We made an offer on a boat!

We are getting closer to departure... Slowly but surely.

We visited 7 boats so far in different ports in Southern France and also in Croatia (but screened hundreds of classified ads). We finally decided to go for the first boat we visited.

It is important to visit a lot of boats before making a final decision. 

At first, I put my veto on that first boat we saw because it didn't meet some of my criteria, one of which was that I hated Center Cockpits. 

But you never know what life has in store for you, and ironically, that's the one we ended up picking.

Recap of our criterias

->1996: It has to be a "recent" boat, dated after 1996, when the CE norms for sailboats were set in Europe.   

-Offshore equipped: It has to be offshore equipped. Mister eventually wants to cross the Atlantic. 
 

-3 Cabins: It had to be 3 cabins, as we potentially would have guests with kids. 
(Also Nico has to fit in the bed... some beds are too small for a 5ft11'/1m82 guy) 

-Island bed: The master bedroom should have an island bed where I could walk around easily. Also I don't want to slip upside down. I like to sleep facing the door... 
I'm the only one who seems to do that, I have taken the night train twice, and out of the 4 berth, I noticed I was the only one sleeping the other way around from the others. 

-Budget: Budget was 70k euros fully equipped for offshore max. Or lower price that would allow us to equip it or refit it fully for the same total budget. 

Beneteau Oceanis 40 CC, year 2000

That's the boat we finally locked in. (Photo of us getting back to Port)

The Oceanis 40 CC (Centre Cockpit), is a sailboat model designed by Finot Conq Architectes and built by Bénéteau, a renowned French yacht manufacturer.  

Design and Build

- Designer: Finot Conq Architectes

- Builder: Bénéteau, France

- Years Built: From 1995 to 2002, there are only 291 of them produced in total!
ours is year 2000.

- Hull Type: Monohull with a centre cockpit design, which provides excellent protection for the crew and easy access to the interior.

Specifications

- Length Overall (LOA): Approximately 11.98 meters (39' 4")

- Length at Waterline (LWL): Around 11.19 meters (36' 7")

- Beam: About 3.95 meters (12' 11")

- Draft: Standard draft is around 1.70 meters (5' 7"), with options for different keel configurations.
We have a 1.60 meter draft with a bulb keel. 

- Displacement: Approximately 8,770 kg (19,336 lbs). 

- Ballast: Around 3,100 kg (6,834 lbs)

Performance and Sailing Capabilities 

- Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: Indicates good performance potential, suggesting the boat can handle both cruising and light racing with ease. 
The owner doesn't seem to agree, he is saying it is too heavy for racing. 

- Displacement/Length Ratio: Points towards a moderately light boat, offering a balance between speed and comfort.

- Hull Speed: Theoretical maximum speed based on waterline length is around 8.1 knots, but this can vary with conditions, load, and modifications.

- Sail Plan: Typically features a sloop rig with options for in-mast furling or traditional mainsails, and a furling genoa. That is what we have, plus one electrical winch. 

Interior and Comfort

- Cabin Layout: Usually comes in 2 or 3 cabin layouts, with a spacious owner's cabin aft due to the centre cockpit design. Ours is 2 cabins only, which is a miss in our criteria. But we figured that we would be mostly the 2 of us most of the time, so why not having bigger cabins. 

- Accommodation: Can sleep up to 6 people comfortably, with a large saloon, well-equipped galley, and one or two heads depending on the layout. 
Strangely, I feel the saloon not very large compared to all the boats we have visited. Maybe because the table and bench are elevated. And of course the 2 cabins are bigger and take most of the space. 
The kitchen is in a narrow hallway leading to the master cabin.

- Interior Design: Known for its bright and airy feel with numerous ports and hatches, providing natural light and ventilation.
When you are sitting in the saloon you do see the horizon. The ceiling is indeed higher than most boats we visited. 

Market and Usage

- Target Audience: Ideal for couples or families looking for a comfortable cruiser that's safe and stable. Its centre cockpit design also appeals to those who want protection from the elements and ease of access to the interior. I wanted a room that looked like a room, so it does fit the criteria. 
But it is not fully offshore equipped, so we might have to do some refit or gear it up if we really want to cross the Atlantic. 

-Price: Used models have varied prices depending on condition, year, and location, but you can find listings from around €89,500 to €100K+ for well-maintained vessels from the late 1990s. Ours is sold at €50K because it requires a lot of refitting:

• The teak deck: is not maintained at all; it's so worn that you can see the screws. We don't think we'll replace it as it costs a fortune, and it's purely aesthetic (maybe €10K). Instead, we'll sand it down, redo the joints, and apply varnish. Fortunately, only one part of the deck is heavily damaged; the rest is bad but still okay.

• Engine hours: We don't know for sure. When the owner bought the boat 12 years ago, the counter stopped at 2000 hours. So, we assume it's probably done another 2000 hours since. We'll need to fix that. Apart from that, the engine works well; it's the only thing, along with the hull and interior, that has been well-maintained each year. Engines should be refitted or replaced every 7000 hours. A new engine would cost us €25K...

We did buy a small 'engine kit' to test the motor, but we're not sure how relevant it is. We dropped one drop of oil from the engine onto paper and waited over 15 minutes to analyze whether water, dust, or other contaminants were in the oil.

•     The main sail and had some hard time unfurling when we did test drive it. Probably someting has to be redone here as well. There was not much wind, but still, it should have come out more easily, especially we were using an electrical winch. 

We tried out 3 of the sails. (obviously not on this picture)

• We have to change the rigging, which costs a lot €10k + 
  
  
• The dinghy is new, but it has an electric engine, which is pretty slow. But we'll check it out later. 
  
  
• Solar panels might also need to be replaced or some more to be added. 
  
  
• The davits are handmade, and it's not sturdy at all, we might need to redo or improve. 
  
  
• Some of the through-hull might need to be refitted. 
  
  

I'll list all of the work we'll put in in a post, there'll be probably more than what's mentioned above. 
Hopefully it will fit our €20K budget. We'll do a lot of the work ourselves if possible. 

Notable Features

- Safety and Stability: The design offers a secure feeling at sea, with good hull stability and ease of handling, even for a smaller crew. Which is perfect for the 2 of us. 

- Build Quality: Bénéteau's reputation for quality construction means these boats generally hold up well over time, though, like all boats, maintenance is key. We will take good care of the boat after all the work we'll pour it to refresh it!

- Cruising Capabilities: Favored for long-distance cruising due to its comfort, stability, and performance under sail.

Test drive

We did take her out this Sunday, because the weather conditions were fine. 

I am highly prone to sea sickness. So I tried to stay outdoors. 
However I had to go inside to check out some details with the owner. I was a bit sick so I didn't take any pics.
Anyways, you will see the BEFORE and AFTER photos/videos. 

What's next?

On February 26, we'll take the boat out on dry dock to make the final inspections before finalizing the deal. 

We'll leave her on dry dock for about 4 days to do the antifouling work ourselves.
The last antifouling was done in June 2024.

In the meantime, Nico is deep into compiling the repair work to-do list, so he's not in the best mood. 

We have our son staying with us for a week during his school holidays, so we'll take advantage of this time with him before we embark on our big adventure!"