Older, better Beneteaus and Jeanneaus. Which ones?

[biscuit]

The Beneteau F32 is a fine boat:good in all weathers, well balanced, and with a sensible layout and heavy GRP lay up. Their wierd cream shade of gel coat is difficult to colour match, and they will all probably need their vinyl foam backed headlining replaced by now: not a job to be underestimated.

 

[webcraft]

.
One of the most fun boats I have ever sailed was a 1984 38ft tiller steered Jeaneau Sunshine. Excellent accommodation for that era, fast and sailed like a big dinghy - but OK in a fairly serious blow. I sailed her a couple of times from the Clyde to the Solway and back to Oban via Ireland.

There's one for sale HERE for £36,500

- W

 

[30boat]

.
One of the most fun boats I have ever sailed was a 1984 38ft tiller steered Jeaneau Sunshine. Excellent accommodation for that era, fast and sailed like a big dinghy - but OK in a fairly serious blow. I sailed her a couple of times from the Clyde to the Solway and back to Oban via Ireland.

There's one for sale HERE for £36,500

- W

That's a Castro design derived from the one tonner Justine,if memory serves,and it has a fractional rig.Very fast wonderful boats.Wouldn't mind one myself.

 

[alant]

I read quite often in forums that older Beneteaus and Jeanneaus where better built. I cannot really comment myself for this but just out of curiosity which are these older models you would consider better built?
Thanks

Neither, I'd go for a Gibsea/Dufour.

 

[haydude]

Once owned a Dufour it is hard to move to other makes. They are just perfect.

I agree however that newer models are built more on the cheap. Just look at details like the lack of fairleads and cheap wood strip toerails.

Sadly I believe that the quality of the older Dufour Classic can now be found only on the more expensive Grand Soleil.

 

[snooks]

Up to 1990 Beneteau were a sort of modern classic, and I still think the First 325, 345, 375 etc are pretty boats for their era, then came Monsieur Stark and the S series, dark wood interior, sharp corners, big windows and a revamp in the shape of the 32S5, and personally I think they lost something.

At around the same time late 80's Jeanneau were building good boats as well, Jeanneau were laying Kevlar into their hulls of boats like the Sun Magic, Sun Fizz, Sun Shine are still good sailing boats today, and their interior has stood up very well to 20 years of use. Most of the boat's I've been on have been chartered, so will have seen more use than a privately owned boat of the same age.

by the begining of 1990 Beneteau had started GRP inner tray mouldings, Jeanneau was more traditional glassing the frames into the hull, both have advantages and disadvantages.

If you're looking at that era of boat, also have a look at Dehlers of the same age, although on some of their designs they were moving away from wood interiors, but they sailed very well. The galley in the 34 was a bit low I remember, but good boats non the less

 

[tjbrace]

Well I have a First 38s5 from 1991. The only corners I see are the wardrobes in the 2 aft cabins. The rest, including deck, saloon, forepeak, and heads are quite curvacious (probably too expensive to put into more recent models). It is with the dark mahogany woodwork but that is contrasted with silver anodised aluminium, polished stainless steel trimmings, white upholstery, and white marble work surfaces.
Looks stylishly stunning to me and has had similar comments from others coming aboard.
It would probably sail quite well in the hands of someone proficient.

 

[snooks]

Well I have a First 38s5 from 1991. The only corners I see are the wardrobes in the 2 aft cabins. The rest, including deck, saloon, forepeak, and heads are quite curvacious (probably too expensive to put into more recent models). It is with the dark mahogany woodwork but that is contrasted with silver anodised aluminium, polished stainless steel trimmings, white upholstery, and white marble work surfaces.
Looks stylishly stunning to me and has had similar comments from others coming aboard.
It would probably sail quite well in the hands of someone proficient.

Sorry, I should have clarified the sharp corners bit. Big square windows and the visually sharp corners on the table, big polished metal V with holes in at the end of the table.

 

[V1701]

...It would probably sail quite well in the hands of someone proficient.

 

[Sybarite]

I nearly acquired one but it was a triangular deal put together by a broker which fell through when the supposed buyer of my boat didn't conclude.

I test sailed it and was very impressed. It's worth noting that from 1985 there was a change from mahogany to teak for the interior and kevlar was incorporated into the hull construction.

 

[Sybarite]

Feelings...???

 

[30boat]

Feelings...???

Can't stand that tune anymore.

 

[tjbrace]

Yes, sorry Snooks, I forgot the deadly ends of the saloon table. Mine are awaiting their first victim.
I don't see any large square windows though, some fixed windows and some opening hatches where windows are normally placed. I think the smaller models have large windows that wrap over the cabin top! The style was also adopted by Nautor Swan at one point, (and very soon dropped).

 

[snooks]

Yes, sorry Snooks, I forgot the deadly ends of the saloon table. Mine are awaiting their first victim.

If you haven't had one yet, then my fears were unfounded. Sorry. 15-20 years of sailing should be enough to catch anyone who would be caught.

 

[Salty John]

I had a Jeanneau Symphonie until I bounced it off the bottom one day. The hull cracked alongside the keel. The give away was the trickle of water into the bilge when you waggled the saloon table pedestal! It cost about £2,000 to repair properly.

Not a bad boat, otherwise. Sailed well and had good accommodation for a 32-footer. Just not designed to take the ground aggressively, I suppose.

 

[E39mad]

I concur with Snooks - Beneteaus from the 80's up until the S or F boats were sturdier machines than the 1990's boats. I used to race them (hard) from Hamble - the First 405 in particular was fast and almost indistructable. In comparison the later S boasts such as 32s5, 45f5 fell apart, former rigs went in a blow, latter the bulkheads jumped out of the mould and you could see the hull twist with the kite up in a blow!

The F435 and F51 have to be some of the best looking boats ever built by a production builder - Frers at his best!

 

[Twister_Ken]

Warning - DEAD THREAD

 

[Boreades]

Up to 1990 Beneteau were a sort of modern classic, and I still think the First 325, 345, 375 etc are pretty boats for their era, then came Monsieur Stark and the S series, dark wood interior, sharp corners, big windows and a revamp in the shape of the 32S5, and personally I think they lost something.
...

Hmm, beauty is clearly in the eye of the beholder. We have no end of people stopping as they pass our 32s5 and saying "oooo, is that the Philippe Starke design, can we have a look" - and some say "Can we buy it?".

We've had ours 15 years, sailed it through all weathers up, down and across the English Channel. Top speed we ever got was 10kts+ surfing waves off the Chenel du Four.

 

[FullCircle]

Well my Jen is 6 years old this year. I confidently look forward to owning one of the better built Jens of old when we look back with Rose tinted specs in 2027.

 

[Bosun Higgs]

I read quite often in forums that older Beneteaus and Jeanneaus where better built. I cannot really comment myself for this but just out of curiosity which are these older models you would consider better built?
Thanks

Being an old phrrt, I was around when the first Bennies came to the UK. They were certainly not considered good solid boats in those days - in fact I would say that the rep of the modern ones is better. They have moved up from what was seen, rightly or wrongly, as cheap and nasty to almost mid market.

Problem is two fold. On here you will always get enthusiastic recommendations from any owner of any boat. Secondly, time favours fond memories.

I would not hesitate to buy a modern Bennie, but rather than look at an older one I would look at a similar age British boat. Moody / Westerly definitely were better built but unfortunately also more expensive. I own neither.