The best 36ft'er you'll find...
Hi Phil :
Welcome to the 361 glee club !! Our 2001 B361 is a very sweet boat & like all the othere folks who've posted messages, we've never regretted having her in the family...you'll be just fine owning one of these.
I'd also go so far as saying that the subsequent models offerred by Beneteau are not as desirable as the 361 is, due to her excellent layout.
That said, even pretty girls have have their minor issues & the 361 is no exception...
The boat will list to port as it is balanced to have the water tanks full...to correct this take a canvas bag (like they give out at the B'owner's rallies...) & fill it with a healthy lot of chain & place this under the stbd cabin seat...having a second rode is good idea anyway.
As mentioned, engine axcess is tight, as is getting around the ship's wheel & (thankfully) the Admiral will not want the skipper in the galley when she's there...don't worry about that last one, as the port seatee is a perfect place to streach out & monitor her activities !!
Care should be taken when stepping on the stern seat when it's in the down position...as I've seen them crack due to abuse (not our case, thankfully)
You'll likely need to re-line the fridge door with a better plastic gasket...get in touch with Ward Richardson at Beneteau who will send this to you.
Care should be taken with the anchor locker lid...as it's heavy enough to cause some "concerns" in the event that you decide to stop it's sudden closing in a gust of wind with your foot !!! Set up a small line on the port stainless rail to hold the lid up as nessessary as toenail removal was not something the 361 was ever intended for.
You will love the wide decks, the large head, the way she sails & the (2 cabin...right??) large aft berth...we've rigged a fold down TV (as in mini-vans) in the aft cabin & just love curling up for the night in there...it's very cosy.
About the aft berth...do yourself a favour & replace the foam cushion with a proper foam mattress...your back will thank you.
The galley is amazing & can be easily expanded by installing dish racks on the aft bulkhead for dishes & cups (as we've done) since getting such things out of the cupboards increases storage considerably.
Stress cracks will happen...& as above, a call to Ward at Beneteau will have some gel-coat sent to you to do the repairs, which any fiberglass specialist can do for you. DON'T try to match the color yourself...you won't get it right !!! B has changed the recepit for the gel over time & you have to tell them what boat you have to get the color to match.
On that point (& others) Beneteau has been great about things & you won't find better people to help you with "stuff" than Ward Richardson & the staff there.
As far as other reccommendations based on what we've done...(it's a huge list...)
Install a "stainless hatch guard" around the forward hatch (another call to Ward...)as there are no hand holds fwd of the cabin top...get a THREE BLADE folding prop (we have a Flex-a-fold) as a two blade will shake the boat !!
Get a second propane tank (as running out will cause your Admiral to "register her disappointment" !!!) & cut the f'glass tab that holds the propane locker lid down...a stainless catch like on the stbd side needs to be installed there (call Ward for that too).
There are a bunch of other minor bits, however, I'll cut this off here with the final thought that the toilet paper should be rolling off over the top rather than from underneith.
Cheers, P.
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