Beneteau Boats
Wessex Marine Surveyors are lucky enough to have a leading Beneteau specialist on the team. Unusually for a Marine Surveyor Mark Tilley has also worked on the other side of the fence as a Yacht Broker and Sales Manager for Dickies Yacht Sales with responsibility for new Beneteau sales. This gives Mark, as a surveyor, a real edge in understanding how brokerages work and the paper trail involved in buying a boat, meaning that he is well-positioned to assist his surveying clients in the entire purchase process.
As a Beneteau Sales Manager, Mark enjoyed a successful career, including playing his part with four other managers, winning Beneteau Global Sales Dealership of the Year, beating 450 dealers worldwide! Mark Beneteau’s knowledge is second to none; if you are considering buying a Beneteau, there is no better-qualified surveyor to use, given that Mark has spent considerable time with the brand and at the various Beneteau factories across France.
Beneteau Oceanis cruising yacht range
The Oceanis range was first introduced in 1986 with the introduction of the Oceanis 350. Designed as an easy to sail, comfortable and safe family cruiser the 350 took the Beneteau range to a completely new level. Given that the Oceanis range has been in production for almost 40 years it is impossible to cover them all here but below are details on some of the best sellers.
Mark Tilley
Learning to sail at the age of seven, Mark has a lifetime of experience around boats.
Beneteau Oceanis 473
The Beneteau Oceanis 473 is a popular cruising yacht known for its spacious layout, solid construction and good performance. Designed by Groupe Finot it combines comfort with good sailing capabilities making it a favourite among both cruising families and serious offshore sailors. Primarily designed for cruising the 473 performs well under sail having a well balanced sail plan and a great hull shape.
Surveyors comments;
A well proven design, many 473’s have circumnavigated the world safely, these boats were first built in 2000 and have quite simply stood the test of time
Positives
Very roomy boat
Well designed cockpit great for short handed sailing
Stable, a good sea boat
Negatives
Slightly underpowered in light airs
Large genoa (140%) can be unwieldy in high winds, some owners have a second slightly smaller Genoa onboard
Heads fit out a little basic but to be honest this can be said of many production sailboats
Beneteau Oceanis 411
The Beneteau Oceanis 411 is a great allrounder, a previous winner of “Cruising Yacht of the year” and Beneteau’s best ever seller, reliable and comfortable the 411 offers a great combination of performance and space. A versatile design the Oceanis 411 is at home coastal cruising as it is on longer offshore passages, the boats moderate sail plan and well designed hull ensure she performs well in all conditions.
Surveyors comments:
Back in 2007 I was contracted by a leading fuel cell company to purchase and race a production yacht across the Atlantic to prove the fuel cells functionality. I had no hesitation in choosing a Beneteau 411 for the job. I had a scratch crew of four, the weather was horrendous, more often than not with over 50 knots of wind! We made the crossing from Gran Caneria to St Lucia in just over 19 days, the boat performed faultlessly taking whatever was thrown at her in her stride. The 411’s performance in such heavy weather gave the entire crew including me complete confidence in her as an offshore yacht and I have no hesitation in recommending the Beneteau Oceanis 411 as a safe family and offshore cruiser.
Positives
Well designed spacious interior, forward Pullmans berth works well and is an excellent use of space
Quick and stable
Single line reefing – easy and safe to sail
Negatives
Rudder bearings can fail, check rudder for smooth operation and no play
Slight lack of hand holds in the saloon
Avoid blue hull, they look great at boat shows but very quickly fade and begin to look tired!
Beneteau Oceanis 393
The Beneteau Oceanis 393 is a good looking boat with the lines taken straight from its successful big sister the Oceanis 473. A popular cruising yacht the 393 is described by Beneteau as the perfect “Blue water cruiser” The boat offers the typical Beneteau mix of good performance and yet a spacious comfortable interior. Of particular note is the large and safe cockpit designed for ease of handling and offering excellent all round visibility.
Surveyors comments:
During my time as a Beneteau Sales Manager I sold a good many 393’s, the customers fell into two broad categories, families looking for a good safe cruising boat and also those looking to cruise further afield including taking on ocean crossings. I would say without exception my customers were delighted with their choice of boat and in many cases they stayed with the Beneteau brand when trading up to larger boats in the future.
