Beneteau 42 cc vs. Beneteau 44 cc

[waterdog]

So I just sold my house on a path toward liquidity, so to speak. Cruising dreams and boat porn are turning into realistic plans and assessment of viable candidates.

We did a sabbatical cruise on an '88 Catalina 34 down the west coast of North America. I've done everything from making sails and upholstery, water makers, solar install, re rig, SSB, even a repower. So I am not afraid of upgrading systems on an older boat, but I am not looking for a massive project either.

We have looked at a few different boats. The only one among the shiny new boats that I saw at a the Vancouver show that I would really want to cruise on would be a Catalina 445. Though it's about 2x the budget. Most of the newer production boats seem oriented to weekend work. Though a nice cat if affordable, would make an awesome cruising platform.

We've looked at a number of boats. The ones that my wife likes best are centre cockpit Beneteaus. They seem to evoke the "Now I could definitely live on this!" response. Other things being equal, that may be the most important criteria for long term realization of cruising dreams.

Has anyone had a deep a look at both of these boats and have opinions? The 42s are newer. The 44s seem to have a better interior layout for hanging out in the salon, storing bikes or guests in the bunk room etc. How about sailing wise, construction etc? Either boat is old enough now that I think condition of the individual boat is the dominant concern over general age.

Thoughts appreciated. By the way, my ideal boat for our budget might be an Amel Santorin. Had a look at an older Maramu, but condition was so poor that I didn't dare show Tracey. Might have to have a vacation in France...

[Eleuthera 2014]

Go for it..! The Beneteau 42 & 44 CC are good sea boats but... there are better quality (opinion) vessels available within the class. As you rightly point out, AMEL Maramu's are in the size class you want. Also reflect on a Santorin.. a derivative modernised Maramu.

Welcome aboard and check out yacht world.com for other options.

[Moody46CC]

There was a Bene 42CC for sale in our marina last year. From the outside, it looked great, and the price seemed reasonable. I'm not sure of the difference in interior layout between the two models (42 and 44), but I have a CC (Moody) myself, and it is very comfortable for cruising. Ours actually has a real bed in the fwd cabin. The bed is much, much easier to get in and out of and to make up than a v-berth. We also have a two bed bunkroom to port, with the fwd head to starboard. The bunkroom is great for kids and fine for storage. We do carry bikes when we cruise, but ours are folding models and I keep them in bags, lashed to the stern railing. The steps into the salon are awfully steep for passing bikes up and down.

The salon on a 44 will be large enough for socializing and just plain comfortable reading when at anchor or tied up. A nice feature of a CC boat is that the owners usually take the aft cabin with company (or kids) forward, giving additional privacy for both. The salon is the meeting area.

As you said, condition and price may be the determining factors, but if those things are close, go for the 44. You will not regret the extra space. Keep the wife happy, otherwise, the trip is over.

[Eleuthera 2014]

This is a Bavaria equiv of the ben 42 & 44...

Some good points... oh wait... someone will pipe in and say the rudder is all wrong. Opinions... this is central to this site! :big grin:

2002 Bavaria 47 Ocean Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

[duefocena]

I looked at a 38' Fountain Pajot Mahe the other day for $200k US. I took some pictures of her if you want to PM me I'll send them to you. Twin yanmars, sail drives and huge cabins compared to the Bene's. IMHO living on a cat and cruiising is a lot easier. A 38' gives the room of a 50' mono but with much quicker crossings. Twin engines make that foreign harbor entrance at night with a broken motor a non issue. Oh, and then there is that "sailing flat" thing allowing one to sleep on their side in a seaway.

[glhotka]

When we were looking for our cruising live aboard boat, like you, I was not worried about doing some projects as long as she was structurally sound, sea kind, and proven for blue water. We knew based on what we had to spend (knowing we didn't want to owe money on this) we would have to take on some projects for sure.
Our searches continued to bring us to similar boats but we didn't care for the "white plastic wedge" look and wanted something that would have a different line, some accent looks, but still be center cockpit to give us a full rear stateroom and a way to have separate spaces if we ever felt we needed or wanted them.

