Beneteau 351 - Owner Reviews

[MSN-Travelers]

Hi All,

I sail Lake Michigan out of Milwaukee. She-who-must-be-obeyed wants
to start cruising the Great Lakes and that just isn’t going to happen
on our 26 foot water ballasted boat. The Beneteau Oceanis 351 is on
our short list. We have chartered and sailed the 311 (too small) and
the 361 (too expensive) in the past.

Can any current or past owners of the 351 share your experience with
that model? Any known “qwirks” that I should look for?

Paul
s/v UNA MAS (MacGregor 26M)
Madison/Milwaukee (SSCY)

[Bob at Gmail]

Paul,
We love "Our Dream" an OC 351. We have owned and sailed her on the
Chesapeake Bay for 12 Seasons.
She's a perfect size for a couple with occasional guests.
No problems other than routine. The double ended main sheet takes a
bit of getting used too.
But with a little planning we are able to manage just fine.
The electric windlass motor has failed twice and the usual concerns
with roller furling main
but all and all a great trouble free boat.
You will enjoy it.

Bob
S/V Our Dream
'97 Beneteau Oceanis 351 #195
Slip C-17, Castle Harbor Marina
Chester River Kent Island
Chester, MD
_/)__/)__/)_

--------------------------------------------------
From: "MSN-Travelers" <psc...@charter.net>
Sent: Sunday, February 14, 2010 11:12 PM
To: "Beneteau Owners" <benetea...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: {Beneteau Owners} Beneteau 351 - Owner Reviews

> Hi All,
>
> I sail Lake Michigan out of Milwaukee. She-who-must-be-obeyed wants

> to start cruising the Great Lakes and that just isn�t going to

> happen
> on our 26 foot water ballasted boat. The Beneteau Oceanis 351 is on
> our short list. We have chartered and sailed the 311 (too small)
> and
> the 361 (too expensive) in the past.
>
> Can any current or past owners of the 351 share your experience with

> that model? Any known �qwirks� that I should look for?

>
> Paul
> s/v UNA MAS (MacGregor 26M)
> Madison/Milwaukee (SSCY)
>

> --
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[Guy]

Have 1999 352 since jan 99 (new)... 351-352 nearly identical... 361 made
many changes, larger head (bad idea); improved galley (OK); move primary
winches (bad) no large cockpit table (bad); funky swim platform changes
(bad)

352's have excellent yanmar 3gm30f and lead keel; 351's vary.

see www.guym.com for news and views from our bahama and fl travels.

Best bang for buck...

write off line for specific questions

-------------------------------------------------
Captain Guy
New Smyrna Beach FL USA
386-689-5088
-------------------------------------------------
s/v Island Time (Beneteau 352#277)
AICW 845.5

[Noodle]

It's an excellent cruising boat and an excellent value. Lots of
freeboard, lots of beam, and relatively shallow draft with a smallish
keel profile make for a boat that does not excell to windward though.
So look for one with a conventional mainsail - the roller furling main
isn't as efficient on the wind and will compound the already less than
stellar windward ability. However, the benefit of high freeboard and
lots of beam is space, comfort and headroom - hard to find in most 35
footers.

I've sailed mine to every island in Hawaii multiple times in the 5
years I've owned her. Very seaworthy, very dry, very solid.

Bill

[seric]

My family and I are looking at a 1996 Oceanis 351. We are having the
survey done next week. Does anyone has any suggesting on particular
areas to focus on? Any big issues for current owners? Any Beneteau
issues from those years in general?

First time boat owner so any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you very much!