Positives
Great value for money
Plenty of storage
Good size water tanks suitable for ocean passages
Negatives
Many owners felt that the standard 40HP diesel was a little under powered and recommended going for a 393 fitted with the 56HP upgrade
Fuel tank a little small for extended cruises
Not much else!
Beneteau Oceanis 36CC
The Beneteau 36CC is a relatively small but well designed centre cockpit cruising yacht. Centre cockpits are designed to offer good living accommodation for their overall length, in particular you get a large stateroom at the rear of the boat and generally a good sized galley. The Oceanis 36CC offers reasonable sailing performance and this coupled with the generous living space makes her a great choice for some.
Surveyors comments:
As with all centre cockpits there has to be a trade off for that spacious aft cabin, in this case it is the size of the cockpit, it really only seats four in comfort and there is no table. That said for those new to sailing a centre cockpit can be quite reassuring as it is in the middle of the boat and therefore not as exposed as aft cockpits can be. A centre cockpit also offers a more reassuring “driving” position as there is less “boat” in front of you to be concerned about than you will have with an aft cockpit yacht.
Positives
Good accommodation including very good sized galley
Great as a liveaboard yacht
Reasonable sailing performance.
Negatives
Small cockpit
Lack of storage / locker space
Can suffer from a bit of condensation in the winter
Beneteau Oceanis 311
With a hull design derived from the very fast and competitive Beneteau Figaro the Oceanis 311 sails very well and yet offers spacious accommodation ideal in fact for a family of four. A great starter yacht for those moving up from dinghies. Easy to manoeuvre, mooring the Oceanis 311 in tight marinas is not a problem again making it an ideal boat for those new to yachting.
Surveyors comments:
A great all round family starter yacht, ideal for coastal cruising but more than capable of venturing further offshore if desired. Oceanis 311’s were offered with a lifting keel as an option, as the boats get older the lifting mechanism can experience some wear and cause problems, fixable but can be expensive to resolve. Later boats post 2002 had a revised lifting mechanism which seems to be more reliable than the earlier design.
Positives
Good all round starter family yacht
Great value for money
Sail well
Negatives
Potential problems with the earlier lift keel versions
Only two reefs as standard, quite a large sail area so a fitting a third reef can make sense
The lift keel version has twin rudders making it more difficult to manoeuvre the boat when going astern
Beneteau Antares Motorboat range
The first Beneteau Antares was launched in 1977 over the next 47 years Beneteau have launched 47 Antares models, no wonder they are the worlds largest boatbuilders when they can design and build boats at this rate! With their traditional looks, excellent hull design, great seakeeping ability and spacious interiors the Antares range has a lot to offer and has always been a great choice as a family boat.
Beneteau Antares 620
Among the smaller offerings from the Antares range the 620 makes for a great family day boat or an ideal coastal fisher. With its flared bow, fully enclosed wheelhouse and shaft driven by a diesel inboard engine this is a powerful and versatile little boat. Easily handled, safe and practical the 620 makes for a great first motorboat and is a perfect first step into the Beneteau brand.
Surveyors comments:
The Beneteau Antares 620 is a Category C boat which means it is designated as suitable for use in weather up to a Force 6 in coastal waters, large lakes and bays. A good all rounder the Antares 620 has a relatively flat bottom making for a great fishing platform however in much over a force 4 despite being rated to Force 6 you do notice the boat rolling a bit which can be slightly unsettling for those new to boating.
Positives
Decent build quality
Ideal cost effective introduction to boating
Good platform for coastal fishing
Negatives
Can feel slightly underpowered with the standard 85hp inboard diesel, if this is a concern go for a 620 with the larger 105hp option
Can roll a bit in anything over a Force 4
Cockpit size is fine for two (or three at a push) fishing but is really too small for four to fish
Beneteau Antares 760
The Antares 760 is from the same 3rd generation range of Antares as the 620 but is of course a step up in terms of size and volume. The generous sized forecabin is complemented by a saloon dinette that converts to an occasional double. There is also a reasonable sized galley, all in all making for a great weekend family cruiser with serious fishing ability as well.
Surveyors comments:
The Semi Displacement Beneteau Antares 760 is a Category B4 meaning that with four crew it is rated for offshore use in winds of up to 40 knots reinforcing the flawless seakeeping claims that Beneteau make. The standard 200hp inboard diesel provides more than enough power to push the 760 along at close to 24 knots in fair conditions. The Antares 760 is complimented by owners as having a good build quality, plenty of space and for being a very capable “Allrounder”.
