Space Ship

Jeanneau’s sleek 42 is a sloop

that can win converts

By Roger McAfee

At top, the master stateroom overhead is cut out under the helm seat, which makes room for an extra porthole. The saloon layout is fairly standard; the galley, complete with double stainless sink and propane stove with oven, is starboard at the base of the companionway. A dining area with drop down double leaf table is forward. On the port side is a settee that, with the table wing up, becomes part of the dining area. Aft of the settee is a navigation/electronics station.

Jeanneau’s new Sun Odyssey 42 DS is a sailboat that even a power boater like me could learn to appreciate. It’s large and light below deck, and with a theoretical hull speed of 8.13 knots, nobody could call it slow. With a well-equipped “base” price far south of $250,000, it’s attractive for more than looks alone.
This new offering from Jeanneau tackles, head on, many of a sailboat’s shortcomings as perceived by power boaters looking to sailboats as a way of disconnecting from the expense of the fuel dock.

“Being on a sailboat is like living in a basement,” is a critique often applied to sailboats. Not so with the 42 DS. Each side of the coach house is fitted with frameless smoked Lexan windows and there are two large overhead skylights. This combination provides more natural light than in most similar sized boats, either power or sail. Both the fore and aft staterooms have port and starboard opening ports and they, too, have overhead port lights.
Such a large glass area can often cause heat buildup inside and many boats simply rely on an open hatch to bleed out the hot air. Not so with this boat. Fixed into its hull side, are two pairs of standard, screened, opening rectangular ports. When open, even at the dock, they provide good cross ventilation and cooling and their design is such that, even in the rain, no water comes into the vessel.

Specifications

LOA: 42’ 5”
LWL: 38’ 1”
Beam: 13’ 7”
Draft: 5’ 3” (shoal)
Displ.: 19,662 lbs.
Sail area: 833 sq. ft. (877 with
full batten mainsail)
Power: Yanmar 54 hp
Fuel/Water: 34/94 U.S. gals.

Contact

Jeanneau America
Annapolis, MD
410-280-9400
jeanneau.com

After its fall debut in Annapolis, this boat was one of the new offerings at the Seattle show and it was a hit with attendees. We noted that the vessel was not at all cramped when there were up to eight people on board at any given time. A day sail with half a dozen or more guests would be comfortable, even if rain kept all but the hardiest below.
The 42’s staterooms, one forward and one aft under the cockpit, are both so spacious and well done that this would make a good “partnership” boat.
The forward cabin has full headroom, a queen bed, head/shower and plenty of stowage, but is slightly smaller than the aft. The aft stateroom does not have full headroom, but is large, luxurious and complete with a centerline king bed and plenty of stowage. It can be accessed either through the galley or the aft head and is big enough that it can be split into two doubles as a family or charter option.
The interior finishes are light teak and the counter tops and settee cushions, as well as the overhead are all done in off-white keeping the interior bright and cheerful.
For older cruisers, working sails on deck, particularly in weather, can be demanding. Again, not so on this new Jeanneau. All sails can be handled from the cockpit, with a roller furling jib and a single-line, two-point reef system mainsail. The Jeanneau we examined was complete with the best cockpit dodger we’ve seen, yet even that did not interfere with sail handling. Winches and other deck equipment are made by Harken.
Double lifelines, good toe rails and grab rails about the dodger made moving from the cockpit to the foredeck a relatively easy process. I tramped around on the foredeck and coach house and  both were solid and exhibited no flexing. Hinged pad eyes along the side decks provide good anchoring points for either a safety harness when under way or fender ties when docking or rafting up.
The aft cockpit on the new 42 DS is large and well laid out for either serious sailing or simply lounging about. A drop-leaf table, complete with drink holders, is centered in the cockpit forward of twin wheels.
Access to the cockpit from the water is up a set of steps molded into the sugar scoop transom. The steps themselves are slightly concave so that when the vessel is heeled, the crew’s feet can remain relatively horizontal. The steps down into the interior are given the same treatment, as are the foot wells at each of the helm stations.
As my wife said when looking at the boat, particularly at the rig, “if they’d built sailboats like this years ago, I might never have switched to power boats.” This Jeanneau is a well designed vessel that will appeal to experienced sailors and, with the ability to handle sails easily from the security of the cockpit, may well stop older sailors—or wives—from thinking about switching to trawlers.