Beneteau Oceanis 45 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The Oceanis 45's most defining structural feature is a distinctive hard chine—a subtle, angled crease almost halfway up the freeboard that runs continuously for the full length of the hull anchor. This chine promotes stability and increases interior space, and it theoretically aids stability when sailing on the breeze. The solid-fiberglass hull is set in polyester and encapsulates an internal grid that is bonded and tabbed to the main structure, serving as the framework for the attached keel, mast step, chain plates, and engine. A monolithic inner structural molding stiffens the hull, while the deck is resin-infused and incorporates a balsa core. The hull-deck joint is bonded with adhesive and fastened with screws, and the cast-iron ballast keel is bolted on with stainless steel fasteners and backing plates. The single spade rudder turns on a fiberglass stock.

Rig and Handling

Her 9/10ths fractional rig carries an aluminum mast with double spreaders and discontinuous stainless steel standing rigging. A central mainsail arch slopes aft over the companionway and anchors the mainsheet, eliminating the need for a traveler; the rigid boom vang now serves that purpose while maintaining sheeting angles toward the end of the boom. Stepping the spars farther aft yields a better balanced rig with easily managed 108-percent overlapping headsails. All working lines run aft, with jibsheets to self-tailing winches on the cockpit coamings and other controls to a pair of winches on the coachroof. Test sailors found her handling superb on Chesapeake Bay days with steady winds in the mid-teens, and in puffs in the low 20s she made nearly 8 knots upwind slightly overpowered with main and jib rolled to about 90 percent, and 9.3 knots on a screaming beam reach under full sail. Under power, the 54-hp Yanmar diesel with saildrive tracked excellently in reverse and tight quarters with a conventional bow thruster.

Accommodations

Below, the 45-degree companionway—comfortable and gently sloping—connects the sizable cockpit with a bright interior that maximizes storage, offered in light oak or mahogany. Four layouts exist: two moderate plans and two charter configurations. Owners can choose a pair of cabins or three cabins, each with two heads, in the moderate versions; the charter editions split into a four-bedroom two-head boat or a three-bedroom three-head arrangement. The two-stateroom plan swaps the port aft cabin for a commodious pantry and an enormous storage room abaft the galley accessible from the cockpit. The forward stateroom takes a full third of the interior with an island double and ensuite. Aft staterooms have proper double berths uncut by engine space. The saloon uses a sliding navigation table along a port settee, with a wraparound settee to starboard. The absence of a traveler permitted 45-degree companionway steps instead of a ladder. Note that tested layouts had no real nav station below.

Cockpit and Deck Gear

The enormous cockpit is bifurcated by a large fixed table with folding leaves and two insulated compartments, plus a refrigerated icebox option and a multi-function nav display at its aft end. Twin helm stations with long bench seats abaft the wheels give social seating. The electrically controlled full-width fold-down transom forms a teak-covered swim platform nearly flush with the water, with a removable stainless swim ladder. A B&G electronic pack, flush deck hatches, and a tactile screen with outdoor lighting round out the equipment.

Known Issues

Sailing close-hauled, the single rudder lost its grip in one moderate gust during testing, and the very wide stern led the tester to suspect twin rudders would help anchor. In stronger winds, early reefing is needed to keep the rudder working properly. The Dock & Go rotating saildrive and joystick is an optional system marrying a bow thruster for docking.

The Verdict

The Oceanis 45 is a thoughtfully engineered cruiser whose chined hull, arch-mounted mainsheet, and flexible interior plans serve both family and charter use with strong performance across the wind range.

Pros