Beneteau or Hanse?
- Thread starter hearthstone1
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My girlfriend & I toured the Hanse line at Annapolis last fall. She felt interior was not inviting or homelike at all. The whole Euro look thing was too spartan and not for her.
I look more at the exterior lines myself, and I was especially turned off by the blunt bow of the Hanse. It appeared to me that they truncated the front 6" - 12" of the boat.
I bought my 343 new in 2007. The newer 34 is similar but I prefer the 343. There is more height in the salon (I am 6'1"). Kathy prefers the single sink along the port bulkhead of the 343 over the athwartship double sink in the 34. She also doesn't like the fact that the silverware drawer & microwave are on opposite sides of the salon in the 34. There has been a bit of discussion of the 343 vs. the 34 on the 343 site on yahoo groups.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/beneteau343/
I have heard that there are still a couple of leftover 343's around that can probably be picked up at a significant discount.
I look more at the exterior lines myself, and I was especially turned off by the blunt bow of the Hanse. It appeared to me that they truncated the front 6" - 12" of the boat.
I bought my 343 new in 2007. The newer 34 is similar but I prefer the 343. There is more height in the salon (I am 6'1"). Kathy prefers the single sink along the port bulkhead of the 343 over the athwartship double sink in the 34. She also doesn't like the fact that the silverware drawer & microwave are on opposite sides of the salon in the 34. There has been a bit of discussion of the 343 vs. the 34 on the 343 site on yahoo groups.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/beneteau343/
I have heard that there are still a couple of leftover 343's around that can probably be picked up at a significant discount.
Thanks for the recommendation. I'll keep him in mind.
Hopefully I will be out there with you
I went to the site and there wasn't much on it. Isaved it and will revisit it tomorrow. I'll be in St. Pete next weekend for lessons on a 323
thanks for your input and suggestion
Why not consider a Bavaria? They just came out with a new 31 footer. Next size is a 34. But, back to the Hanse vs. Beneslow. Excuse me, Beneteau. I think the fit and finish is nicer on a Hanse and I would guess it is a higher price point because it is considered to be a better built vessel. But, like someone asked, you have to ask yourself how you are going to use the boat and where you will sail it. Beneteau's are considered to be coastal cruisers and not offshore classified. If you are going to sail inland or coastal you might not need a boat built for the North Sea. But, you want to consider how long you will stay aboard, so tankage is important, size of engine might be important if offshore in rougher conditions, stowage of gear (is there a place for everyone's stuff on board for the length of time they will be sailing?). These are practical questions.
I have noticed with some Beneteau's that they cut corners on some models when it comes to things like pumps. I dealt with one 31 footer, I believe, that had one pump to do the job of several. There was a manifold under the sink with a bunch of valves. For example, the bilge pump was also the shower sump pump. You turned the valve on for the task that you wanted. You had to close the others or the pump wouldn't function for the one you wanted it to. I like to see a pump for each job that needs one. Also there was a fiberglass pan glassed into the hull. That covered up wires and plumbing so that if you ever had to get at it, you couldn't. A nightmare, I think. If you buy a boat that has panels that you can unscrew to get at all hidden parts of the boat, that makes working on them quite nice. So much to think about.
I have noticed with some Beneteau's that they cut corners on some models when it comes to things like pumps. I dealt with one 31 footer, I believe, that had one pump to do the job of several. There was a manifold under the sink with a bunch of valves. For example, the bilge pump was also the shower sump pump. You turned the valve on for the task that you wanted. You had to close the others or the pump wouldn't function for the one you wanted it to. I like to see a pump for each job that needs one. Also there was a fiberglass pan glassed into the hull. That covered up wires and plumbing so that if you ever had to get at it, you couldn't. A nightmare, I think. If you buy a boat that has panels that you can unscrew to get at all hidden parts of the boat, that makes working on them quite nice. So much to think about.
A friend of mine bought a larger Hanse (about 40') and has had a two year nightmare getting warranty issues sorted out. The boat is very nice when everything is working but systems have been a real problem.
I've sailed a lot of Beneteaus on charter and with a few friends. For Chevrolet type reliability (not super special but everything just works) Beneteau is a reasonable choice.
I don't have a dog in this fight as I bought from a smaller Scandinavian builder.
In that size range Catalina has three models. I'd suggest considering them if you haven't already ruled them out for some reason.
I've sailed a lot of Beneteaus on charter and with a few friends. For Chevrolet type reliability (not super special but everything just works) Beneteau is a reasonable choice.
I don't have a dog in this fight as I bought from a smaller Scandinavian builder.
In that size range Catalina has three models. I'd suggest considering them if you haven't already ruled them out for some reason.
Thanks, the local Catalina dealer is my neighbor. I like the C309 but like the B34 better.
How about a nice used Benehuntalina?
Someone else suggested a used boat and I second that if you are new to sailing. The three models most commonly purchase are Beneteaus, Hunters and Catalinas. There is a good reason for this. Those companies all produce boats that give you a lot of boat for the money. I have owned one Hunter 30 (used) and two new Catalinas (350 and 42). They were all good boats. My next door neighbor owns my old Hunter and I would not have sold it so close to home if I did not think it was a good boat.
When it occurred to me that I wanted to but a C42 a couple of years ago I visited dealers for Beneteau, Waiquez, Jeaunea, Hunter and Catalina to make an informed decision. In my opinion Catalina won hands down for reasons too numerous to mention for 2008 models in that size.
