Beneteau 43.3 Cyclades and 43.4, One Hull and Two Charter Layouts

Beneteau 43.3 Cyclades or 43.4, what the numbers mean

Beneteau's Cyclades naming is simple once you see the pattern: the first number is the size and the digit after the point is the number of cabins. So the Beneteau 43.3 Cyclades is the three-cabin version and the Cyclades 43.4 the four-cabin version of the same 43-foot boat. Sailboatdata says it plainly, the 43.3 is the same as the 43.4 with three cabins instead of four, and also records a Moorings 43.3 built for that charter company's fleet.

The range was conceived for charter. Beneteau's heritage page describes the Cyclades family as an affordable, easy-to-sail range for seaside holidays, and its brochure lists twin wheels, genoa winches near the helmsman and an easy cockpit as the core of the idea. both versions already appear in the Cyclades brochure Beneteau printed in late 2006, European listings include 2006 boats, and sailboatdata gives 2010 as the last year of production.

A light, long-waterline hull

Berret-Racoupeau drew a hull that is long on the waterline and light for its size. Sailboatdata puts the waterline at 40 ft 8 in on a 43 ft 6 in hull. Its D/L figure of about 132 is firmly light displacement, and its SA/D of roughly 19.3 is healthy for a cruiser. In plain terms the Cyclades 43 has enough sail to move well in moderate breezes and a long waterline for a theoretical hull speed of about 8.5 knots.

The trade-off is motion. A Brewer comfort figure near 21 and a CSF of 2.15 describe a boat for coastal and island cruising rather than heavy ocean passages, which matches its CE category A rating for up to ten people but its obvious home in sheltered charter grounds. The cast iron bulb keel weighs about 2,900 kg and draws 1.90 m, giving a ballast ratio of roughly 32 percent.

The 43.3 and 43.4 layouts side by side

Beneteau's March 2008 equipment list for the 43.3 specifies one layout of three cabins and three heads. Forward is a V-berth cabin with a starboard head compartment. Aft, the two quarter cabins have 2.00 by 1.36 m doubles divided by central shelving. Between them, 2.02 m of saloon headroom covers a U-settee and table, a port galley with gimballed two-burner cooker, oven and 170 liter icebox (plus a cabinet sized for a second fridge), and a starboard nav station with a 1.05 by 0.63 m chart table.

The 43.4 trades space for berths. The boats we found listed describe four double cabins and two heads, sleeping eight in cabins and up to ten with the saloon converted. For a charter fleet that meant four couples on a 43-footer. For a private owner it means smaller cabins and more heads to share, but also room for two families or for using one cabin as a dedicated sail and gear store.

• Cyclades 43.3: three cabins, three heads, larger aft cabins, rarer on the used market
• Cyclades 43.4: four cabins, two heads in the listings we saw, the common charter configuration
• Moorings 43.3: the charter company version recorded by sailboatdata

A rig set up for charter guests

Aloft, the boat carries a nine-tenths fractional rig whose aluminum spar steps on deck and is held by discontinuous stainless wire over two pairs of swept-back spreaders. A Profurl furler handles the 110 percent genoa, and the mainsail has sliders, two reefs and lazy jacks. Running rigging is led aft through jammers on both sides of the companionway, with the mainsheet on coachroof U-bolts and the genoa winches close to the twin wheels.

It is a straightforward system that a crew of two can manage, which was the point. In-mast furling was an option, and many ex-charter boats have it. If you have the choice, a slab-reefed main with lazy jacks will sail better and be cheaper to maintain; in-mast furling is easier for reefing but needs a healthy furling unit and a sail cut for it.

Engine, water and power for anchoring out

Propulsion comes from the 54 hp Yanmar four-cylinder that brokers usually identify as a 4JH4E or 4JH4AE, turning a fixed three-bladed prop. Diesel is carried in a single 200 liter plastic tank beneath the starboard quarter berth. That is a small tank for a 43-footer, enough for charter weeks with marina nights but limiting for long motoring legs, so many private owners carry jerry cans or fit an extra tank.

Water capacity is generous at about 530 liters in two tanks, sized for a boatload of guests. The standard electrical system has one 110 amp engine battery and two 140 amp service batteries, a charger and a panel with 12 volt and 230 volt circuits. For extended anchoring, upgrade the house bank, the charging and add solar.

Life after charter, what to check

Nearly every Cyclades 43 has spent years in a fleet, and that history shapes the survey. Groundings are routine in charter, so give the keel attachment, the bolts and the liner that spreads their load a careful look. Check the rudder bearings and both wheels' cable steering for slack. Inspect sails, furlers, winches and running rigging for the wear that comes from thousands of tacks by different crews.

Below, the heads take the most abuse: check toilets, hoses, holding tanks, shower sumps and drain pumps. The hull is a balsa-cored sandwich, so a moisture survey around through-hulls and fittings is essential. Ask the seller for charter maintenance logs, which often exist and are valuable, and make sure the boat has been formally released from any management contract with VAT and registration in order.

Prices for a Cyclades 43 today

The listings we found asked about 77,500 to 110,000 euros for 43.4s built from 2006 to 2008, and 89,000 euros for a three-cabin 2007 boat. In dollars, a fair band is about $85,000 to $125,000 before transport. Most boats are in Europe, so a US buyer either buys there and sails or ships the boat home, or keeps it in Europe and cruises there, which many owners of ex-charter boats do.

Running a 43-footer costs more than people expect. A slip or mooring, insurance, haul-out, antifouling, engine and rigging service and sail replacement over time add up to about $12,000 to $24,000 a year in most US areas, plus an initial refit on any boat straight out of charter.

The 39.3 and 50.5 that bracket it

The Cyclades range had three hulls. Below the 43 sits the Cyclades 39.3, which uses the Oceanis 393 hull with twin wheels and three cabins. Above it is the 15.65 m Cyclades 50, offered with three, four or five cabins. All three share the Berret-Racoupeau design office, twin wheels and a deliberately simple equipment list, so a buyer who likes the 43 but needs more space can move up within the family.