Sun Odyssey 40 ds

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upcountry2

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Just seen a Jeanneau 40 deck saloon 1999 vintage, that we quite like the look of, can anyone offer an insight to these boats, perhaps why i should'nt buy one, or maybe why i should?
Will only be used for gentle coastal/cross channel cruising, although i'm sure they are capable of much more, swmbo is'nt.
I know nothing about these modern 'plastic fantastics, [hope i hav'nt upset anyone with that comment] I come from a long keel background, with only a slight foray with fin and skeg.
swmbo wants something that looks less like a garden shed [her words] than my present and past boats.
If i want to keep sailing, and more importantly keep swmbo sailing, i'm going to have to change tack.
TIA...
 
Jeanneau

Oh my gawd.................you may have opened up a can of worms here.

plastic fantastic indeed!

For what its worth I have a smaller jeanneau of the same sort of vintage and it takes us where we want to go without much trouble.

I think the deck saloon is a bit of an aquired taste asthetically but you seem to get a lot of boat for the money.

If you can go sailing and keep everyone happy go for it.


Enjoy
 
I cannot comment on that design, but at that time Jeanneau build standards were pretty good if my 1998 boat is anything to go by. I am told that early this century the accountants took over and cost rather than quality drove the design and construction, so that Jeanneau boats of that age are a better bet than some of the more recent ones.
 
It really is a good design. Go look at it.
It shares the hull of the Sun Odyssey 40.3, so goes very well too.
 
It's a really good hull, but the DS version had a cockpit layout that is distinctly different. I would prefer the flat top version, which made a really usable cross-Channel yacht for four. Must be a number of second hand ones around by now.
 
Norman_E said:
I cannot comment on that design, but at that time Jeanneau build standards were pretty good if my 1998 boat is anything to go by. I am told that early this century the accountants took over and cost rather than quality drove the design and construction, so that Jeanneau boats of that age are a better bet than some of the more recent ones.
Click to expand...

I see that the same trend is followed by every manufacturer!

Although newer models of every make do look good with their wide cockpit dual steering wheels, and handsomely designed coach-roofs, there is an abyss in build quality of post 2003 models.

Hulls have gone thinner due to "computer modeling" that allows for optimization of weights, thanks but I prefer an over engineered hull even if heavier

Coach roofs also have gone lighter because of a single mould with the elimination of the internal solid counter-ceiling

Interiors have gone "white" (plastic) to have more ambient light. Thanks, but I prefer my mahogany bulkeads!

Booms and masts are growing thinner, standing rigging is being "optimized" too.

From the cheap Beneteau, Hanse and Bavaria, passing by Jeanneau and ending with the more upmarket Dufour, expensive alluminium toerails and fairleads have been replaced with cheap wood and no fairleads at all!!! A narrow strip of stainless steel hardly protects the exposed gelcoat and wood from rope chafe.

To summarize I would say that this millennium started with good looking "plastic" boats that will hardly maintain their value when fatigue and wear will start to show up. No more boats lasting for decades as we are all used to.
 
haydude said:
No more boats lasting for decades as we are all used to.
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Not sure that is true. Obviously one cannot predict too accurately how the current boats will last, but there were some awful design and building practices 20 to 30 years ago. Boats may have been heavy, but does not mean they were well made. Look at the "Making and offer" thread currently running. Boat in question needs major work up to half the market value of one in good condition.

My 2001 Bavaria has had more use than most boats get in a lifetime and has stood up pretty well. I am reminded how well every time I look at similar size boats 10-15 years older.
 
Good boats

We were looking at these last year, but alas didn't get a chance for a trial sail. All research including reviews and various forum comments suggested a boat that had surprisingly good performance with the DS beating the 40.3 non-DS version on all points of sail. The reviewers couldn't work out why.

We saw two layouts. A very attractive asymmetrical layout with a small wheel on the starboard side of the cockpit at the front, and a conventional layout with a large wheel at the back. In harbour and downbelow the aysmmetrical layout looked and felt a lot better.

However I couldn't see how comfortable it would be trying to steer under sail when heeling over to starboard with the asymmetrical layout. Visibility felt like it would be an issue then too.

Just a pity we couldn't find the right priced boat for us - they were all a bit too smart for our budget, so we've just bought a 1999 but very tired 42.2 instead. With more money it would be the DS every time.
 
What are people's thoughts on the Scheel keel 4' 11" draft, an option on this boat?
Also, cant find one with a conventional main, all seem to have in mast furling.
What are your thoughts on this?
Not actually seen one in the flesh yet, having a look at a couple this weekend, but would be most interested to hear from anyone with direct experience of this model....
As always thanks very much for any comments...
Regards...
 
Re performance compared to a flat top, I think it is because the fuel and water tanks are in the bilge in a DS, as the saloon floor is higher and creates more space in the bilge.

For what its worth, we have a 43DS and are pleased overall with the boat. Not the best sailing boat we have owned, but adequate performance after fitting a folding prop. Excellent deck gear and bullet proof rig according to our rigger. We had a problem with the furling main jamming when unfurling, but a recut sail and adjustment of the boom angle has cured that.

Very good for the purposes you have in mind, and well worth a look. SWMBO will love the light and space below.
 
on the Scheel keel, it rather depends on whether it is a genuine Scheel or a copy as the genuine ones have subtle shape differences that are supposed to improve performance. However, unless you make a direct comparison with the deep keel, you probably would not be able to tell which keel it has in normal usage.

Somewhat similar comments apply to in mast furling. The majority of new production boats are now fitted with this system. You lose a bit of ultimate performance but gain in simplicity ease of handling and particularly the ability to infinitely adjust sail area to conditions. Once you learn how to use them (not difficult) you will appreciate the benefits.

