A great deal for the sailor looking for a beautiful, non-chartered, shallow draft yacht…..
“Paradox”, a 2001 Jeanneau 43 DS, is a privately owned yacht that has never been in the charter services in the islands. She has been sailed and enjoyed seasonally as a family yacht. Additionally, she IS WATERWAY FRIENDLY both in draft and mast height to allow for passages under the standard 64 foot fixed bridges. This Sun Odyssey Jeanneau 43’ Deck Salon offers a bright and open interior and features two stateroom with two heads. This version can also be easily and cleverly converted to a three stateroom arrangement as might be needed by the next owner.
When in the late 1950’s, Henri Jeanneau began building motorboats from the new wonder product called fiberglass-reinforced plastic, he couldn’t have imagined that the company bearing his name would someday have turned out more than 60,000 boats, or 4,000 boats annually. But 45 years and three owners later, Chantiers Jeanneau does exactly that. And while the French yard employs state-of-the-art technology in its production line to handle such capacity, still its boatbuilding techniques remain almost as traditional as they were in Henri’s day.
Built of hand-laid fiberglass without a core, the 43 hull, like other Jeanneau sailboats, is stiffened with laminated-wood longitudinal stringers and ring frames and without structural liners. For years, this was a point of difference between Jeanneau and its archrivals at Beneteau, whose boats are engineered with liners. Even after Groupe Beneteau bought Chantiers Jeanneau in 1995, the construction differences between Jeanneau and Beneteau remain.
The Sun Odyssey 43 Deck Salon is designed with families and charter guests in mind. Its ingenious modular interior can be converted by the owner from two cabins to four; removable bulkheads in the forward and aft cabins fit into slots in the overhead. An L-shaped galley and U-shaped dinette, each to starboard, provide ample room for guests and those tending to them, as do two separate heads. Standing headroom in the cabin ranges from 6 feet 2 inches to 6 feet 11 inches.
The cockpit was designed with access from the companionway past the cockpit table and helm to the transom for swimming and dinghy access. The deck is low profile, offering an easy step from side deck to cabin top.
Powered by a 56-horsepower Yanmar diesel, the 43 DS, in terms of volume for money is among the best value in this category of sailing yachts.
John Kretchmer, Renown yachtsman, author and boat reviewer wrote the following about the Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 43’:
This well-made cruiser longs for open water with its design and seagoing comfort Jeanneau builds handsome, high-quality boats that are excellent values. Jeanneau continues to build boats in the time-honored and time-consuming way-by hand. It takes 1,200 man-hours to complete each Sun Odyssey 43. The Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 43’ the boat is nicely proportioned. The lines are modern with short overhangs and a generous beam of 13 feet, 8 inches. The low-slung coachroof extends forward and tapers gracefully into the foredeck.
The masthead sloop has a working sail area totaling just less than 1,000 square feet. The 43 is easily driven in light air, the boat is not a lightweight, displacing 21,392 pounds. A draft of 5 feet, 3 inches helps the boat track when sailing upwind. The Caribbean charter fleets are full of Jeanneaus that have crossed the Atlantic on their own bottoms, and I have no doubt that the Sun Odyssey 43 will be a comfortable and capable offshore boat.
Jeanneau is still building boats with integrity. The Sun Odyssey 43 hull is hand-laid fiberglass with Kevlar rovings in the bow sections for added impact resistance. Vinylester resin is used in the first two laminates for osmosis protection. Jeanneau does not use molded hull liners in any of its boats larger than 34 feet. Instead, floors and longitudinal stringers are made from laminated plywood and bonded to the hull, creating a strong structural grid. Bulkheads are securely tabbed to the hull as is much of the interior furniture.
A Jeanneau trademark has always been intricate and well-executed fiberglass sculpting. The Sun Odyssey is no exception, from the diamond pattern molded nonskid to the subtle curves in the deck, the fiberglass work is excellent. The externally fastened epoxy-coated iron keel is attached late in the construction process.
On deck: To say the cockpit is spacious is an understatement: It’s huge. A large table with folding leaves and handrails is mounted on the cockpit centerline and provides a good foothold for support when heeled. The cockpit seats are ergonomically shaped to provide back support. There are a couple of lazarettes, and the port sail locker is large. The visibility is excellent even while seated.
A midboom sheeting arrangement places the mainsheet traveler forward of the companionway. All sail controls are led aft and the genoa tracks and pod chainplates are placed well inboard for tight sheeting angles. The mast is deck-stepped and has swept-back double spreaders. The 43’ has in-mast furling main sail system. A solid, polished aluminum toerail gives the boat a finished look. The rail has cutouts for chocks, including an amidships spring. Overall the deck hardware is beefy. There is a double bow roller forward for dual anchors and an external chain locker.
Down below The first thing that strikes you when drop below in the 43 is the warm, rich finish.From the bulkheads, to the cabinetry, to the counter top moldings, to the saloon table and clever navigation station, the joiner work is consistently good. The cutting and trimming is done by laser and has the same effect as an Old World craftsman.
The three cabin arrangement features a spacious V-berth forward, complete with a seat and desk and en suite head. A comfortable saloon features a large teak table surrounded by a U-shaped dinette to starboard with cabinets above. The lockers have positive latches that will stay shut when things get bouncy. Opposite the dinette are two comfortable settees, with the navigation desk in between. The Sun Odyssey 43 is designed to be controlled from the cockpit, where all manner of electronics can be mounted and consulted. The interior is for living in style and comfort.
The 43’ include a 2nd head aft of the nav station to port, complete with a separate shower stall, which is also well positioned to double as a wet locker. The L-shaped galley includes forward-facing double sinks, 12-volt refrigeration and a 4-burner propane stove with oven. Both the sinks and cooker have cover boards, adding to the counter space. The teak fiddles are substantial and a clever acrylic splash guard separates the galley from the saloon. There is a hatch overhead, one of several, and the ventilation is good throughout the boat.
The three cabin model has twin double cabins aft that can be converted to a single large aft cabin by simply sliding out the modular divider. Jeanneau is the trendsetter in this modular approach to interior design.
The engine is accessed from behind the companionway and through the aft cabins. The engine is a 56-horsepower Yanmar with 50 gallons of fuel and a fixed prop. Water capacity in two tanks is 159 gallons.
Under sail: The deck arrangement is clean and practical and the midboom sheeting arrangement made, trimming the main, effortless. The Harken sheet winches provide more than enough punch to reel in the headsail. This is a boat I would love to deliver to a far-flung quayside.
UPGRADES 2017:
66# Bruce anchor (130 ft 5/16 chain)
45 # CQR stern anchor (20 feet 5/16 chain, 100 feet 5/8 rode)
New closed cell cockpit cushions
New Hella fans (5)
New VHF w/AIS Standard Horizon
New LED cabin ceiling lights plus 7 under counter LED lights
Custom salon window screen covers
Bilge pump
New barbeque Dickenson
2018:
New thru hulls and sea cocks for both heads
Yamaha outboard motor 8 HP
New dinghy inflatable Ocean Runner Mercury 9.5’
2021
Mast re-stepped and sealed, Engine serviced, 2000 hour
Replace cutlass bearing, New zinc on propeller, New bilge pump, Dinghy motor carburetor rebuild, Resealed windows
2022
New dodger and bimini with removable connector
New standing rigging
New bottom paint