My First Yacht Search - Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 349

[DueSouth]

My search for my first yacht continues and I would appreciate any points regarding a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 349, very lightly used 2017 model...

(I lost out on a 20 year old Beneteau Oceanis 311 Clipper to another buyer - Now increased my budget and widening the search)

My original brief was to find a yacht to allow my young family (wife, 8 and 5 year old's) to get into sailing - Having sailed mainly dinghy's in my younger days and only been on a yacht a few times over the years, this will be a new venture for all of us in many ways. I want a yacht to do some coastal cruising and on occasion cross the English Channel...

Please share your thoughts on a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 349 being able to meet this brief - Anybody on here own one and can share some insight?

Many thanks.

 

[Concerto]

All the advice already given in your previous thread will still apply to this boat.

Just go and look at it as soon as possible.

Earlier today I was looking at the yachtsnet.co.uk web site. They do not have a boat on their listings at present. That is something I have never seen before and suggests how difficult it will be to find any boat at present.

 

[eddystone]

No experience of 349 but had a 379/389 (aka Sunsail 38) in BVIs for 10 days, which I guess is just same thing scaled up a bit - not sure if 349 has twin rudders. I think you'll find it easy to sail with spacious cockpit layout. The annoying things I found were single line reefing for R1 but double lines for R2 (OK pretty minor point) and the mainsheet is led to the same winches used for genoa so have to swap over as appropriate. Seemed pretty controllable under power but has typical modern trait of cut away forefoot so directional stability not like a Contessa 32 giggle. Internal layout good but vestigial chart table but most people wan't be bothered. The 379/389 2 cabin version had a brilliant heads and shower with a walk through straight into the cockpit locker.l

 

[James_Calvert]

We had one booked for a charter in Mallorca, but cancelled because of covid.

I found a new boat review for it in an old Yachting Monthly which helped us decide to charter it. Would be worth getting a copy of the review.

Things I was unsure of which I hoped would be fine in practice:

The twin wheel steering system, perched right at the back of the boat, would this feel insecure, would it actually be any fun steering it, being used to a tiller? As a fallback our charter boat did have an autopilot, but would that also make the steering heavy?

The genoa sheeting arrangements. No track, but some combination of barber haulers. Would we be able to tweak the sail as we wanted?

I was pleased our boat had slab reefing for the main.

There's a three cabin version (excluding the saloon) , or a two cabin version. We would have had a two cabin one, which has a larger heads and shower compartment.

Hope this helps a bit. I can look out that review again this evening if you like.

 

[Buck Turgidson]

Honestly, it's pointless asking people their opinion on every boat that takes your fancy. Every boat built in the last 40 years in the size range you are looking at will do what you want. The difference will only be in the boats condition and it's handling both of which depend on your opinion not someone else. So go and sail the boats you are interested in then decide which you like best.

Personally I chartered for 5 years, different boat each year. Also knew what the school boats I learned on were like but most importantly I crewed for a mate on his 1950's classic.
Based on that different experience I knew what I did and didn't want.

If what you want is a modern-ish coastal cruiser, just buy one, they are all fine.

 

[Bobc]

As with the Beneteau, it'll be fine for your needs. Any mass-market boat from 2000 onwards will be quite frankly.

 

[jaminb]

I bought my first big boat as a lock down purchase (so its all my fault!) a Jeanneau S037 for family south coastal hopping. Does the job perfectly. Accommodation is first class but sailing performance is tame (compared with my other big boat crewing experience Sigma's, J109's and 133's) however she gets me out on the water with my family so everyone is a winner.

If I was to make my choice again I would definitely consider a shoal draft, lifting or bilge keel as I am struggling with available, sheltered anchorages for kids dinghy and swimming fun within a day sail of Southampton.

 

[SailingEd]

My search for my first yacht continues and I would appreciate any points regarding a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 349, very lightly used 2017 model...

(I lost out on a 20 year old Beneteau Oceanis 311 Clipper to another buyer - Now increased my budget and widening the search)

My original brief was to find a yacht to allow my young family (wife, 8 and 5 year old's) to get into sailing - Having sailed mainly dinghy's in my younger days and only been on a yacht a few times over the years, this will be a new venture for all of us in many ways. I want a yacht to do some coastal cruising and on occasion cross the English Channel...