We kept going back to Gulfstar sailboats from the late 70's and early 80's. They still had the character we liked and were built before the cost of petroleum product drove up the production costs making boat builders go lighter and thinner in the hull.

We have lived aboard our Gulfstar for over two years and love her. We sailed her along the gulf coast from Florida to Texas and refit most of her inside as well as giving her new paint from the toe rails to bottom paint.

In a stroke of luck for us, the other model boat we fell in love with ended up having one of those great deals you dont pass up and it had us buy our next boat. So we have our Gulfstar for sale. It is worth taking a look at and seeing if you get some ideas for your projects (full blog of most of the projects we did as well) or If you would be interested in looking at her. If so, below is a link to her listing, feel free to Private message me or you can contact Carolyn at the link included. I would be happy to discuss Gulfstars as well if you had questions about them.

Gulfstar 43 sloop - great live aboard cruiser

[Eleuthera 2014]

Had a look at the advert.. Pretty rough!

[PappysSailing]

Just drove a '98 Beneteau First 42s7 about 750 miles this April.
Pros: Boat handled well; she was fast and nimble under both sail and power (50 hp Perkins). Pointed to weather exceptionally well, maybe even 25 degrees off true wind, which helped us punch through two nasty squalls under a double- reefed main without having to run. Turned on a dime.
Cons: Boat had a shoal-draft wing keel (although it still drew 5'11"). Again, did well on beam reach and forward points of sail, but didn't track very well off the wind. Leeway was an issue and since we were hand steering (long story), the see-sawing on the wheel to hold a course started to wear on the crew. I doubt the rudder was very happy either. For any long distance sailing, esp in the trades, I would require a different arrangement- modified full or at the very least, skeg-hung rudder to help a vessel track better.
Also, just seemed to me that the lengthy boom was mounted a little too high on the mast such that dealing w the halyard shackle or handling the sail cover required climbing up mast steps to an easy 9 feet over the coach roof. Slab reefing at those heights was also a pain. No big deal in the slip, but not fun at all in open, bouncy water.
Good luck with your search, Pappy

[Flyingriki]

To reawaken an old thread....is anyone recently experienced in either of the Beneteau center cockpits? Jeanneau also makes a 42 CC but not many for sale in the States. The Bene 44s are a little out of my price range but sweet. The Bene 42CC is looking like the boat of my dreams.
Any advice on it?

[inet-projects]

Also been looking at the Bene range in the last months, I like the inside of the CCs but I think the CC could be awkward to get around and in and out off the cockpit depending on your age groups.

[squirty34]

We bought a 2005 Oceanis 42CC last year after despairing at the lack of quality in New Boats. So far loving the layout and loving the centre cockpit. We are a couple about 50 with occasional guests onboard. The boat is perfect for that. She sleeps 6 at a pinch, but that can be a faff. Nice guest cabin, their own bathroom away from yours. Galley kitchen and gallery bathroom at back surround large engine room. I have sat in the engine room with a mechanic discussing electrics. Very solid boat, built at a time when the builder was being state subsidised and it shows in material choices. Very solid composites used and what looks like genuine cherry vaneer that is about 3mm to 4mm thick. Plenty of depth for a resand and revarnish at some future point. That said 12 years in it looks like new anyway and it is untouched from the factory.

Downsides.

After 12 years the main is getting saggy and sometimes jams in the furling main. It needs replacing.

We have had to replace the main water pump

The alternator belt slips, but that is because too big an alternator was fitted after market for the belt. A serpentine belt is needed.

For two cruising you need a remote windlass for stern too mooring as the distance from the wheel to the stern is too far. You need the crew at the back handling lines not setting the anchor. Took 2 hours to fit.

Paint around Windows on main deck need redoing after 12 years.

Beneteau's have zero boat snob value. Depending on who you are this might be in the plus column.

She weighs 9 tonnes. This is not a light boat, do not expect Stella performance. That said my girlfriend had her up to 10 knots in 24 knots of wind (with saggy Sails).

We use 6 knots for planning trips.

Apparently the Yanmar in this boat is better than the Volvo alternative according to every mechanic we have met.