Beneteau v. Jeanneau, which way to go?

[Will]

We’ve been looking at boats for about eight weeks now and have narrowed the field to the Beneteau 361, and the Jeanneau 37. Although my wife is relatively new to sailing, I, unfortunately, have much more sailing behind me than in front of me. We expect to spend 90-95% of our time on the Chesapeake Bay, but will venture off to Bermuda a couple of time in the next five years and then plan on sailing to Maine and island hop down to South America.I’m sure most Beneteau owners looked at the Jeanneau and I’m interested in why you made your choice. I am particularly interested in any blue water sailing experiences and modifications made to your boat.Looking forward to hearing from all of you. Thanks for your help.

 

[Tim]

Add one more to your mix...

Will- I looked at both the 361 and the Jeanneau 37. Ultimately I went with the 361 becuase the wife liked the stall shower in the Beneteau, and we really liked the dealer (they've been great post sale as well). Although I haven't been offshore in the 361, I've been out several times in 20 - 25 knot breezes in the Chesapeake. Yes, I know, that's not offshore, but it was a reasonable test of the boat's capabilities in our first summer with the boat. We were very pleased with her performance in these conditions (BTW, we have a traditional, or "classic", non-furling main). From what I could gather during the search, the two are fairly similar in build, although each dealer/sales person can make a good argument for why their's is better. The real reason for my post though is one more boat you may want to consider. Of course, my boat shopping is a never ending process and since my purchase I've come up with one other that I wish I had taken a good hard look at. Take a look at the C&C 110. It looks like it's a notch above these two in build, which may not be as important on the Bay, but if you're thinking Bermuda you may need it. It is a tad more expensive, of course. The 361, by the way, has a capsize screen of >2, which calls into question its appropriateness for extended offshore duty. For a lark, you may want to look at the Bavaria 37 as well. Best of luck,Tim Armands/v Bella Donna

 

[Dave]

capsize screen

I'm relatively new to large boat sailing. What do you mean when you say a 'capsize screen > 2'?

 

[Tim]

More on Capsize Screen

The capsize screen is a quick and dirty formula used to determine a boat's propensity to capsize. It is based upon weight and beam. According to the capsize formula published in the May 1997 issue of Practical Boatowner, anything less than 2 is considered "good", with a higher capsize screen number meaning a higher propensity to capsize (again, based on only two dimensions). Needless to say, a propensity to capsize would not be a desired benefit in an offshore boat! If you would like to find the capsize "value" of your vessel divide the displacement of the vessel by 64, then take the cube root of that number and divide into the beam of the vessel. Just a word of caution, it is typically not recommended to use any one formula for determining vessel stability or if a vessel's design is seaworthy.

 

[William]

Thanks Tim

Tim,Thanks for your insights. I assume your bought your boat from Tidewater since your in Annapolis. They seem to be first rate.My wife likes the Jenneau shower, but loves the prefers the Hunter galley and aft cabin. The C & C looks great on paper. I had a 33 twenty years ago. It is still my favorite boat. It seems you get a little more for your money with Hunter and for us this is an issue.Thanks again.

 

[Tim]

Tidewater not a B dealer (I don't think)

You're welcome. Tidewater in Annapolis is not a Beneteau dealer. I bought from Annapolis Yacht Sales. Best, Tim