Oceanis 58 - A whole new level of luxury

Boat Test - Oceanis 58

John Curnow went sailing on the newest Oceanis, before she headed off into the wide blue Pacific for some serious cruising.

When Ian and Andrea Treleaven say “let’s go for a sail”, your ears prick up very quickly. When the weapon of choice is the new Beneteau Oceanis 58, you grab the camera bag and off you go.

Ian has pedigree going all the way back to New Zealand and dinghy racing, but together he and Andrea are more widely known today for their travel adventures and books on the Mediterranean and Caribbean, aboard their own Beneteau 50.

A few months ago, the first new Beneteau Oceanis 58 arrived in Sydney and was fastidiously worked up for her owner, who had a specific brief. Her custom silver paint job was part of that, along with the installation of her optional in-mast reefing main and staysail configuration. Water maker, ice maker and washer/dryer mean this boat is set for some very serious cruising, which after completing this test she had already begun in the Pacific. Interestingly, Antipodes Australis’ owner was coming out of a Beneteau First 47.7, having had an Oceanis 390 and even a Riviera motor yacht along the way. There are two reasons to highlight this. One, she is a whole new level of luxury, indeed performance, and the other is her ability to do just what her owner required, long distance effortless cruising.

The first impression you have is that she is big. Overall, she is just shy of 60 feet in the old language and she also has a high freeboard. A large cockpit with a dining table able to take 12 people, twin helms and that huge swim platform are the obvious features that you note.

Clarity and openness also extend down below. The companionway is an all glass affair and is flanked on either side by yet more tinted glass.

Departing her very tight pen was made completely effortless by the 140hp Volkswagen Diesel and the bow thruster, which runs off the 24V circuit. All controls are easily operated from the Starboard helming position, as are the primary Harken electric winches. This vessel is fitted with the optional in-mast furling mainsail. It may be just on 15% smaller than the regular main, but its operation is completed in a matter of seconds.

Also fitted as optional extras were the large 220sqm Code Zero and the staysail. The latter will no doubt be of some value when galloping along in the Trades, but it does make tacking the headsail more onerous. However, the former is a real winner. A taffeta arrangement, it is stronger than you’d expect and subsequently able to go higher uprange. It provides ample power and looks magnificent as well. In around 8+ knots of breeze, this combination was able to get the Oceanis 58 moving along at a tidy 6.5 knots and to a relatively good angle.

That is pretty impressive, for she probably comes in at something like 25 metric tonnes. Certainly strong, she is a polyester resin hull, with balsa and glass fibre deck bonded to it. There is a cast iron keel fin bolted to stainless steel backing plates and a 6435kg bulb at the bottom.  The ride was very graceful and stability afforded by the ‘deep’ 2.6m draft was noticeable. The naval architects had done a lot of work to get her to be efficient at five degrees of heel, which is certainly going to add to comfort in a boat such as this.

On deck the two-speed, powered Harken winches and simple clutch arrangements make for effortless work. Good grab handles, including on the side of the targa bar, and clear decks mean moving around is very easy. Indeed the jackstays can run her entire length, completely unfettered.

Gas struts hold all hatches and openings for you and I particularly liked the swim ladder, which has handles that fold out and also double as guards against errant tender drivers. There are two very good things to have back here - hot and cold water to the shower and a huge, 10-man liferaft locker.

Back in the cockpit, the Raymarine GPS and plotter occupy the after end of the large dining table. At the for’ard end of the table is what I believe to be the only incandescent globe on the vessel, in the form a lovely lamp. The rest of the vessel utilises LED technology, which ensures minimal power drain. However, with the 9.5kVa Cummins/Onan Genset onboard, having enough juice won’t ever be much of a problem.

Once down the companionway, you’re in a world of Mahogany and leather. Even the keel-stepped mast is encased in the delightful timber. There is ample headroom, as it is a smidge over two metres. It is here that the volume mentioned earlier comes into play. The full beam is available and the many ports and hatches provide ample light.

Immediately to port is the galley, resplendent with microwave, dishwasher, oven, cooktop, under benchtop, single door fridge and a chest freezer.

Just for’ard of the galley is a generous lounge with the pop-up bar behind it and then the icemaker just before the bulkhead to the owner’s stateroom. You can have your choice of configuration up front, with a two-cabin, two head layout also available. You can also turn the really deep sail hold in the forepeak into a twin bunk, head and shower affair.

The sumptuous stateroom has sit-down vanity just inside the door and there is an abundance of hanging, shelf and storage space in several lockers throughout the cabin.

