Beneteau 40.7 as a Short-Handed Bluewater Cruiser ?

[jannw]

Hi There,

I was wondering if anyone could share their thoughts on converting a Beneteau First 40.7 for short handed blue water cruising?

I know the Beneteau's are generally not considered fantastic for this, and that the 40.7 was designed to be racy and IMS competitive ... but with cruising sails, a solent stay, a self furling genoa, single line reefing, etc. ... well, would it be a decision which would be regretted.

Any takers ... any obvious issues I should be aware of?

J

[goboatingnow]

THe firsts are good boats in my eperience it would be fine. The solent stay might be a little difficult and in my opinion Solent rigs are not particulary useful.

Dave

[DontStop51705]

Hi
We own a 2002 Beneteau 40.7
Converted it into a party circuit double hander which my wife and I handle very well.
What did we do??
1. Dropped the traveler down. Hand to shorten the removable picnic lockers Used existing hardware. Cost including cosmetic and bench shortening 800.00
2. Replaced house and starting batteries. House @ 3 AGM 345 amp hours ..Starting Battery (typical of house 115 amp hours) and moved into and behind the water heater space.. starbord aft berth. Added the house battery into the space below the stairway where there was only one house.
3. Electrified the mainsheet winch. Since it is continuous mainsheet, we only needed to electrify one winch.
4. Electrified main halyard winch.
5. Added Raymarine E120 and placed it in front of the helm..really neat!
6. We use the ATN snuffer, tacker.. Suzanne runs the simple fordeck and auto helm drives while the helmsman tails for the spin hoist and trims until the fordeck gets back to the cockpit.
Note: it is very easy and safe to get to the halyards since the traveler is down on the cockpit deck.
7. Shrortened the boom by 5 " saving my (big) nose on jibes. Took 45 minutes with a jigsaw.
8. Added Strong Sailtrak. The mainsail hoists like butter reducing strain on the winch motor.
9. Added a Balmer 100 amp alternator and Prosine Battery Monitoring System
10. Added galvanic isolation
11. Added a remote (around my neck) Raymarine auto helm which achieves apparent wind better than most racers can.
12. water maker forward of the mast where transducers are.
Re-plumbed the head eliminating some of the worst OEM hoses I have ever seen. Went with oder guard hose and it just dont smell anymore. We flush with fresh water from the sink supply. Easy and safe conversion.
13 Went with Lazy jacks but will change to a dutchman system in about a month.
14. Sailplan is 104 % carbon fiber Quantum jib with vertical battens for furling to our Mark 4 Harken. Went with a medium cut. Main is a Quantum Carbon Fiber that matches the Jib.
15. Installed inhaulers for better upwind trim in lighter conditions on the San Francisco Bay. When we get them!
Call si voux plait Robert 415-720-4828
PS She loves 12-20 knots of breeze and we have had no real problem in high 20's to low 30's with a single reef an cranked in jib. We don't like these conditions and do not fly the chute but are relatively comfortable when they occur unanticipated.
There is probably some stuff I forgot but she is a dream to sail.

[DontStop51705]

Hi

We own a 2002 Beneteau 40.7
Converted it into a party circuit double hander which my wife and I handle very well.
What did we do??
1. Dropped the traveler down. Hand to shorten the removable picnic lockers Used existing hardware. Cost including cosmetic and bench shortening 800.00
2. Replaced house and starting batteries. House @ 3 AGM 345 amp hours ..Starting Battery (typical of house 115 amp hours) and moved into and behind the water heater space.. starbord aft berth. Added the house battery into the space below the stairway where there was only one house.
3. Electrified the mainsheet winch. Since it is continuous mainsheet, we only needed to electrify one winch.
4. Electrified main halyard winch.
5. Added Raymarine E120 and placed it in front of the helm..really neat!
6. We use the ATN snuffer, tacker.. Suzanne runs the simple fordeck and auto helm drives while the helmsman tails for the spin hoist and trims until the fordeck gets back to the cockpit.
Note: it is very easy and safe to get to the halyards since the traveler is down on the cockpit deck.
7. Shrortened the boom by 5 " saving my (big) nose on jibes. Took 45 minutes with a jigsaw.
8. Added Strong Sailtrak. The mainsail hoists like butter reducing strain on the winch motor.
9. Added a Balmer 100 amp alternator and Prosine Battery Monitoring System
10. Added galvanic isolation
11. Added a remote (around my neck) Raymarine auto helm which achieves apparent wind better than most racers can.
12. water maker forward of the mast where transducers are.
Re-plumbed the head eliminating some of the worst OEM hoses I have ever seen. Went with oder guard hose and it just dont smell anymore. We flush with fresh water from the sink supply. Easy and safe conversion.
13 Went with Lazy jacks but will change to a dutchman system in about a month.
14. Sailplan is 104 % carbon fiber Quantum jib with vertical battens for furling to our Mark 4 Harken. Went with a medium cut. Main is a Quantum Carbon Fiber that matches the Jib.
15. Installed inhaulers for better upwind trim in lighter conditions on the San Francisco Bay. When we get them!
Call si voux plait Robert 415-720-4828
PS She loves 12-20 knots of breeze and we have had no real problem in high 20's to low 30's with a single reef an cranked in jib. We don't like these conditions and do not fly the chute but are relatively comfortable when they occur unanticipated.
There is probably some stuff I forgot but she is a dream to sail.
call for pics

[Loquat]

I have delivered many a b-teau out of Charleston to Bvi, the NE, Bermuda, Fla, etc. Never a first though. Do they make those in France, or Marion SC?

The only thing I can critique is the flat hull slams when it gets nasty. So you just have to slow down, which in a blow, you still are making good time, so maybe that isn't a big issue.

As a compliment, i think the new first and newer other models have pretty lines, and nice euro design.

[DontStop51705]

The First 40.7 are made in France.

You state that you have delivered many beneteaus out of Charleston to BVI, the NE, Bermuda, Fla, etc. Never a first though. Do they make those in France, or Marion SC?

The First 40.7 are made in France. The 40.7 is a stiff yacht and the new 40 IRC design is a bit stiffer especially those ordered with carbon fiber standing rigging.

The flat hull slams when it gets nasty. These are cruisers! Don't know abouthose issues.

The new first and newer other models have pretty lines, and nice euro design. TRUE and the 40.7 is very quick.

However, the earlier post is in response to how one would convert a racer (40.7) into a couples friendly doublehander!

Di you read what we did?
R
R

[OzGeoff]

[QUOTE=DontStop51705;655293]Hi

Hi I have just purchased a 1998 Beneteau 40.7 and i am very intersted in what you have done, and chance you can send photos to geoff@rockyharleydavidson.com.au

[islandplanet]

Several of the older First Series (1980's vintage) have been cruised successfully. Liz and Andy Copeland have 130,000nm on their First 38 as of last April when I bumped into Liz. Another First 38 that has been out for 12 years that I know very well has close to 40,000nm and is holding up well. Whenever you are considering a boat for cruising, take into consideration that modest tankage, shallow bilges, and interiors without much storage can be drawbacks. We've seen people cruise on all sorts of boats though including stripped out ULDB's. Every boat is a compromise.