On Feb 16, 3:22 pm, Noodle <william.le...@navy.mil> wrote:
> It's an excellent cruising boat and an excellent value.  Lots of
> freeboard, lots of beam, and relatively shallow draft with a smallish
> keel profile make for a boat that does not excell to windward though.
> So look for one with a conventional mainsail - the roller furling main
> isn't as efficient on the wind and will compound the already less than
> stellar windward ability.  However, the benefit of high freeboard and
> lots of beam is space, comfort and headroom - hard to find in most 35
> footers.
>
> I've sailed mine to every island in Hawaii multiple times in the 5
> years I've owned her.  Very seaworthy, very dry, very solid.
>
> Bill
>
> On Feb 14, 6:12 pm, MSN-Travelers <psch...@charter.net> wrote:
>
>
>
> > Hi All,
>
> > I sail Lake Michigan out of Milwaukee.  She-who-must-be-obeyed wants
> > to start cruising the Great Lakes and that just isn’t going to happen

> > on our 26 foot water ballasted boat.  The BeneteauOceanis351is on

> > our short list.  We have chartered and sailed the 311 (too small) and
> > the 361 (too expensive) in the past.
>

> > Can any current or past owners of the351share your experience with

[John Laubhan]

On my Beneteau 310, I have a "retired" Raymarine ST4000 autopilot.
The drive lever is defective.
Is anyone aware of a source for a drive lever replacement and assembly parts
(N011 and N024)?

It is my understanding the S1 is the replacement for the ST4000.
If just the wheel unit is purchased, can it be plugged into the rest of the
ST4000 operation?

Any other advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,

John Laubhan
Mechaya
1993 Beneteau 310

[mawe...@rcn.com]

Is it black or grey?
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

--
Largest Beneteau group, over **883** members and growing.

[Mark @ Beneteau List]

On 14 March 2010 19:36, John Laubhan <jala...@charter.net> wrote:

On my Beneteau 310, I have a "retired" Raymarine ST4000 autopilot.
The drive lever is defective.
Is anyone aware of a source for a drive lever replacement and assembly parts (N011 and N024)?

It is my understanding the S1 is the replacement for the ST4000.
If just the wheel unit is purchased, can it be plugged into the rest of the ST4000 operation?

Is this a wheel unit or a tiller unit?

If this is the old wheelpilot, in the UK parts are emphatically not available. Raymarine offered me 25% discount off the cost of a new unit. The components are not interchangeable.

However I my unit was similarly defective (defective drive lever) and I was able to repair it myself. In my case, the rollpin that secures the cam unit to the shaft had snapped. You should be able to remove the rollpin stub and replace it with another for pennies. In truth, removing the broken pin was hard for me and I ended up getting a friend to fabricate a new cam as well. However, if it happened again I would get a small workshop to remove the old pin using a drill or spark eroder. Re-assembly was a piece of cake.

Your mileage may vary

Mark
 

Any other advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,

John Laubhan
Mechaya
1993 Beneteau 310

[John Laubhan]

It is the black wheel unit.

I will try to get the roll pin out and see if I can repair it myself.

Thanks.

[Mark @ Beneteau List]

On 14 March 2010 21:51, John Laubhan <jala...@charter.net> wrote:

It is the black wheel unit.

I will try to get the roll pin out and see if I can repair it myself.

Thanks.

I tried removing it by clamping the cam and using a hand drill to bore it out. Big mistake as the roll pin is hardened steel. The drill bounced around and I ended up chewing the cam. A workshop should be able to get it out. Failing that, I would drill a _slightly_ oversize hole on the other side of the cam to the rollpin (which does not go all the way through) and then use a punch to drift the broken pin out.

Good luck.

Mark

[Rick Donovan]

I don't want to seem like I am talking down to you on this question, but I wanted to make sure you knew that roll pins, also known as split pins or spring pins, should be readily available at most any good hardware or home store. they will come in standard (inch) diameters like 1/8, 3/16, 1/4 etc and then you would need to know the over all length. I would expect that you can get what you need for less than $1 in most cases. 

there are also metric sizes of this same style pins and those would be much harder to find and a bit more expensive. if this happens to be a metric diameter, take a look at all of the pieces and see if you could drill the existing holes to the next US size with a drill bit. metric pins are often very close in size when you measure them. also keep in mind these pins stay in place with the spring pressure of the split so don't drill a 1/4" hole and expect that a 1/4" roll pin will stay in place. you would need something .020-.030" smaller for a 1/4" pin to work properly. 

if a broken roll pin is your only problem, you will not find much you can repair on a boat that would be any cheaper to fix.

