 15% *SNIP*(25%)*SNIP more for a Catalina though.


*I edited to accurately reflect that Catalinas tend to be 10-15% more than a comparable Beneteau.