Design and Construction
The 400 is a handsome boat with beautifully-executed deck tooling anchor, and the hull form tells a coherent story. In profile the canoe body has a deep chest forward and minimal rocker, while the beam is pushed far aft — Beneteau carried that aft bias into the cabintrunk itself, which grows in beam as you go aft so the widest part of the trunk and coaming sits right at the aft end. The max beam-to-transom beam radius works out to 1.23, and with a displacement-length ratio of 168 the hull is moderately loaded rather than featherweight. The keel is located well forward and is a fin with bulb with wing type; a shoal-bulbed fin without wings was also offered, drawing 4 feet 8 inches against 5 feet 6 inches for the deeper winged version. Side decks are minimal, a consequence of the beam-forward geometry, but the cockpit is huge with room for a big dining table.
Rig and Handling
Above the deck, the rig shows swept-back spreaders and single lowers combined with a furling mast, and the sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 16.88 — enough to keep the performance-cruiser brief credible. What is distinctive is the deck hardware layout. The primary winches have been moved off the coaming and pushed forward to the edges of the cabintrunk, and the genoa tracks are also off the side decks and located on the cabin trunk. That relocation clears the narrow side decks for movement and centralizes sail handling forward of the cockpit, a layout choice consistent with the boat's stated goal of easier, more reliable passage-making.
Accommodations
Two layouts were available from the factory. Version one puts the galley aft and pushes the navigational center amidships adjacent to the U-shaped settee; version two adds a second double quarter-berth and pushes the galley amidships with a center island seat for the settee. The interior is impressively detailed, and the aft-beam treatment that defines the exterior pays off below as volume carried well aft. Practical access touches extend outside: to ease the access to the swim platform a portion of the coaming aft on centerline hinges down, and that same hinged piece fills in the recess for the boarding ladder to make a flush swim platform.
Equipment and Specifications
The factory auxiliary was a Perkins 50 Prima, with 41 gallons of fuel and 140 gallons of water. Published dimensions list the 400 at 39 feet 9 inches overall, 34 feet 1 inch on the waterline, 12 feet 10 inches beam, 16,000 pounds displacement, and 5,600 pounds of ballast, with 670 square feet of sail area. Two keels were available, as noted, and the boat was offered with the two interior arrangements described above.
The Verdict
The Oceanis 400 reads as a deliberate attempt by Beneteau and Finot to blend cruising volume with a performance-oriented hull and a deck plan that simplifies sail handling. The beam-aft hull, forward keel, and centralized winch and track positions mark it as thoughtfully laid out for a couple or family cruising, even if the narrow side decks are a trade-off of the geometry.
Pros
- Handsome deck tooling and impressively detailed interior
- Beam carried aft for volume; two distinct layout choices
- Forward-mounted primaries and cabin-trunk genoa tracks ease cockpit congestion
- Hinged centerline coaming section gives flush swim platform access
Cons
- Minimal side decks limit lateral walkaround space
- Two keel options mean careful verification of actual draft on any given boat