Rick Donovan

Biddeford, Maine

[Rick Donovan]

this pin should come out fairly easily with a hammer and a punch in most cases. drilling the pin itself is asking for trouble until you have tried all other options. I suggest that you use something with a hole in it that will allow the pin to pass but support the cam. you need something to pound against tto take the pressure of the impact on the punch. if for instance you were to try to hold this part in your hand while hitting the punch, most of the impact would be absorbed by your hand. getting something solid behind this piece will allow the punch to move the pin.

if you were to drill a _slightly_ over sized hole on the other side as suggested, you run the risk of the new pin not staying in place. drilling one side basically removes 1/3 of the pin interference that it will need to hold. I would not recommend that procedure.

Rick Donovan
Biddeford, Maine

[Mark @ Beneteau List]

On 14 March 2010 23:31, Rick Donovan <rdono...@maine.rr.com> wrote:

this pin should come out fairly easily with a hammer and a punch in most cases. drilling the pin itself is asking for trouble until you have tried all other options. I suggest that you use something with a hole in it that will allow the pin to pass but support the cam. you need something to pound against tto take the pressure of the impact on the punch. if for instance you were to try to hold this part in your hand while hitting the punch, most of the impact would be absorbed by your hand. getting something solid behind this piece will allow the punch to move the pin.

if you were to drill a _slightly_ over sized hole on the other side as suggested, you run the risk of the new pin not staying in place. drilling one side basically removes 1/3 of the pin interference that it will need to hold. I would not recommend that procedure.

The trouble is, the pin cannot be punched out without drilling on the other side. For some reason the holes in the cam are not drilled completely through, which is why I resorted to drilling the pin out. Drilling a hole from the other side, effectively completing the bore in the cam, will not reduce pin hold so long as the hole is drilled progressively. The reason to suggest a slightly oversize hole is simply to reduce the precision required.

As always, your own mileage may vary.

Mark
 

Rick Donovan
Biddeford, Maine

On Mar 14, 2010, at 7:20 PM, Mark @ Beneteau List wrote:

> I tried removing it by clamping the cam and using a hand drill to bore it out. Big mistake as the roll pin is hardened steel. The drill bounced around and I ended up chewing the cam. A workshop should be able to get it out. Failing that, I would drill a _slightly_ oversize hole on the other side of the cam to the rollpin (which does not go all the way through) and then use a punch to drift the broken pin out.

[Paul Schwab]

Hello Guy,

I'm going to make an initial visit to this boat next Tuesday.

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/pl_boat_detail.jsp?&units=Feet&id=217
0434&lang=en&slim=broker&&hosturl=glys&&ywo=glys&

It is still on the hard and the topside is still shrink wrapped. I don't
know if the mast is up or down.

Anything in particular that I should look for?

Paul Schwab
MSN-Travelers
Madison, WI
(608) 322-6725

Best bang for buck...

> to start cruising the Great Lakes and that just isn't going to

> happen
> on our 26 foot water ballasted boat. The Beneteau Oceanis 351 is on
> our short list. We have chartered and sailed the 311 (too small)
> and
> the 361 (too expensive) in the past.
>
> Can any current or past owners of the 351 share your experience with

> that model? Any known "qwirks" that I should look for?

[Bob at Gmail]

Paul,
Looks good to me.
In the photos I don't see the 2nd cushion for the salon table
conversion.
I guess A/C in not important.
The windlass (if you have one) needs the engine running to check.
Be sure to get a good surveyor.
Good Luck

Bob
S/V Our Dream
'97 Beneteau Oceanis 351 #195
Slip C-17, Castle Harbor Marina
Chester River Kent Island
Chester, MD
_/)__/)__/)_

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Paul Schwab" <psc...@charter.net>
Sent: Friday, April 02, 2010 2:04 PM
To: <benetea...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: RE: {Beneteau Owners} Beneteau 351 - Owner Reviews

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