Jeanneau 45DS Windows

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asteven221

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Hi Everyone.

Thinking about a new (for me) boat and a 45DS of about 2009 vintage looks attractive.

I am a little bit concerned about reliability of the two very large saloon windows that are bonded into the boat. They are big and maybe over time they could flex a bit causing the bond to fail and water leaks. Hopefully my concern is not reflected in reality as I like the design etc....

Has anyone had any experience of the 45DS (or any of it's smaller/larger DS sister ships)?

Thx
 
Is that the one with a step down into the front cabin? I recall looking at one several years ago and falling into the cabin because I wasn't expecting a step. Decided there and then it wasn't for me.
 
That's the problem with these overdesigned boats.One day in 20 years time someone needs a window but the pattern for making it has been scrapped.
All very well until it leaks.
 
asteven221 said:
Hi Everyone.

Thinking about a new (for me) boat and a 45DS of about 2009 vintage looks attractive.

I am a little bit concerned about reliability of the two very large saloon windows that are bonded into the boat. They are big and maybe over time they could flex a bit causing the bond to fail and water leaks. Hopefully my concern is not reflected in reality as I like the design etc....

Has anyone had any experience of the 45DS (or any of it's smaller/larger DS sister ships)?

Thx
Click to expand...

Had one for last seven years. Sailed it a bit. Touching real wood as NO problems with any leaks. Previous boat was a Sun Dream that had the windows forward of the mast and they leaked a bit (it was a 1989 boat though).
 
Hi There,
i have the 49DS version, and it is a dream, loads of space the widows provide plenty of light, i have not had any leaks, and mine was commissioned in 2007
 
Thanks everyone for your responses and for the information.

Didn't know about the review in YM. Need to check that out.

Thx
 
I've had a 42ds from new for four years, absolutely no issues with the windows, or anything else, despite sailing in some pretty atrocious conditions. Ours is the latter model though and Jeanneau improved the design and the manufacturing process from the earlier version.
 
30boat said:
That's the problem with these overdesigned boats.One day in 20 years time someone needs a window but the pattern for making it has been scrapped.
All very well until it leaks.
Click to expand...

I hate overdesigned boats.

Mine has 6 large windows bonded into the hull and your observation is a constant source of worry for me.

If only companies such as this existed:

http://www.projectplastics.co.uk/boat-windows.html
 
I'm not sure I understand the term 'Overdesigned' surely if a boat is 'overdesigned' it will also be Overdesigned from a safety point of view. If it means bright, airy attractive to look at as opposed to pokey, under ventilated and old fashioned looking, give me 'Overdesigned' anyday.
I'm sure that all Overdesigned and even Most Under Designed boats will survive the kind off conditions we forum readers will venture out in. The last thing I worry about is losing my windows or even having a leak.
 
pissativlypossed said:
I'm not sure I understand the term 'Overdesigned' surely if a boat is 'overdesigned' it will also be Overdesigned from a safety point of view. If it means bright, airy attractive to look at as opposed to pokey, under ventilated and old fashioned looking, give me 'Overdesigned' anyday.
I'm sure that all Overdesigned and even Most Under Designed boats will survive the kind off conditions we forum readers will venture out in. The last thing I worry about is losing my windows or even having a leak.
Click to expand...
By overdesigned I mean funny shaped windows that are not easily replaced with standard parts or at least easily fashionable ones.Boats are meant to last for many decades and future maintenance should be in the mind of the designers.Apparently it's not.
 
30boat said:
By overdesigned I mean funny shaped windows that are not easily replaced with standard parts or at least easily fashionable ones.Boats are meant to last for many decades and future maintenance should be in the mind of the designers.Apparently it's not.
Click to expand...

No, because the people prepared to pay for such boats are looking for different things and designers are using new technology to meet their needs. There is nothing particularly new about glued in large windows and although no doubt some of the early attempts to use them gave problems (I can think of one well known range of boats that had such problems in the first year it was used), it is now a well established technology. I expect our ancestors brought up on tiny brass bound deadlights had similar concerns about aluminium framed toughened glass or acrylic windows, or any other types introduced in the last 40 or 50 years.
 
DannyB said:
Is that the one with a step down into the front cabin? I recall looking at one several years ago and falling into the cabin because I wasn't expecting a step. Decided there and then it wasn't for me.
Click to expand...

I did the same at the boat show and came to the same conclusion. I'm sure that all DS owners are used to it, but it did put me off. Still a great looking boat with space and light.
 
Tranona said:
No, because the people prepared to pay for such boats are looking for different things and designers are using new technology to meet their needs. There is nothing particularly new about glued in large windows and although no doubt some of the early attempts to use them gave problems (I can think of one well known range of boats that had such problems in the first year it was used), it is now a well established technology. I expect our ancestors brought up on tiny brass bound deadlights had similar concerns about aluminium framed toughened glass or acrylic windows, or any other types introduced in the last 40 or 50 years.
Click to expand...
I'm not worried about the gluing process.It's the double curvature of those windows that will one day may be the problem.They'll be very hard to make to the exact shape if they ever need replacing.
 
Realise last post on this thread was several mths ago but am wondering what asteven221 decided.

