Friendship33/Oceanis 320

[BigLes]

Well the search is still on and I need to pick some brains again! (thanks in advance).

Have viewed an Oceanis 320, bit of a floating caravan - but how does she sail?

Hopefully looking at a Friendship 33 (a Dutch built boat designed by Van de Stadt) - how does she sail?

So any info or opinions gratefully recieved!

PS - we're looking for a boat about 30-33ft, after double cabin/berths, wheel steering, about £30,000 - any other candidates? (no funny answers please!!!)

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[Mudplugger]

have a look at a Westerly 33, if you can find one, brilliant sea boat, built like a brick ****house and sail remarkably well to windward, choice of Ketch or sloop rig (Discus) and lots of room to go with it.
Tony W.

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[sailbadthesinner]

moody 33
mixed reports when i asked about it
can't find the thread sorry
not sure many have wheel steering if any
large aft cabin tho
has been looked at in the buy a boat section in ym a few times
i think there are quite a few tired examples out there
there are a few owners on this site and a couple of ex owners from memory
certainly worth considering
all imho

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[charles_reed]

It all depends

on your intended sailing use.

The Oceanis is great for interior volume, having week-end parties and for light weather sailing and so is more suitable for most recreational sailors.

If you intend to sail seriously, in >F6 and to windward I'd rather be in the Friendship, rather more old-fashioned, less-spacious and slightly slower offwind, but a better sea-boat.

However many people have completed trans-oceanic passages in similar Benéteaux.

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[Sybarite]

I chartered an Oceanis 320 many years ago - just for a long week-end. I came back very disappointed. A tub to sail and the furling gear under the deck meant that the friction made reefing hard going.

For what it is worth... and always IMHO.

John

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[BigLes]

When you say she was a tub to sail what do you mean?

I know she has a shallow forefoot, but I was under the impression this was an issue if steering in windy conditions in close quarters. I also know the shorter wing keel means she doesn't point very high when going to wind - are these the situations you found yourself in? Or are there any other vices?

We are lookig for a boat for Solent and cros-Channel sailing - do you think she would be OK for that. SWMBO doesn't llike going out in rough conditions so I would think Force 6 would be about our limit (hopefully!).

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[Sybarite]

Please remember that I sailed this boat a long time ago (shortly after it was introduced) and there may have been improvements since - even if I don't believe so.

By a tub I mean it was slow, did not point very high and was a bore to sail especially when you see other boats sailing past you. I bought a Feeling 920 shortly after this and there was no comparison as far as sailing pleasure was concerned.

I would also add that a boat that sails well is very much a safety feature ( "clawing off a lee shore...") and my Feeling has looked after me very well over the years.
I have tested it and know that I can sail to weather in a Force 8. No way you would do that with an Oceanis 320.

Another feature that I didn't like was that the saloon seating is all down one side with the galley opposite. I believe face to face seating adds very much to conviviality at a mooring and also, if you are passage making in rough weather, your choice of berths is seriously limited. You say that your SWMBO does not like rough weather (few do !) but if you have an additional concern about its sailing ability and your capability of making a port, this will not help. The fact that you do not appear to be going far eg cross channel in not, IMO, an argument as bad weather is not always correctly forecasted. The day I did my Force 8 test, I had a 60 knot squall on the way back in - just a few miles from port - which actually broke two of the metal hanks on the storm jib and broached us (with a 3rd reef in the main).

I had chartered various boats before buying my Feeling; the Oceanis was the one I liked least - by far.

John


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