New Boat

[richardbayle]

I am thinking of up grading from a Benneteau 323 to a Dufour 405 Grand Large for my retirement getaway.

Any one know if there has been a test of this boat yet? Or, anyone out ther have opinions about Dufour boats? As an opener, who owns Dufour?

 

[johnnys]

Hi Richard, we changed our Bene 331 for a new Dufour 365 eighteen months ago. Generally I have found the build quality and fittings to be considerably better and am very satisfied with it. Although only a couple of feet longer it weighs another one and a half tons which makes it much less tippy without compromising performance. I have fitted a lot of my own electronics and was pleased to find the boat was pre wired for most of it, autopilot power supply and data cables etc.The only warranty issue we have had was with an led nav light which filled up with water. Unfortunatly have no experience of the 405 but I would be happy to recommend Dufours

 

[1bobt]

I think that some of the Dufour range are a bit quirky. However the 405 is a good boat

cheers bobt

 

[DownWest]

Dufours are made up the road from here just inland from La Rochelle, they had some probs with the 'crise', laying off workers and closing for periods. Seems that the climate is a bit more posetive now. No personal experience, but spoken to happy owners.
A

 

[Twister_Ken]

A buddy had serious teething problems with a D34, then managed to gybe the steering pedestal out of it. That may have been down to pilot error, though.

 

[mjcp]

We saw the 405 at the boat show this summer and liked it very much. Well laid out and appears well priced for spec.

Our local agent said the show boat has been on demos ever since, though they hope to have it out for a mag test imminently (though not sure when it will be published).

This guy has done a transat in one: 405 transat (Google can translate for you... it's in Portuguese!)


mjcp

 

[sailaboutvic]

dufour

I have a new Dufour and I am very happy with the yacht but be warmed the company is **** when it come to any warranty work, I have had a long battle with them and still after 6 month I am still waiting on some work to be done . And if you need a part from France don’t hold your breath .

I met the French sale manager call Steve at the SBS and to be honest the respond I got wasn’t good , he wasn’t interested if any thing , he was more interested in people watching . Only thing he had to say was put it in an email and I look into it , considering I have email Dufour 4 time with out a reply and made no end of calls to France I don’t think any email would do any good , thought I did get a reply from there MD or should I say his P.A “ saying his has pasted my email on to another department . “

I also had problem with the LED light best options is to change them which I am planning to do .

As for the yacht is sail really well .

I hope you have better luck them , then what I have had if you do get any problems with a new Dufour .

 

[Blue5]

Dufour

We have a Dufour 40 which we purchased second hand in August, to date we are very pleased, still getting used to it but a very powerful rig. Well laid out, a few quirky bits but a very good build standard.

 

[snooks]

Here's a 360º of the interior

But YM haven't tested the 405...we have tested the Dufour 40, and I've spent a week chartering one round Southern Ireland, but it's a different hull than the 405 Grand Large

 

[sailorman]

Here's a 360º of the interior

But YM haven't tested the 405...we have tested the Dufour 40, and I've spent a week chartering one round Southern Ireland, but it's a different hull than the 405 Grand Large

the Bulkhead veneers run the wrong way

 

[Moodyjim]

And the seats are covered in WHITE stuff for goodness sake

 

[Twister_Ken]

Can you order it without the pot plants?

 

[TiggerToo]

I hope you have better luck them , then what I have had if you do get any problems with a new Dufour .

the answer is GET YOURSELF A SECOND HAND ONE. Not really tongue in cheek. Tigger (one of the Classic range) is really aging very well. Her first owner moved up to a Classic 41 and still has it. And seems very happy.

They sail very well.

 

[xrcman]

Try
http://www.giornaledellavela.com/co...009-10-01100449&page=nodeDetail&idRecord=5089

and

http://www2.solovela.net/immagini/VirtualTour/Dufour405/Dufour405_f.html

You can use the translate function in IE8 to find out what they are saying. Somewhere there is a pdf file of the review and it gets high marks.

 

[xrcman]

I am thinking of up grading from a Benneteau 323 to a Dufour 405 Grand Large for my retirement getaway.

Any one know if there has been a test of this boat yet? Or, anyone out ther have opinions about Dufour boats? As an opener, who owns Dufour?

Try

http://www.giornaledellavela.com/content/html/index.php?page=velaTv&idRecord=1249

There are three videos and numerouse pages of review in Italian which you can translate with google. It gets high marks.

Also try youtube with "Dufour 405"

and

http://www2.solovela.net/immagini/VirtualTour/Dufour405/Dufour405_f.html

Bill