JEANNEAU S/O 49DS
PRICE £130,000-£180,000 YEAR 2005-2009
For a production yacht Jeanneau’s DS range offers plenty of boat for the money and, though maybe more lightly built than many semi-custom yachts of a similar size, the 49DS makes an excellent blue-water cruising yacht and ocean passage-maker for those on a reasonably limited budget.
At the time of her inauguration it was rare to see such a boat with the amount of smart wooden joinery and trim below. The large saloon windows let in plenty of natural light too, ensuring it is anything but gloomy below, and there’s bags of living space and stowage too. Several interior layouts were available offering two or three double cabins, but the most popular was the model with the large owner’s ensuite cabin forward and two roomy doubles aft, along with a second heads aft.
A well-equipped L-shaped galley wraps around the companionway with generous worktop and prep area, and the large nav station opposite faces forward and has room for charts, pilots and electronic instruments alongside a comprehensive electrical switch panel.
On deck she’s well laid out with twin helms, to which the genoa sheets lead. The mainsheet is on the coachroof though, so requires a good autopilot for singlehanded adjustments. Stowage is very good with two seat lockers, a further two large lazarettes and a cavernous sail locker on the foredeck.
There’s plenty of uncluttered deck space for moving about on or mounting solar panels and room in the engine compartment for a generator if required.
Although her sail area is somewhat conservative, she is lighter, stiffer and quicker than comparative yachts, resulting in a fast, predictable, well-balanced and easily handled yacht with a comfortable motion in a seaway.