Beneteau first 310
- Thread starter Oriondriver
- Start date
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 24,696
The boat is 32 years old. I'd look at everything.
Beneteaus of the mid-late 1990’s were well built. I had a 2001 311 that was solid. The First series were built more for speed than cruising comfort. The cockpit mounted traveler can make Bimini placement challenging.
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 24,696
Looking more deeply at the boat, there is not much in the way of reviews.
I did find this comment:
"Watch items: water in the rudder blade (delam/swelling), keel-bolt / “smile” weep at the keel-hull joint, modest tanks. Not a liveaboard or serious ocean boat; strong as a coastal cruiser that can still race."
Seeing that it was designed by the Finot/Figaro team. It should sail a bit tender, so reefing early is advised. The Beneteaus of that era are known for their "Fat Bottoms". The Sail to Displacement ratio would suggest that light air will feel like the boat is underpowered (my opinion).
Good luck. Let us know what you discover.
I did find this comment:
"Watch items: water in the rudder blade (delam/swelling), keel-bolt / “smile” weep at the keel-hull joint, modest tanks. Not a liveaboard or serious ocean boat; strong as a coastal cruiser that can still race."
Seeing that it was designed by the Finot/Figaro team. It should sail a bit tender, so reefing early is advised. The Beneteaus of that era are known for their "Fat Bottoms". The Sail to Displacement ratio would suggest that light air will feel like the boat is underpowered (my opinion).
Good luck. Let us know what you discover.
Suggest you search & review all mid sized Beneteau’s of that vintage for common problems. Not as definitive as getting feedback for that specific boat; however, it will get you something. As @Cest La Vie mentioned, the “First” series was considered to be designed more for racing vs the “Oceanis” series that was more of a cruising boat. Not sure if the 311 had a lead or cast iron keel, that would be notable. If you’re considering making an offer and not familiar with all systems, recommend that you hire a competent surveyor to inspect boat in your presence. Also suggest doing a yahoo or google search for dedicated 311 group forums. If you’re into Chat GPT perhaps you could find some info there. As @jssailem mentioned, you really need to look at everything on a 32 year old boat ie., keel bolts, drive train, motor mounts, shaft seal & shaft seal cooling water nipple, rudder integrity & rudder bearings, cutlass bearing, engine, thru hull fittings & valves, head & hoses, all hoses, standing & running rigging, sail condition, operation of furler(s), possibility of hull blisters, soft decks, electronics……the whole boat. Would be nice to see a maintenance log too. Good luck with your search. My Beneteau is now 20 years old & is holding up well; no regrets here.
Last edited:
My 92 First 310 has been a good boat for our purposes. Lake sailing, weekends aboard. Beneteau rudders will take on some moisture. I drill a vertical hole in mine when I pull for the season to let it weep and dry out until spring then fill the hole with epoxy and paint over it before launching.
Recommend a thorough survey of course.
Check the condition of the deck hardware. The Amiot stuff is virtually unavailable to replace parts and what is available is pricey. Rebuilt my traveler with various available (Not Amiot-unavailable) parts off the shelf in lieu of replacing the complete traveler - there is a post on this site regarding that.
Replaced all sails right off the bat with Quantums. Bottom was terrible when I bought it. Blasted all the bottom paint off it down to the gelcoat. Discovered minor stress cracks in the gelcoat which we repaired and followed with a barrier coat then VC17. Repaint VC17 annually.
Mine is the short keel and does not point as well as I would like but that was a compromise I had to make given our lake level fluctuations. Would have preferred the deep keel as I race. Mine has the main traveler on the deck above the companionway. I put a larger wheel on it so I could more easily drive from the rail. And, I rigged it for both Asymmetrical and symmetrical spinnakers.
Mine likes to have a single reef in the main and a full (150) jib when the wind gets to 15 plus. Jib is on a Selden 200 roller furler - replaced the factory Facnor furler which was in need of replacement.
My bilge has remained totally dry since day 1. To the point that we vacuum/sponge it out periodically to clean up the dust.
Happy to address any specific questions you might have.
S/V Slainte
Wichita, KS
Recommend a thorough survey of course.
Check the condition of the deck hardware. The Amiot stuff is virtually unavailable to replace parts and what is available is pricey. Rebuilt my traveler with various available (Not Amiot-unavailable) parts off the shelf in lieu of replacing the complete traveler - there is a post on this site regarding that.
Replaced all sails right off the bat with Quantums. Bottom was terrible when I bought it. Blasted all the bottom paint off it down to the gelcoat. Discovered minor stress cracks in the gelcoat which we repaired and followed with a barrier coat then VC17. Repaint VC17 annually.
Mine is the short keel and does not point as well as I would like but that was a compromise I had to make given our lake level fluctuations. Would have preferred the deep keel as I race. Mine has the main traveler on the deck above the companionway. I put a larger wheel on it so I could more easily drive from the rail. And, I rigged it for both Asymmetrical and symmetrical spinnakers.
Mine likes to have a single reef in the main and a full (150) jib when the wind gets to 15 plus. Jib is on a Selden 200 roller furler - replaced the factory Facnor furler which was in need of replacement.
My bilge has remained totally dry since day 1. To the point that we vacuum/sponge it out periodically to clean up the dust.
Happy to address any specific questions you might have.
S/V Slainte
Wichita, KS
Last edited: