Beneteau Oceanis 323 aging

[Plomong]

I am in the process of acquiring a new Beneteau 323 and so have been looking at some other peoples 323s to see how they stand up to the test of time.
Recently I was surprised to find on one boat a large quantity, maybe more than 20 litres, of fresh water in the area beneath the motor and also to the port side of it. The starboard side of the motor was completely dry, as was the keel area.
Where this water came from is a mystery, as it was for the person showing me the boat, who was not the owner.

Another 323 had extensive sealing compound, badly applied, around the base plate of the wheel pedestal (binnacle base and console support) suggesting a problem with water ingress.

These two cases have made me somewhat nervous about my purchase !!!

Do any of you Oceanis 323 owners have any comments to make on overall 323 quality, maybe known weak points, or areas to be watched ???

Since my boat will not be delivered for some months yet I have plenty time to worry !!! and just need some reassurance that I have not bought a poor-quality boatl !!!!!

 

[bobgoode]

bennys and Jennys are very similar build..imho...and my jenny has had a lot of use and shows no real problems so far. (3 years, 180 days and nights on board and over 2000 miles sailed)

A recent review of the benny was complimentary of the build..for the money..stop worrying and enjoy the anticipation.

I think it is a lot to do with how the owner treats the vessel. Witness the way some cars last for miles and others can give problems.

 

[alan]

I've got a 311 which is the 'old' version of the 323.
The fresh water under the motor could be coming from the boiler pressure relief valve (the drain tube is fed into the bilge near the inverter - I have added a plastic bottle on mine to catch any water); or the stern shower head which can leak water which then runs back down and sits under the inverter; or from the engine but if it was the engine then I would expect it be ant-freeze and water and not fresh water.

Inside the stearing column there is a raised tube (30cm or so) where all the cables come up from under the cockpit so any water getting under the steering column should be just draining out the back of the boat - there is a channel under the removable piece of cockpit floor where the steering cables run which also drains any water.

Don't worry about it, as I have experience of 5 or 6 311's and they are all fine; well built from money/quality perspective and I imagine the 323 is the same (it is the same boat practically). Fresh water leaks are a pain to identify but is likely to be something stupid! Beneteau fitted boilers in early 311's which had aluminium "containers" but didnt protect them from electrolyses; I know of two which had to be replaced (mine included) but Ben did this without any hassle.

Enjoy the boat, as already stated, they are good value and good fun to sail; also the anticipation of waiting for the new boat to arrive is fun and don't let little problems with other peoples boats spoil it for you !! [Can't wait for May when by 343 arrives .......]

Alan.

 

[Plomong]

The water was colourless, so probably was not from the engine, or had no anti-freeze in it.

Just as you mentioned, my previous boat, also a Benny, had a leak early on from the stern shower hose. That was easy to fix. Also, two deck hatches had poorly-applied Sikaflex (discontinuous beading, thinly applied in places) that required lifting and re-bedding both hatches. Other than that, there were no major problems over some 15 years.

As you say, I'll just get on with preparations for the new boat and quit worrying. When she arrives, I'll look at the boiler relief line arrangements just in case, and, if appropriate, add a bottle as a neat solution.

Thanks for your comments.