Beneteau Oceanis 34 - Ballast Ratio etc

[wizard]

Was looking at this boat at SBS just wondering if there are any owners out their willing to share their views on its sailing abilities.

Also, any points that need changing that you have found after using it for some time etc

Oh, and one more thing I cant seem to find the ballast weight for this boat so cant calculate the ballast ratio

Any help greatly appreciated

 

[davidwf]

Got the Oceanis 31 which is essentially a scaled down 34. I find the 31 incredibly well balanced and very reluctant to broach. Have sailed her in 25Kn apparent with full sail upwind, had to let main out with a really hardened up kicker, but she went like a train no problems at all. I wouldn't normally hold full sail at that wind speed but dealer was teaching me some new techniques. I normally reef at 15 to 18Kn apparent.

Only down side as far as I am concerned is that the helm is a bit lifeless.

All in all a cracking boat and I expect the 34 will be just as good.

 

[Twister_Ken]

According to Sail magazine:

Type: auxiliary
Hull: mono
Year: 2010
Length: 33'11"
LWL: 30'8"
Beam: 12'
Draft: std: 6'1"; opt: 4'6"
Displacement: 12,566 lbs
Ballast: std: 3,208 lbs; opt: 3,556 lbs
Sail Total Area: 563 sq ft
Aux HP: 29-hp
Aux Fuel: 34 gal
Water: 34 gal
Designer: Finot-Conq Assoc.

I make that 25.5% ballast ratio. Hmmm.

 

[Bajansailor]

But she probably has a similar hull shape to that Jeanneau that lost its keel in the Scillies, and nonchantly sailed home afterwards without realising.......

Hence good initial stability due to hull form / shape, but if you do happen to invert her (very unlikely) then the odds are that she might be quite happy upside down.
In calm water.
If in rough water, and it would probably take a very big wave to invert her, I reckon that the next wave coming along would tend to help her to come upright again.
So, probably ok for coastal sailing, and maybe think twice before taking her down to the Roaring 40s, or Furious 50s.

 

[V1701]

That's a very big 34 foot boat, I think I would want to find out how come the ballast ratio is so low. And I would definitely expext more than "probably OK for coastal sailing"!
My Sun-Dream 28 (Jeanneau) has hull form not very dissimilar to the new AWBs, i.e. flat bottom but without such a fat back end and not nearly vertical at the bow, but my ballast ratio is 40%.
Have "they" discovered that with boats this shape, just 25% is adequate?

 

[30boat]

That's a very big 34 foot boat, I think I would want to find out how come the ballast ratio is so low. And I would definitely expext more than "probably OK for coastal sailing"!
My Sun-Dream 28 (Jeanneau) has hull form not very dissimilar to the new AWBs, i.e. flat bottom but without such a fat back end and not nearly vertical at the bow, but my ballast ratio is 40%.
Have "they" discovered that with boats this shape, just 25% is adequate?

Does this boat have a bulb? I think these modern french boats have ridiculously low ballast ratios but a lot can be achieved with a deep keel with a bulb at the bottom.

 

[Tranona]

Does this boat have a bulb? I think these modern french boats have ridiculously low ballast ratios but a lot can be achieved with a deep keel with a bulb at the bottom.

You have raised an important point. Many of the older keel designs have their weight high up (wide at the top and pointy further down) so despite the higher ballast ratio may have a lower level of stability than modern designs. Most of the modern keels have their weight low down in a bulb so providing more stability for a given weight. My Bavaria has a ballast ratio of 33% with a draft of 1.4m, but with a huge shaped bulb at the bottom of the keel. Same weight as the 1.85m draft version so stability curve is the same, but does not perform to windward so well because of the poor shape of the foil.

There are all sorts of reasons why ballast ratios have fallen in recent designs and it is simplistic to just dismiss the trend as negative.

 

[Twister_Ken]

There are all sorts of reasons why ballast ratios have fallen in recent designs and it is simplistic to just dismiss the trend as negative.

Maybe, but my new steed (a 2008 design) has 1.95m draft, all lead keel with a big bulb (actually almost L shaped) and a ballast ratio of just over 40%, on about the same LWL as the Benny 34 referred to.

 

[wizard]

Maybe, but my new steed (a 2008 design) has 1.95m draft, all lead keel with a big bulb (actually almost L shaped) and a ballast ratio of just over 40%, on about the same LWL as the Benny 34 referred to.

I dont think that I would be happy with the 25% BR of the Beneteau now -your 40% sounds much more solid. Would you care to name your boat for me?

 

[flaming]

Maybe, but my new steed (a 2008 design) has 1.95m draft, all lead keel with a big bulb (actually almost L shaped) and a ballast ratio of just over 40%, on about the same LWL as the Benny 34 referred to.

As does almost all performance cruiser racers. Including the Beneteau First 35, which actually has a torpedo shaped T keel.

Which is pretty clear evidence that it's considered quick and seaworthy when sailing performance is put ahead of interior volume.

 

[Tranona]

Maybe, but my new steed (a 2008 design) has 1.95m draft, all lead keel with a big bulb (actually almost L shaped) and a ballast ratio of just over 40%, on about the same LWL as the Benny 34 referred to.

However, your new boat is not a competitor to the Benny, being designed more for performance.

The Benny makes no pretence to being a performance boat - that is what the First range from the same builder is for. They were parked next to eachother at SBS for all to see the difference.

The emphasis on the Benny 34 is on accommodation, style (?) and adequate sailing performance, so larger volume hull, lower ballast ratio and modest easily handled rig is the chosen combination.

This is only negative if your requirements/expectations are different from that design brief. Clearly many people have decided the Benny 34 is appropriate to their needs as I guess there are more made in a week than examples of your boat in a year.

So wizard might not be "happy" with a low ballast ratio boat, but that is only logical if he is unhappy with the rest of the concept as low ballast ratios are common to all the direct competitors. If high ballast ratio is important to you, then look at styles of boats that have them.