Beneteau builds its sailboats as a solid glass hull with a fibreglass grid, called the matrix or liner, bonded inside it. Practical Sailor says Beneteau has built every First and Oceanis this way for at least 20 years. It's quick to build and stiff when the bond holds. The bond is where a surveyor looks first.
The grid and the keel after a grounding
The best documented case is the First 40.7 Cheeki Rafiki, lost in the Atlantic. The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch concluded the yacht capsized after its keel detached, and that "previous groundings and subsequent repairs to its keel and matrix" had possibly weakened the structure where the keel met the hull. It also thought one or more keel bolts might have deteriorated.
The MAIB describes how the First 40.7 was built: the matrix laid up in its own mould, ground smooth, then bonded to the hull with beads of paste while both were still in their moulds. During the investigation it heard "much anecdotal evidence" of matrix detachment on First 40.7s, in two places:
- Forward sections, usually put down to slamming.
- Around and aft of the keel, usually put down to groundings.
MAIB inspectors visited four First 40.7s that had all suffered detachment in the bays around the aft end of the keel after groundings. Two also showed detachment forward. The report found no industry guidance on how to find matrix detachment or repair it, and recommended the British Marine Federation develop some.
Beneteau's own repair advice to its dealers, as the MAIB reports it, keeps a flange of at least 5 cm, grinds out the old paste and replaces it, then glasses the matrix to the hull. The repairers the MAIB visited agreed the keel should come off when the repair needs it.
Practical Sailor's advice on the 40.7 is to survey the hull to keel attachment closely, and it notes that some buyers of these Beneteaus have the keel dropped to check bolts and bonding. On later First models, its review of the 47.7 says the grid is a latticework without floors, so each member is bonded and glassed to the hull.
Where to look. Every bay of the grid with the sole boards up: cracked or separated paste, and fresh glass or filler that suggests a past repair. Around the keel bolts: cracks in the moulding and movement at the nuts. Outside: the keel to hull joint, and dings on the keel that mark a grounding, which Sailing Magazine's owners recommend checking for on the 393. Ask for the boat's grounding and repair history in writing.
Iron keels
Practical Sailor reports Beneteau generally uses cast iron ballast, as on the 393 and the 46, where most builders use lead. On the First 40.7 the standard deep keel is lead and the shoal option is iron. Iron is cheaper and lets the keel root be thinner. The trade-off, in the magazine's words, is that coatings "must be scrupulously maintained" so the iron never meets seawater.
Sailing Magazine adds that the earliest 393s are now more than 20 years old and critics flag possible loose keel bolts.
Where to look. Rust weeping at the keel to hull joint, blistered or lifting coating on the keel, and rust at the bolts inside.
Hull to deck joint
On the 393, Practical Sailor describes an inward turning hull flange with the deck bedded on a polyurethane sealant, through-bolted at the chocks, stanchions and cleats and tacked with machine screws on 6 inch centres elsewhere. On the 40.7 the flange is bonded with polyurethane glue and stainless bolts under a teak toerail. Both rely on the sealant to keep water out.
Where to look. Stains and wet wood along the inside of the hull to deck joint, and rust at the fasteners.
Rudders, decks and windows
- Rudders. Practical Sailor's 40.7 review says the update to carbon stocks bonded into the rudder avoids "the common problem with steel stocks of water migrating into the rudder". On a Beneteau with a stainless stock, check the rudder for water.
- Decks. Balsa cored, solid where hardware is fitted, on both the 393 and the 40.7. Sound and meter the deck around fittings that have been moved or added.
- Deck windows. Sailing Magazine reports owners of the 393 finding leaks at the curved windows above the saloon.
- Blistering. Practical Sailor notes Beneteau had its share of blistering on earlier models, and that owners and surveyors reported few cases on newer boats.
The USCG recall list holds one Beneteau record, for the Oceanis 473 (040098T), with no defect published. Check the hull number with the dealer.
What to check on a Beneteau
| Area | What to look for | Source of the concern |
|---|---|---|
| Grid bays around and aft of the keel | Separated or cracked bonding paste, repairs | MAIB report on the First 40.7 |
| Grid bays forward | Separation from slamming | MAIB report on the First 40.7 |
| Keel bolts and keel to hull joint | Cracks in the moulding, movement, weeping | MAIB, Practical Sailor, Sailing Magazine |
| Iron keel | Coating condition, rust | Practical Sailor |
| Hull to deck joint | Leaks along the inside of the joint | Practical Sailor construction notes |
| Rudder with a steel stock | Water in the rudder | Practical Sailor |
| Saloon deck windows on the 393 | Leaks | Owner reports in Sailing Magazine |
Writing it up
"Grid, bays aft of the keel: bonding paste separated from the hull over about 200 mm on the port side, no repair evident. Keel to hull joint shows a hairline crack aft. Recommend the grid and keel attachment are assessed by a repairer before the vessel goes to sea, with the keel removed if needed." Grade it A when the grid is detached around the keel.