It is very hard to pick a boat that is right for YOU when you are new to sailing so find a good used one that is already set up with all of the things that you would have to add to your new boat. Take very good care of it and sell it to someone else in two or three years at close to what you paid for it. By that time you will know what you are looking for.
Someone else suggested a used boat and I second that if you are new to sailing. The three models most commonly purchase are Beneteaus, Hunters and Catalinas. There is a good reason for this. Those companies all produce boats that give you a lot of boat for the money. I have owned one Hunter 30 (used) and two new Catalinas (350 and 42). They were all good boats. My next door neighbor owns my old Hunter and I would not have sold it so close to home if I did not think it was a good boat.
When it occurred to me that I wanted to but a C42 a couple of years ago I visited dealers for Beneteau, Waiquez, Jeaunea, Hunter and Catalina to make an informed decision. In my opinion Catalina won hands down for reasons too numerous to mention for 2008 models in that size.
It is very hard to pick a boat that is right for YOU when you are new to sailing so find a good used one that is already set up with all of the things that you would have to add to your new boat. Take very good care of it and sell it to someone else in two or three years at close to what you paid for it. By that time you will know what you are looking for.
thanks for your advice. I'll keep it in mind. I've put up another post about size and you might be just the person to answer my question about size. I feel that I can sail a B34 by myself. I've gone out on a B323 and felt comfortable. I have, what might be an opportunity, to buy a B37 and maybe even a better deal on a B373. Both new. Do you think as sailboats that big will be too difficult for one person?
Excuse me hearthstone1, but I guess you have all your finances in order? Getting a new boat and a divorce at the same time
?
thanks. I truly appreciate your input. I'm hoping to get back to St. Pete next month and take out your old boat a C350.
hope your weather down there is better than up here.
hope your weather down there is better than up here.
I singlehand mine all the time. Have even brought her back into the slip with 3 to 4 knot cross currents, although I generally try and plan on coming in on slack tide.
Once you get comfortable with it, you'll be able to single hand her without even giving it a second thought.
If you are going to buy NEW, buy as large as you can afford since this will in the long run be more economical. (Don't worry about trying to single hand it, you can always find someone to go out with you until you become more confident).
To buy new, keep it and grow out of it (which is a strong possibility) and need to step up to something larger, and then take a hit on resale and repurchase will only cost you money.
Right now, the dealers will give you whatever you want, they are hungry to move boats and the larger and more expensive they are, the better deal you can get.
In this economy, it is a buyers market. Just threaten to go next door and the guy will be chasing you off the lot to prevent the loss of the sale to his competition.
Good luck and fair winds.
Buying the wrong new boat is easy.
It is more than just the risk of getting one that is too small for you. When you are new to sailing the risk is even greater.
I bought a new C350 in 2005 and traded up in 2007. This was after installing a lot of equipment that was expensive and time consuming. The 350 was not too small for us as we are a cruising couple with two dogs there was plenty of room for all. We made four 30 day cruises in the short time that we owned the 350 and found that it just wasn't the right boat for us. That does not mean that the 350 is not a good boat, it just wasn't the right boat for us.
Once we had made the mental list of things that we wished were different we had a much better idea of what we were really looking for. It was quite a large step to consider trading in such a late model boat that was loaded with equipment. I consider a new boat to be the foundation to build on as there are a lot of expensive systems that you will want to install once you buy the boat. The experience of living with similar systems for a while is a great educational opportunity.
It is a buyer's market right now in both the new and used boat markets. The manufacturers will give a good deal because they can expect low sales for the time being but the people paying moorage, registration and insurance on good boats that they can no longer afford are even more desperate.
You may have your heart set on buying a new boat, but if not take a look at all of the used ones for sale. If you buy used now and the economy improves over the next two years you will be in a better position to know exactly what boat is right for you and be able to sell your used boat in a better economic enviroment.
I would not suggest that someone get a 42 as their first sailboat but it is easy for me to single hand the 42 now that I have some experience with smaller boats behind me. Ease of single handing is more about how the boat is set up that just the size of it but size does enter into the equation due to factors like momentum of a heavy boat and the forces involved in handling large sails.
It is more than just the risk of getting one that is too small for you. When you are new to sailing the risk is even greater.
I bought a new C350 in 2005 and traded up in 2007. This was after installing a lot of equipment that was expensive and time consuming. The 350 was not too small for us as we are a cruising couple with two dogs there was plenty of room for all. We made four 30 day cruises in the short time that we owned the 350 and found that it just wasn't the right boat for us. That does not mean that the 350 is not a good boat, it just wasn't the right boat for us.
Once we had made the mental list of things that we wished were different we had a much better idea of what we were really looking for. It was quite a large step to consider trading in such a late model boat that was loaded with equipment. I consider a new boat to be the foundation to build on as there are a lot of expensive systems that you will want to install once you buy the boat. The experience of living with similar systems for a while is a great educational opportunity.
It is a buyer's market right now in both the new and used boat markets. The manufacturers will give a good deal because they can expect low sales for the time being but the people paying moorage, registration and insurance on good boats that they can no longer afford are even more desperate.
You may have your heart set on buying a new boat, but if not take a look at all of the used ones for sale. If you buy used now and the economy improves over the next two years you will be in a better position to know exactly what boat is right for you and be able to sell your used boat in a better economic enviroment.
I would not suggest that someone get a 42 as their first sailboat but it is easy for me to single hand the 42 now that I have some experience with smaller boats behind me. Ease of single handing is more about how the boat is set up that just the size of it but size does enter into the equation due to factors like momentum of a heavy boat and the forces involved in handling large sails.
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