Intro. Looking for a bigger boat!

[so43ds2002]

I joined your forum to learn from current owners what to watch out for. Currently using a Tartan 37c as a liveaboard in Marathon for the winter months but looking for something a bit more roomy.
We have our sights on a Sun Odyssey 43 DS but seems overpriced at the moment. Really like the DS versions as both my wife and I work remote and going to something with more natural light would be a real plus. The Tartan feels like working in a dungeon.
I’ve heard that there can be concerns over windows leaking and difficulty dealing with replacing them. The boat I am looking into is a 2002 Sun Odyssey 43 DS. So I am here to research this area of concern.
Open to any advice and suggestions.
Thanks

[MalcolmP]

Hi Mark

There are quite a few knowledgeable 43DS owners on this forum, who may well respond. The 43DS is generally well built, but you are correct to flag up window leak issues. This is normally associated with problems with the mast compression post, which on early models for sure were stepped on a ply block, which if the boat had wet bilges, would rot out and the rig of course then push down and flex the the cabin top and thereby cause the deck windows to leak. They, like everything with boats can be fixed, for a price....

Worth getting your surveyor to double check the rigging tension etc. This Hints and Tips guide gives you a step by step guide on what replacing the step with glass entails. www.jeanneau-owners.com/hintsandtips/compressionpost.html 

Do keep the forum updated with your search. Good luck. Malcolm

[rxc]

I have owned a 2003 43DS since 2006, and think it is a great boat. You are right about leaks in the windows, but I think that this is a problem for ALL boats that have large windows like this stuck in place with an adhesive. There is an article in one of the recent Practical Sailor magazines about it, and in the UK Practical Boat Owner, as well. Jeanneaus are not the only ones with this issue.

I actually have an almost complete, new set of these windows from when I bought the boat from a dealer. The first owner used a scotchbrite scubby on them and they did not look very nice. The dealer let me order a complete new set from Jeanneau at the dealer price, and I got all of them, except one which was not available. They have now gone across the Atlantic three times without being mounted on a boat! We installed screens on the outside to keep out the sunshine, and don't notice the scratches any more!

I have also removed and re-bedded one of them, without too much difficulty. And I think that when the time comes I will try to rebed them again, using 3M VHB tape instead of either the Sikaflex or the DOW sealant. They are a nightmare to use.

I have also replaced the mast step - this is something that you definitely need to check if you buy a 43DS. Best to do when you replace the rigging because it requires the mast to come down.

The engine has worked well, and I have done extensive upgrades to the electrical system and fluid systems to make it more comfortable to live on. The boat went back to France on its own bottom in 2008, and then spent 6 years there, cruising between Spain and Scotland, and it is really very comfortable. It came back to the USA on a ship.

Only one other serious problem - the clamp that holds the steering quadrant on to the rudder post failed about 50 miles south of Bermuda in Force 7 conditions, and the boat fell over on its side. We had to hand steer with the emergency tiller for about 8 hours, which was not pleasant.

One last item. If you decide to upgrade the instruments, do NOT use Raymarine again. Find something else. The latest Lighthouse systems and charts and radar are really a mess.

Highly recommend it for a cruising couple.