I had my heart set on buying a second hand 45ds, then decided to try things out and chartered one in Croatia in summer of 2015 (2008 model). I love the exterior design, lots of space inside as well. Sails well, even though it has in-mast furling main. Electric halyard winch on port is a dream. Every boat 40ft+ shld have one. twin wheels good but i wonder why Jeanneau think this is necessary. Three things i did not like:
1) While giving lots of light the two very large fwd saloon windows create an unbearable greenhouse effect in the saloon in the summer. On other similar models, Oyster for example, these windows can be opened to allow a blast of fresh air though the saloon.
2) Ventilation in aft cabins is grossly insufficient unless you have AC (and a generator to go with it). There are two tiny opening hatches and they are placed in such a way that a good flow of air in the aft cabins is difficult. In the summer if you hv a no-wind day and hv to motor the heat from the engine in the aft cabins makes things even worse.
3)I really do not like the plastic wood-effect finish inside.

If asteven221 bought one then i hope he got the 75hp version. This is the newer Yanmar 4JH4-TE version. The power curve on this is very slightly better than the previous 4JH3TE (also 75hp) so you can cruise at lower rpm with same speed. I dont think the 54hp ver would have enough ooomph for a boat of this size. I would not have gone for the shoal draft version.

While we had a splendid 3 wks in Croatia i was glad i had tried out the 45ds before buying one. Am now the happy owner of a 43ds (2004). I think this shows what Jeanneau could do prior to the general 2008 financial crash in making a nicely constructed boat without the economies of plastic interior. Sails well, excellent handling, not quite as much space inside as the 45ds but still more than adequate which is typical of the ds designs. Real wood down below. Proper ventilation. Much less of a greenhouse problem due shorter fwd windows on the saloon and more vertical so less direct sunshine heating up the saloon but plenty of light in any event. OK, it has the 4JH3-TE engine but this is still 75hp. A unique capability to convert the two large double cabins into 4 smaller, but still very adequate, cabins. If anyone reading this comes to the same conlusion as i did then watch out for the base of the compression post which supports the mast. Early versions suffered about 1.5cm crushing of the GRP base which would allow the mast to drop a little, rigging to slacken, and the windows started leaking. There is a solution but it means taking the mast down, strengthening the base and putting wider SS support plate on which the compression post can sit. Think cost is about £5k. Luckily the version i bought was one where Jeanneau had already made a design change to stop this problem (wider support plate under the compression post).
Andrew
 
SaltyMetals said:
Am now the happy owner of a 43ds (2004). I think this shows what Jeanneau could do prior to the general 2008 financial crash in making a nicely constructed boat without the economies of plastic interior. Sails well, excellent handling, not quite as much space inside as the 45ds but still more than adequate which is typical of the ds designs. Real wood down below. Proper ventilation. Much less of a greenhouse problem due shorter fwd windows on the saloon and more vertical so less direct sunshine heating up the saloon but plenty of light in any event. OK, it has the 4JH3-TE engine but this is still 75hp. A unique capability to convert the two large double cabins into 4 smaller, but still very adequate, cabins. If anyone reading this comes to the same conlusion as i did then watch out for the base of the compression post which supports the mast. Early versions suffered about 1.5cm crushing of the GRP base which would allow the mast to drop a little, rigging to slacken, and the windows started leaking. There is a solution but it means taking the mast down, strengthening the base and putting wider SS support plate on which the compression post can sit. Think cost is about £5k. Luckily the version i bought was one where Jeanneau had already made a design change to stop this problem (wider support plate under the compression post).
Andrew
Click to expand...

I liked the 43DS when I first looked at big boats but started with a 36' in 1998 then bought a 38' in 2001 but always liked the 43DS which I reviewed at every boat show. After a 3 month sailing honeymoon in 2004 and hearing that Jeanneau were stopping making the 43DS I ordered one of the last ones to be built.

It was put out on charter once built in 2005 and apart from the faux cream leather which needed replacing every 6yrs it has stood up to the charter market well. Once I retired I took it out of charter to lavish the TLC it needed after 10yrs. I did get the standard rig with a fully battened main and the 75HP engine. It sails well because most of the water & fuel are immediately over the keel bolts which gives it good weight distribution but the large internal capacity (sleeps 10 but crowded) does mean the beam gets wide very quickly so its not a fast cruiser but have reached at 10kts on occasions when near the limit to put in the 1st reef. Internal capacity v length is a compromise with berthing cost advantages!!

The big advantage of the older model is that it has ribs and stringers to reinforce the outer hull so in the misfortune of any grounding or impact the structure is visible and can be easily inspected and repaired. Later models have an inner "egg" box hull glued to the outer hull where any delamination is difficult to detect as would keel damage!

I always look at what I would replace my current 43DS with but accepting that all boats are a compromise to individuals requirements and prejudices I cannot find an affordable boat that I prefer to the 43DS. Hence instead of buying a new boat I am renovating my current one which overall will cost far less but I accept (like most sailing costs) would be an unrecoverable cost but no boats are an investment !!! The new real leather interior looks good and new internal flooring will make it more like new.

WRT window leaks I have had none and the window covers will hopefully delay any UV deterioration.
 
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