Please share your thoughts on a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 349 being able to meet this brief - Anybody on here own one and can share some insight?

Many thanks.

same as the other boat, perfectly fits your brief as does any production boat to be honest and most are down to personal preference, it does have a LOA of ~10.6m though and the waiting list for 10-12m berths is longer than 8-10m berths so just bear that in mind about where your going to keep it first, if length isnt and issue or you already have a berth, then of course its not a problem.

the 2010-2020 boats tend to favour veneer wood, its not a show stopper but some dont age well and need some delicate handling to still look nice, also stowage suffers a little on the newer boats for a more light and airy feel but theres still plenty of space if you pack smart.

to be honest with boats of that vintage because they're all suitable for your needs, id be more interested in what equipment it had, a plotter at the helm, autopilot, a folding prop and a windlass remote soon add up ££££, I'd also prioritize how much space i could squeeze out of a small marina footprint (to keep costs down), also take note what sail arrangements it had (i wouldnt buy anything with in mast furling for example, nothing wrong with it, but its just not for me)

if i didnt live on the hook i certainly wouldnt be sailing a 40ft boat! dont forget you can always charter for the first year to get a feel for what you actually want in a boat before sticking your cash into it.

 

[slawosz]

It will be superb boat, fast and very spacious.
I am not fan of big new boats - mostly because I have old and very small one ? However I would be cautious when sailing with children during gusty winds - such wide boat, when heeled rapidly , might be less safe than old one with small cockpit and confined interior.

 

[Tranona]

I agree with much of the advice here. You really can't go wrong with a boat of that type from the major builders. It is a bit like should I buy a Golf, Focus or Astra. They all do essentially the same job but each one tries to differentiate itself to be more appealing to certain consumers. This is your first boat and hopefully will not be your last. You will learn a lot from it and probably never test it to anywhere near its limits. When I bought my last boat my short short list was one boat each from the 4 biggies - I was buying new so could have had any of them in the same time scale. Although I could have lived with any of them, I had specific requirements based on my experience, but still found it difficult. Buying used removes much of the direct choice because you can only buy what is available, but the key thing is that there are no "bad" boats so buy in condition equipment and gut feeling. Even if after a couple of years you discover it is not right for you or more likely your experience will give you a clearer idea of what you want, you can move the boat on easily.

 

[ashtead]

The choice might be limited I guess if looking in UK but all I can suggest is some tests on each make or things to compare eg a)size of fridge, b) size and location of berths, C can you sit up in bed without banging head, size of tanks , does each model have a windlass ,type of mainsail ,locker space, absence of sharp edges, engine sizes eg does it have a larger size, prop type . Some points not so obvious eg do you want self tacking headsail eg Hanse, or do you like features on a dufour ? I guess you don’t wat to go larger than 349 as you were looking at311 but how do feel about more space /length at price point . Is it worth looking at a slightly larger older vessel for you -maybe you would like extra space/less slamming in waves etc . We found for a family a 34 Bav was fine in good weather but in Alderney in the wet can be less fun . Also look at what extras you might get eg cockpit tent, extra headsails, cushions for cockpit ie the boat bits that add comfort . We looked at buying a 409 jeanneau in 2015 but a few features eventually turned us in another direction -nothing wrong with then though just small things. As said above why do some like Audi and others prefer Ford ? I think it’s often down to finish but highly personal .

 

[Frogmogman]

My search for my first yacht continues and I would appreciate any points regarding a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 349, very lightly used 2017 model...

(I lost out on a 20 year old Beneteau Oceanis 311 Clipper to another buyer - Now increased my budget and widening the search)

My original brief was to find a yacht to allow my young family (wife, 8 and 5 year old's) to get into sailing - Having sailed mainly dinghy's in my younger days and only been on a yacht a few times over the years, this will be a new venture for all of us in many ways. I want a yacht to do some coastal cruising and on occasion cross the English Channel...

Let me congratulate you on your good taste; an excellent choice IMHO, but then MRDA as I’ve just bought one, the 2 cabin version with hydraulic lift keel. This was the feature that really attracted us to this model, as unlike most previous mainstream production lift keel yachts which were ballasted centreboarders, with hugely compromised upwind performance, the swing keel is cast iron and gives identical displacement and performance to the deep keel version.

