Beneteau Oceanis 350
This was the forerunner of the Océanis marque, designed by Philippe Briand in 1985. She instantly set new parameters for mainstream cruising design and pricing. She was a big, full-bodied boat with the emphasis on liveaboard comfort, particularly in harbour. The concept was sharply focused on the
charter market but she also caught the attention of family owners. Her handling, thanks to the very shallow forefoot, is not good in a seaway but she is quick and responsive in light to medium winds. As standard she has a lowaspect fin keel, but a shallow-draught winged keel was another option. She
was built with one or two aft cabins, a generously sized galley, an aft-facing chart table and a forecabin that is little more than a sleeping platform. The heads is large in the single aft cabin version, but rather cramped in the twin. Stowage, not generous in the single aft cabin arrangement, is even more restricted in the twin. It is important to check the history of 350s and get a thorough survey.
LOA 10.1m (33ft 1in), LWL 9.13m (30ft), beam 3.43m (11ft 3in), draught 1.56m (5ft 1in), or 1.25m (4ft), displacement 4,800kg (10,560lb). Price guide: £35,000 to £50,000.