First 210/211/217 and Sun 2000 queries

[bluerm166]

I am considering one of the above for purchase for east Coast cruising and have read previous strands about these S/H options.I would be grateful for any users advice as follows:

Will either sit happily on a soft mud creek trot mooring (exposed at springs) with their differing raised keel positions ?

Conversely would the First be tricky to balance when anchored away from the mooring (on the raised keel and rudders I believe) when in a drying situation away from the mooring over a 'giving' but hard mud/shingle surface ?Does anyone use legs for this as belt and braces ?

Is the First likely to be drier under sail than the Sun ?

 

[bluerm166]

This seems to have lost its place in the Q so lets refresh it

 

[gliptus]

Hi bluerm166,

I have a beneteau 211 but have seen Jeanneau 2000s sailing and out of the water. I think that both could dry out fine in soft mud. You'd have to unship the rudders of either design but that is pretty easy. For drying out on a harder surface the fully retracting Jeanneau keel is a clear advantage. For the Beneteau with its keel lying along the hull the boat would of course want to lie at an angle. I really don't think that Beneteau rudders are strong enough to dry out on. I have a memory of seeing a Beneteau with fittings for legs, either side of the hull amidships. If that is right you'd have to rig the legs every time you came back from sailing.

About which is dryer under sail I'm really not sure. As two boats of about the same size and weight I don't think there would be much of a difference. The Beneteau though would stand up to increasing wind better: the flip side of the keel not fully retracting is that it is about 1/3 of a tonne of metal, while the Jeanneau ballast is actually the bottom of the hull, so doesn't get the centre of gravity so low.

Best of luck.

 

[arfa]

First 211

I sail a 211 and mine has beaching legs which can be rigged up so I assume that the 211 is designed to take the ground. However I have never bothered using them so can't really comment. I don't think you could use them on a mooring as they don't look like they are designed to be left on permanently. One thing I am pretty sure of is that the rudders are not load bearing so would have to be raised (pretty easy) when left.
The 211's keel does not raise fully so there will be a balance issue unless the mud is deep. One other concern might be getting mud/grit into the keel raising mechanism.
On the issue of how wet they are, I have a sprayhood and it comes into its own in force 5's and rougher seas, although below this I haven't really had an issue with spray.

 

[banger]

In Deacons yard yesterday, they have a 211 for sale, looks tidy is on a trailer and is marked up at 16K, dont know if the trailer is with it.

 

[bluerm166]

Many thanks for your useful replies,much appreciated.

 

[SimonW99]

ts easy to be dismissive of these little boats and there are comments re less seaworthy than a 211. Having sailed both, I just don't think that is accurate, The 211, 21.7 is higher with more windage and a bit tubbier in profile, so better headroom and nicer finish below, but the keel is more problematic and in my experience they are more tender than the 2000 despite more weight in the keel. The reason is that the 2000 has much much more form stability so firms up much more quickly than the bene. In terms of performance, the bene feels as if it should be quicker, but never having had them together, I am not so sure. The sun 200 is no slouch and the averages for these boats are almost identical in the Round the island race and arguably the 2000's do a fraction better.

From a practical viewpoint if going shallow, the sun 200 centreboard will kick up, but is really easy to raise simply by pulling the line in the cockpit whilst you have to go below in the bene and turn a winch handle 77 times. If you are coming on to a shoal mooring single handed I know which is easier! It also doesn't intrude in the cabin. The bene's can rupture the bearing reasonably easily when they run aground and they dont like drying mud moorings as they pack and then jam. When they unjam they go down with a thump and again can rupture the bearings. They also draw more than the 2000 and if you want to dry out and don't have the factory fit only legs, the bene leans right over whereas the Jeanneau dries out flat.

All that said I like both boats and own neither at present.