40 DS and 43 DS owners - please spill the beans
Feb 17, 2018 14:59:10 GMT
Post by rxc on Feb 17, 2018 14:59:10 GMT
I have the 43DS two cabin version, 2003 and am generally very happy with it. I have done the mast step rebuild this past year, and I think the boat now sails much better.
We had a leak in the fwd cabin that was very difficult to track down, and turned out to be the bow pulpit mounts, which were loose. Impossible to tighten without installing access holes in the anchor locker tub.
Water heater finally died last year, and was replaced with an Isotherm SS model.
Cristec battery charger finally died about 2 years ago.
The engine blower seems to have died, as well, and will be subject of examination during the next month. Don't know if it is the blower itself, or just the sensor in the engine comparment.
We had one window leak, port side fwd, which seems to have been fixed with a little bit of caulk applied judiciously. We have exterior screens which keep the UV away from the adhesive, so that has helped a lot. I think that the mast step issue caused the window leak, and maybe even a stuck interior door, which has worked itself out with the new mast step.
Faucets for the galley sink and heads are starting to fail. THe O-rings inside the faucet bodies harden and lose seal, and I have not been able to find replacement parts, so they are being replaced as they fail. Galley sink replacement is better than original.
Make sure that the owner gives you the white plastic plugs for the ventilators in the large hatches in the main cabin and the fwd cabin. They are essential to keeping the water out in really heavy conditions.
There have been some reports of rudder stock failures, but I don't know whether this has been a generic issue. I also had a failure of a rudder quadrant, which I think was caused by bad initial commissioning. Make sure you look at the steering gear closely.
Thru-hull valves, especially in the heads, and especially for the holding tanks, should be checked to see that they open and close. They go bad if not exercised regularly. Some have seen deterioration of the original valves.
The Hella running lights and the masthead light are junk. The red and green lights on the bow pulpit turn into a mass of rust if you do any heavy weather sailing, and the covers come off easily. Replace with sealed LEDs.
Depending on the year, you may find it very difficult to install new electronics or a large chartplotter in the instrument cluster at the helm. Mine is very small, and is not deep or large enough to accept a decent chartplotter. It is mounted on a separate swing-out arm.
The water pressure accumulator starting leaking last year. I installed a smaller tank as a temporary replacement, and hope to install a better accumulator tank next month.
The throttle control wire for the Morse engine control failed unexpectedly. We just started the engine to move the boat, and there was no throttle control. Shifter worked, but no gas. No idea what caused it.
I still have the original SS muffler, and am not looking forward to replacing it when it finally rots. This has been reported by a nummber of people. The SS holding tanks are also a candidate for leaks and replacement.
Replaced the original vinyl-covered SS lifelines last year with Dyneema. I love it, but my wife is not sure.
The keels are iron (thanks to the EU), so they are more work to maintain than a lead keel. But it will take quite a while for them to rust away.
Don't take this list as a reason to not buy one of these boats. They are great to sail and cruise, but they are getting to the point in their lives when you have to do some major maintenance. My woodwork is in great shape, and I don't have any deck leaks or anything that indicates any rot in the deck itself. The rigging was in great shape when I replaced it after 13 years, and my running rigging is still holding up quite well. The original Jeanneau sails lasted 12 years, and the upholstery and bedding are still in great shape.
I would buy one again.
We had a leak in the fwd cabin that was very difficult to track down, and turned out to be the bow pulpit mounts, which were loose. Impossible to tighten without installing access holes in the anchor locker tub.
Water heater finally died last year, and was replaced with an Isotherm SS model.
Cristec battery charger finally died about 2 years ago.
The engine blower seems to have died, as well, and will be subject of examination during the next month. Don't know if it is the blower itself, or just the sensor in the engine comparment.
We had one window leak, port side fwd, which seems to have been fixed with a little bit of caulk applied judiciously. We have exterior screens which keep the UV away from the adhesive, so that has helped a lot. I think that the mast step issue caused the window leak, and maybe even a stuck interior door, which has worked itself out with the new mast step.
Faucets for the galley sink and heads are starting to fail. THe O-rings inside the faucet bodies harden and lose seal, and I have not been able to find replacement parts, so they are being replaced as they fail. Galley sink replacement is better than original.
Make sure that the owner gives you the white plastic plugs for the ventilators in the large hatches in the main cabin and the fwd cabin. They are essential to keeping the water out in really heavy conditions.
There have been some reports of rudder stock failures, but I don't know whether this has been a generic issue. I also had a failure of a rudder quadrant, which I think was caused by bad initial commissioning. Make sure you look at the steering gear closely.
Thru-hull valves, especially in the heads, and especially for the holding tanks, should be checked to see that they open and close. They go bad if not exercised regularly. Some have seen deterioration of the original valves.
The Hella running lights and the masthead light are junk. The red and green lights on the bow pulpit turn into a mass of rust if you do any heavy weather sailing, and the covers come off easily. Replace with sealed LEDs.
Depending on the year, you may find it very difficult to install new electronics or a large chartplotter in the instrument cluster at the helm. Mine is very small, and is not deep or large enough to accept a decent chartplotter. It is mounted on a separate swing-out arm.
The water pressure accumulator starting leaking last year. I installed a smaller tank as a temporary replacement, and hope to install a better accumulator tank next month.
The throttle control wire for the Morse engine control failed unexpectedly. We just started the engine to move the boat, and there was no throttle control. Shifter worked, but no gas. No idea what caused it.
I still have the original SS muffler, and am not looking forward to replacing it when it finally rots. This has been reported by a nummber of people. The SS holding tanks are also a candidate for leaks and replacement.
Replaced the original vinyl-covered SS lifelines last year with Dyneema. I love it, but my wife is not sure.
The keels are iron (thanks to the EU), so they are more work to maintain than a lead keel. But it will take quite a while for them to rust away.
Don't take this list as a reason to not buy one of these boats. They are great to sail and cruise, but they are getting to the point in their lives when you have to do some major maintenance. My woodwork is in great shape, and I don't have any deck leaks or anything that indicates any rot in the deck itself. The rigging was in great shape when I replaced it after 13 years, and my running rigging is still holding up quite well. The original Jeanneau sails lasted 12 years, and the upholstery and bedding are still in great shape.
I would buy one again.