We are seriously considering purchasing this vessel, and would be trading our much beloved Beneteau 321. After many hours of debating a possible purchase, we are now sitting on the fence. We are amazed how little space their if for storage in the galley, and the general lack of a good sized garbage/trash can. How are other Beenteau 343 owners coping? Your input would be valued and appreciated. Thank you. John v
Lack Of Galley Space 2008 - 343 Beneteau
- Thread starter van den hengel
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We don't have a Beneteau, but our boats are pretty much the same size. Our C34s have been "accused" of having little galley storage space. What many of us have done is to convert a hanging locker at the nav station across from the galley into shelving, some with plywood shelves, others of us with more open metal shelving. It really significantly even triples the amount of storage. We don't need hanging lockers, since we have a midships head, and hang jackets up inside the cabin doors on door hooks. I also put shelving in the hanging locker in our V berth.
I stuck a plastic trash can that takes medium sized garbage bags under our nav station and keep it in with bungee cords. Works great. Some folks don't like open trash cans, but I hate having to use two hands to put something in the trash, so it's just so easy for me to flip something into it without having to lift a cover or open a door.
Good luck. Your boat, your choice.
I stuck a plastic trash can that takes medium sized garbage bags under our nav station and keep it in with bungee cords. Works great. Some folks don't like open trash cans, but I hate having to use two hands to put something in the trash, so it's just so easy for me to flip something into it without having to lift a cover or open a door.
Good luck. Your boat, your choice.
Thank you so much for your valuable input. We feel why that we should not have to compromise by selling the Beneteau 321 invest tens of thousands of dollars, and yet we re gaining 13 years in boat age...thank you for your food for thought. John v
There's nothing like a point of perspective... When I looked at the B323 I also looked at the B343 because of the additional galley amenities. I could have bought either, but I liked the head of the 323- and I get lots of rave comments about it. I can't recall one complaint about the galley, but maybe folks are nice since they're getting the free ride? Other than that, I have a tall trash can on the shower seat, held in place by a slim bungee cord. As a bonus, I think it makes it easier to trash whatever should not be flushed.
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So true! ;^)
When we got our First 36.7, we could not stand the instrument blister just in front of the companionway. Thought it totally messed up the lines of the boat. Now of course, we love that.
Frequent trips
My wife and I are considering a move up to something a little more spacious. But I haven't given any thought whatsoever to being able to accommodate more trash for a longer period of time. We get rid of whatever we throw away ASAP! We dispose of TINY amounts of trash at every opportunity. I'd rather make more frequent trips to the dumpster than ask "What's that smell?" every time I went below.
On the other hand, we're thinking of making a jump significantly greater than the typical 'two-foot-itus' because we just don't think a 'slightly' larger boat gives us anything that we don't already have...
My wife and I are considering a move up to something a little more spacious. But I haven't given any thought whatsoever to being able to accommodate more trash for a longer period of time. We get rid of whatever we throw away ASAP! We dispose of TINY amounts of trash at every opportunity. I'd rather make more frequent trips to the dumpster than ask "What's that smell?" every time I went below.
On the other hand, we're thinking of making a jump significantly greater than the typical 'two-foot-itus' because we just don't think a 'slightly' larger boat gives us anything that we don't already have...
2006 343.
We don't go out for extended cruises but have found a small bathroom sized waste can fits under the sink. Seems like there might have been some kind of garbage bag hanger in there originally that I removed. A larger waste can is poised in the starboard lazarette on top of the partial bulkhead bungeed in place. Rolls of garbage bags from Walmart fit and allow you to squash the garbage in the can, twist tie it off when full and store it elsewhere until you can get it off the boat.
The space under and behind the sink is hard to access but stores most of pots and pans. Could also put tubs of food under there.
Canned food items are stored in tubs under the settees in the salon as are drinking water jugs.
The starboard lazarette is huge but needs additional shelves, buckets and baskets.
I cut the inside hatch cover for that area nominally in half adding hinges so I can open just the upper half to access the top of the shelf I added. Even if I remove the whole cover it stores much easier folded in half. I haven't yet figured out how to utilize the upper part of that space behind the cockpit seat backs other than a shower rod I hang extra life jackets from.
There is also a storage space under the v berth that is usually empty.
There is space aft of the aft cabin but hard to access. Before I mounted the boiler back there I could store bumpers in there.
I rerouted plumbing under the sink in the head to provide better storage space there.
I lengthened the drawer in the chart table and added a shelf in the cabinet under there.
We ordered ours without a microwave and added our own. We have a space under the microwave for paper plates, napkins, potholders etc.
There is more space than our Newport 30 had by far.
We don't go out for extended cruises but have found a small bathroom sized waste can fits under the sink. Seems like there might have been some kind of garbage bag hanger in there originally that I removed. A larger waste can is poised in the starboard lazarette on top of the partial bulkhead bungeed in place. Rolls of garbage bags from Walmart fit and allow you to squash the garbage in the can, twist tie it off when full and store it elsewhere until you can get it off the boat.
The space under and behind the sink is hard to access but stores most of pots and pans. Could also put tubs of food under there.
Canned food items are stored in tubs under the settees in the salon as are drinking water jugs.
The starboard lazarette is huge but needs additional shelves, buckets and baskets.
I cut the inside hatch cover for that area nominally in half adding hinges so I can open just the upper half to access the top of the shelf I added. Even if I remove the whole cover it stores much easier folded in half. I haven't yet figured out how to utilize the upper part of that space behind the cockpit seat backs other than a shower rod I hang extra life jackets from.
There is also a storage space under the v berth that is usually empty.
There is space aft of the aft cabin but hard to access. Before I mounted the boiler back there I could store bumpers in there.
I rerouted plumbing under the sink in the head to provide better storage space there.
I lengthened the drawer in the chart table and added a shelf in the cabinet under there.
We ordered ours without a microwave and added our own. We have a space under the microwave for paper plates, napkins, potholders etc.
There is more space than our Newport 30 had by far.
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