Positives
Great seakeeping ability
Spacious accommodation
Good build quality
Negatives
Some owners report as handling poorly in reverse unless fitted with a bow thruster
Small dinette
Not much else!
Beneteau Antares 1080
The Beneteau Antares 10.80 is designed to be a comfortable, safe and fast offshore flybridge cruiser. With its twin 260hp inboard diesels on shaft drives the performance is good with a top speed at around 27 knots. With two sleeping cabins and a spacious saloon the 10.80 offers good accommodation and makes for a great offshore family cruiser.
Surveyors comments:
The Beneteau Antares 10.80 is rated as a CE Category B8 meaning she is fit for offshore cruising for up to eight crew in winds of up to 40 knots. The practical helm position gives great all round visibility making the boat easy to manoeuvre in tight spaces such as marinas. In practice there is not a great deal of difference between the 10.80 and its smaller sibling the Antares 9.80 meaning that potential buyers often consider both models. The set apart difference is the size of the second cabin, it is far larger in the 10.80, this is something to bear in mind if you are considering the boat as a family cruiser.
Positives
Spacious accommodation
Great visibility from the helm
Wide side decks
Negatives
Relatively small flybridge for length overall
Cost when compared to its smaller sibling the 9.80 which does much the same job
Beneteau First performance sailboat range
With more than 25000 boats built since 1977 the First line celebrates its 47th anniversary this year. With over seventy different First designs from 14 to 56 feet in length launched to date the Beneteau First range is truly established as the “Go to” performance cruiser brand.
Beneteau First 305 (1984 – 1989)
With so many successful models in the First range it is difficult to single any one model out for description we are therefore considering models across different generations. Ahead of its time the First 305 is a successful cruiser racer, with six berths, good accommodation and a high level of performance the 305 typifies the success of the Beneteau First range.
Surveyors comments:
A well built cruiser racer of 80’s vintage the First 305 offers great sailing performance and can still hold its own in todays racing fleets. The tiller steering gives great feedback and makes for a responsive sail. At the time of launch the 305 was criticised for squeezing a 35 foot interior into a 30 foot hull but at the end of the day they did it and it does work even if the interior is slightly cramped.
Positives
Tiller steering
Build quality
Sailing performance
Negatives
Slightly cramped interior
Early resins mean that by now it is likely that unless treated there will be hull blistering
Beneteau First 31.7
Often considered to be the best of the First range the 31.7 is a great allrounder. With a hull taken from the Beneteau Figaro design and a spacious modern interior the boat is a capable small cruiser racer with great performance. Designed by Groupe Finot the First 31.7 holds its own on the racecourse and yet with its classy Cherry wood interior makes for a great family cruiser as well.
Surveyors comments:
Anyone looking for a great cruiser racer should take a long look at the 31.7. Capable of outsailing many boats of her length that are much lighter, upwind she will heel, dig her quarter in and accelerate! Due to the boats beam interior volume is good, decent standing headroom, six berths and even a forward facing nav station. What’s not to like, but then I am biased, I owned one!
Positives
Great sailing performance
Voluminous light and airy accommodation
Tiller steering – great feedback
Negatives
Tiller steering – reduces useable cockpit area
Wide cockpit / no cockpit table, difficult to brace oneself
Not much else!
Beneteau First 40
Designed by Bruce Farr its no surprise that the Beneteau First 40 shows an excellent level of performance and has many racing trophies at both IRC and ORC to her name. The clever eight berth interior is designed by Nauta Design and perfectly complements the sleek lines of the First 40.
Surveyors comments:
A boat that has proven to be very competitive and yet retaining good sized accommodation the First 40 is also a very good looking yacht. The deeper draft (8 foot) keel is the one to go for if performance is at the top of your list. Manufactured using the more recent Vinylester resins this is a well constructed strong sailboat that will stand the test of time.
Positives
Excellent upwind sailing performance – has been described as “Like a big dinghy”
Manufactured using durable Vinylester resins
Appealing light Oak spacious interior
Negatives
Can feel a little “Heavy” downwind
Shallow keel version lacks the sailing performance of the deep keep option
To be a serious race circuit contender she really needs the expensive carbon rig option