Beneteau Oceanis 393
Designed by Jean Berret and Olivier Racoupeau, the 393 is a medium duty cruising yacht with a strong emphasis on performance and livability. Shoal draft versions (5.1 feet) with furling mains offer a good deal of easy sailing for families. Those seeking more performance will be well served by the deep keel (6'3) and classic mainsail versions. (More Data Coming Soon!)
- Years in production 2001-2006
- Length at waterline 35' 1 in
- Beam 13' 1 in
- Draft 6'3/5'1
- Displacement "17,152 lbs"
- Ballast "5,357 lbs"
- Mast height 51' 2 in
- Water capacity 131 gal
- Fuel capacity 36 gal
POLARS
Why Sail a 393?
1) PERFORMANCE: There are a good deal of new sailing designs out there. In the case of the 393, there's a good benefit to finding a deep keel and the classic main. Higher tech sails will contribute even more to her upwind abilities. That said, our 393 sails beautifully and handles a LOT of wind while remaining sure-footed. Here in San Pedro, California, a smaller headsail is likely a good addition since winds build steadily on many days. In light air she sails nicely with a full batten main and the 140%. A Code-0 or other asymmetrical chute comes in handy. With all of that, do not expect a 393 to point like a J-Boat or First series. Close to broad reaches are the 393's heaven and she's quite stable and responsive. Point the boat to something closer to 35 degrees and you'll quickly sort out that a more high-tech headsail would do wonders. Quite a few 393's have the furling main and it works well enough. For families and short-handed sailing, it's hard to be a furling-main hater. The boat still sails well and it's a sweet moment every time you realize you don't have to deal with flaking and packing. Of course a classic main can also employ a stack-pack, but that also increases windage and reduces performance. Unless your sailing grounds and plans demand a shallow draft, you'll see significant sailing advantages with the deep keel version.
2) INTERIOR: The new boat interiors look slick, but are pretty horrid to live with. Sharp edges everywhere and bunks that don't fit taller people. Everything looks stamped out and cheap. It's the Ikea approach and we tired of it fast. The 393 interior is beautiful and practical, especially in the 2 cabin version. You get an aft bunk where someone over 6' tall (I'm 6'3) can actually sleep. In the case of our boat, the previous owner was also tall and he had the bunks made even larger. The forward bunk is smaller, but still large enough for most people. It also gets it's own head, which is has proven to be more useful than I expected. The galley is designed well, but I question the freezer, which seems to have more capacity than the fridge. The overall look of the interior is warm and timeless, a feeling that the newer boats fail to convey. We looked at new and newer boats. At one point we looked seriously at the Jeanneau 379 and 389, but the interiors are better for catalogues and boat shows than sailing
3) WEAKNESSES: Like any production boat, the 393 has its share of issues. Most are basic to virtually any boat of her type and visits to various Beneteau forums are your best defense. From a design standpoint the 393 probably could have done better without the forward head (Though I like it). I also question the many deck hatches, a lot of holes to poke in a deck and maintain. With a SA/D between 16 and 17, she's no demon in light air, though she does okay. Rudder bearings are a reported problem and a good survey should check to see if it's showing excessive wear.
4) OUR BOAT: Owned and sailed by Robert Brody & Suzanne Miller Brody, Orca is a deep draft model with a classic main. The aft bunk was lengthened to accommodate tall sailors. The forward bunk was actually made a foot wider and a custom mattress installed. For maximum performance we are using only lazy jacks and a full batten mainsail. Our Code Zero is setup on a Fancor furling system. Radar, GPS and all instruments are all original Raytheon. Nav station displays are B&W, but cartographic GPS at the helm is color. All lighting has been converted to LED, including navigation lights. Full details with photos will be posted shortly.
SUMMARY: So in the end, a 393 is a good size for family cruising, yet not so big that it becomes too much to maintain and sail. Sailing performance is on the right side of fun and rewarding and it's a design that can be tweaked and teased easily into even better sailing characteristics. These are some of the last really nice interiors you'll find as Beneteau/Jeanneau have gone into Ikea type designs along with many other builders. The 393 has nice lines and a warm properly nautical interior that, in our opinion, outpaces newer designs. If you're looking for something closer to a "sailor's boat" make an effort to find a classic main and deep keel version. But, having said that, ALL versions sail pretty darn well and sometimes the standard main and deep draft make less sense. Choose what works bestfor you!