The programme we envisage is mainly coastal cruising on both sides of the Channel, and the South coast of Ireland. The 349 ticked most boxes for us. She sails well, and is very comfortable below. The heads/ shower stall in the 2 cabin version would put many 40 footers to shame, and gives you a huge locker for sails, dinghy etc. The extra accommodation of the 3 cabin version might appeal for family sailing, but heavens knows where you’d stow all of the usual gubbins.

As has been said by Tranona and others, any of the offerings in this size range from the mainstream manufacturers would be suitable for your needs. The 349 is fairly widely available in charter fleets. I’d echo the advice elsewhere in the thread to book yourself a holiday on one.

One point worth noting is that the price of new ones has just seen a massive price increase, shooting up from €123000 to €136000 for the base model, which may well translate into a hardening of second hand prices.

If you have any questions I might be able to help with, don’t hesitate to PM me.

 

[DueSouth]

Let me congratulate you on your good taste; an excellent choice IMHO, but then MRDA as I’ve just bought one, the 2 cabin version with hydraulic lift keel. This was the feature that really attracted us to this model, as unlike most previous mainstream production lift keel yachts which were ballasted centreboarders, with hugely compromised upwind performance, the swing keel is cast iron and gives identical displacement and performance to the deep keel version.

The programme we envisage is mainly coastal cruising on both sides of the Channel, and the South coast of Ireland. The 349 ticked most boxes for us. She sails well, and is very comfortable below. The heads/ shower stall in the 2 cabin version would put many 40 footers to shame, and gives you a huge locker for sails, dinghy etc. The extra accommodation of the 3 cabin version might appeal for family sailing, but heavens knows where you’d stow all of the usual gubbins.

As has been said by Tranona and others, any of the offerings in this size range from the mainstream manufacturers would be suitable for your needs. The 349 is fairly widely available in charter fleets. I’d echo the advice elsewhere in the thread to book yourself a holiday on one.

One point worth noting is that the price of new ones has just seen a massive price increase, shooting up from €123000 to €136000 for the base model, which may well translate into a hardening of second hand prices.

If you have any questions I might be able to help with, don’t hesitate to PM me.

Thank you for the reply and offer to answer more questions - Very excited, survey completed yesterday and should complete transaction tomorrow...then I will be the proud owner of a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 349.

I am also getting a two cabin version, loved the storage space in the 'garage' and the large heads is unexpected on a boat this size. She comes with a few extras: Bow thruster, bow sprit and excellent navigation equipment...AIS also included.

We are going for our first sail as a family on Saturday, looking forward to explore both sides of the Channel as well, maybe see you on the water some day.

 

[DueSouth]

Thank you for all the reply's and suggestions - Excited to report that I am about to complete the purchase of a lightly used Jeaneau Sun Odyssey 349

See you all on the water soon.

 

[Frogmogman]

Congratulations !!

 

[roblpm]

I agree with much of the advice here. You really can't go wrong with a boat of that type from the major builders. It is a bit like should I buy a Golf, Focus or Astra. They all do essentially the same job but each one tries to differentiate itself to be more appealing to certain consumers. This is your first boat and hopefully will not be your last. You will learn a lot from it and probably never test it to anywhere near its limits. When I bought my last boat my short short list was one boat each from the 4 biggies - I was buying new so could have had any of them in the same time scale. Although I could have lived with any of them, I had specific requirements based on my experience, but still found it difficult. Buying used removes much of the direct choice because you can only buy what is available, but the key thing is that there are no "bad" boats so buy in condition equipment and gut feeling. Even if after a couple of years you discover it is not right for you or more likely your experience will give you a clearer idea of what you want, you can move the boat on easily.

Hang on.....

In my experience my golfs (mk1 jetta and recent golf R estate) were much better than my astra gte and my Ford mondeo (OK not a Focus).

Indeed in my 30 years of owning cars including 2 Mercs and a BMW I miss my Golf R the most. Awesome motor! ?

 

[roblpm]

Ps. Congrats. I am jealous!

 

[Frogmogman]

Thank you for all the reply's and suggestions - Excited to report that I am about to complete the purchase of a lightly used Jeaneau Sun Odyssey 349

See you all on the water soon.

Where will you be keeping the boat ?