The combination of shallow draft and easy sail handling suggests the original owner was more interested in comfort, ease of sailing and maybe access to shallow cruising grounds than out and out performance. Goes well with the Deck Saloon style of accommodation. Sounds like a good package if that suits your style of sailing.
 
DS

if your swmbo doesn't like your current boat she might like the idea of the deck salon.

now here she can sit and look around what might keep her sailing with you. best thing to do is get her onboard to show her the advantage of a deck salon.

google for distant shores, http://www.distantshores.ca/ who are sailing on a deck salon build by northshore. they were coming from a long keel boat and are now on their second DS!

sure there are people saying that deck salons are ugly, not sailing well etc etc. if you ask the same people if they ever sailed on one then you can hear a dropping needle etc.


boating, both partners needs to be happy IMHO. otherwise you have a boat in the marina, or only sail single handed or with friends.
 
SO 40DS circa 1999-2001 is high on my list... I have extensivley sailed a 40 non-DS with a deep keel and conventional main of that era and it went like a train, and pointed really well... The DS has even better preformance than the non-DS....

Though I think I know the boat you are looking at.. a shallow keel and in mast with the offset wheel....

I would go for inmast if the boat was very nice, but not the Shallow keel... the deep keel is the key to her preformance I think... and I dont like the offset wheel either...

That big open bright DS thing is Ideal for the UK, combined with a big gantry, cockpit enclosure, air X, a couple of Kayaks, and bobs yer uncle for the ulitmate sub 40foot uk cruiser at a reasonable price...

At circa 85-90k for a tidy one they are a heck of a lot of boat for the cash..
 
photodog said:
SO 40DS circa 1999-2001 is high on my list... I have extensivley sailed a 40 non-DS with a deep keel and conventional main of that era and it went like a train, and pointed really well... The DS has even better preformance than the non-DS....

Though I think I know the boat you are looking at.. a shallow keel and in mast with the offset wheel....

I would go for inmast if the boat was very nice, but not the Shallow keel... the deep keel is the key to her preformance I think... and I dont like the offset wheel either...

That big open bright DS thing is Ideal for the UK, combined with a big gantry, cockpit enclosure, air X, a couple of Kayaks, and bobs yer uncle for the ulitmate sub 40foot uk cruiser at a reasonable price...

At circa 85-90k for a tidy one they are a heck of a lot of boat for the cash..
Click to expand...

Thanks for that , more or less confirmed what i thought...
It's not the one you are thinking of, i dont like the offset wheel also.
Agree it does seem to be more bang for your buck.
Will see what the weekend brings.
Thanks...
 
40DS New Owner

We have just bought a Jeanneau 40DS after looking for a suitable boat for several years. It's the asymmetric version, so in very sense, an unconventional configuration...

We were sold on the accommodation, the headroom below, the fantastic visibility from the saloon, and the excellent stowage so decided to take a test sail. I was quite surprised at the performance and the pointing ability so we bought the boat!

The steering position hasn't been an issue. In fact as we moor on a finger pontoon starboard to, it's an ideal vantage point to judge the distance...

We've clocked up something like 500 miles over the past 2 months and if anything, have grown even more pleased with our decision. My only criticism is that the steering load is heavy. This seems to be due to the unusual steering linkage but I've yet to properly get to the bottom of the problem.

If I can help any further please let me know!
 
innesker said:
It's a really good hull, but the DS version had a cockpit layout that is distinctly different. I would prefer the flat top version, which made a really usable cross-Channel yacht for four. Must be a number of second hand ones around by now.
Click to expand...

I looked carefully at all the Jeanneau 43 options and discovered like the 40's all had the same hull but the Sunfast had a taller rig and deeper keel. The DS's tended to have in mast furling with a smaller sail area but in comparison tests (obviously the Sunfast was fastest) to my surprise the DS outsailed the "normal" flat deck Sun Oddessey. It appeared because the weight distribution was better with the water and diesel over the keel bolts due to the DS raised floor.

I think for this reason they no longer make DS and classic boats based on the same hull. The modern Jeanneau DS (eg 42) is only available as owners version (to be "upmarket!") and consequently only sleeps 4!

After lots of investigating I bought the 43DS over the 43 Sun Odessey but got the normal sails with stack pack. The mainsail is now fully battened.

Innesker knew a lot about Jeanneau's so I would be interested in a fuller explaination of his recommendation.

Friends bought the 40DS and have happily sailed from UK to France and then to the Med and back a few times.

All boats are a compromise and I was careful not to influence our friends in their choice but I think sailing on our boat was inevitably an influence. Personally I would liker a better performing boat like an X boat or an Arcona but they are narrower for any given length and darker inside so overall the jeanneau 43DS was the best compromise for us. We have had it for 6yrs now and frankly cannot find an equivalent new boat that we would want to buy that better suited our preferences. We quickly bought ours in 2004 when we heard that they were going to stop making them and we had noticed the trend of smaller cleats etc on newer boats to make them cheaper than the competition.

SWMBO only likes DS's due to the "airiness" and internal "light" and as others have mentioned if you want a sailing SWMBO keep her happy!
 
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upcountry2 said:
What are people's thoughts on the Scheel keel 4' 11" draft, an option on this boat?
Also, cant find one with a conventional main, all seem to have in mast furling.
What are your thoughts on this?
Not actually seen one in the flesh yet, having a look at a couple this weekend, but would be most interested to hear from anyone with direct experience of this model....
As always thanks very much for any comments...
Regards...
Click to expand...

Go deep keel and tall rig if you can... unless you would rather sit at anchor than sail.. says he teasingly!!:D
 
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