Back in the main saloon, the dining table occupies the starboard side and up against the bulkhead is the pop-up LED TV panel. I like this, for it keeps it safer than being mounted to the bulkhead and, when not in use, makes the whole saloon look that much slicker.

Underneath the seating there is storage, but more importantly the water maker and water heater are here, and handy access to important items of equipment is always a good thing. Speaking of which, the VW main diesel is accessed via lifting the companionway steps. Again, gas struts make this simple, with further access to it and the genset via removable and insulated mahogany panels in both aft cabins.

On the starboard side of the companionway ladder is the nav desk. It is a large and open area served by a plush leather cushioned seat and backrest. Lift the desktop and there is a good storage area for your charts and the laptop whilst at sea.

Whilst he was seated there, I got the chance to talk with Ian and the overriding thing that came out were the improvements in this vessel over Beneteau’s previous and very popular Oceanis lines. These are all the little details like the strutted locker doors and the inherent attributes, like space and openness.

Behind Ian was a small locker with a drain, which is for wet gear. It can be a second fridge and given the long-haul cruising you’re likely to do with a vessel like this, and the number of friends who’ll want to be around, I think this is an absolute must-have.

Navigation tools, radios and primary lighting functions are all very simple to use and right beside you, from waist to head height. All the additional controls are in the port aft cabin, with the master ship-to-shore power controls. It’s a debate as to whether some of these should be back out at the nav desk, such as the genset start button, for instance. You may not want to go in and wake someone and if they’re a good sleeper, they may not hear the genny anyway, as it is really well insulated.

Speaking of aft cabins, the port one is a dedicated double with the bathroom here also serving as the day head, and it has an extra door into the companionway to make this possible. Of good size, the head and shower are able to take you standing straight and that’s always a good test. Bi-folding shower doors make for easier ingress and egress. Overall though, the mindset here is not to be in the head for too long.

The starboard side is a twin that can also convert to another double. It has a similar head arrangement, albeit with a better shower set-up, as it does not have to be concerned with the second access door. Both cabins are light, served by the optional air-conditioning, and have an opening port on the swim platform and also at deck level, so breeze should make its way to you.

The for’ard sail hold is simply voluminous, so it’s no wonder that it can be specified as an additional place of accommodation. Accessed via a ladder, it is the full height, from keel to deckhead and will carry the code zero and asymmetric kite that would also seem mandatory. Whilst there is a symmetric version available, bothering with poles and things does not seem like fun when you’re going the kinds of places this vessel will take you, and I’m not sure how much better off you’d be for being able to run just a little deeper.

Whilst we’re right up at the prow, one thing worth looking at is the wonderful, angled swivel that is in between the shackle and 40kg anchor. Its purpose is to automatically allow the anchor to realign as it comes up and avoid hitting the stem. This is a job it does with truly sensational aplomb and that is a very important thing to have when you will more than likely be operating it from the controls which are virtually 55 feet away.

On the downside, not a lot of attention has been paid to anchor washing, although it looks like some fittings could be located here for it. A recessed panel about the size of the one that does the outdoor shower would be handy. Also, the hatch for the chain locker opens inwards from the sail hold – there is not one at deck level. If the chain fell over in a sea and you had to work the resultant ball loose, this could prove difficult. Admittedly, with such steep sides to the chain locker this is highly unlikely, but famous last words come to mind…

So there it is. From stem to stern, this is a vessel that looks good and sails very well for what she is. She will cruise sensationally, entertain like a well-taught socialite and offer space and comfort to all aboard her.

Now of course, a vessel such as this very much falls into the category ‘if you have to ask, then you cannot afford it’, but actually, given her appointments, she does represent great value. There will be change from your first six zeros. You will get a lot of vessel from both a volume and finish point of view.

The ultimate test for any vessel is, would you buy one? Unfortunately, I do not have to worry about that one right now. Suffice to say, one of the other guests onboard during our cruise on Sydney Harbour, was in that position. Later on, after we’d returned, he was getting the paperwork drawn up, so I think that answers the original question beautifully. QED.

AT A GLANCE

Naval Architect - Berret Racoupeau Yacht Design
Interior Designer - Nauta Design
L.O.A 18.24m
Hull length 17,75m
L.W.L. 16,43m
Beam 4.99m
Deep draught (min) 2.60m
Shallow draught (min) 2.10m
Air draught 27.50m
Light displacement (EC) 21658kg
Fuel capacity (max) 1080l
Freshwater capacity (max) 1020l
Engine power 140HP
Mainsail (classic) 87.00m²
Furling mainsail (optional) 74.00m²
Genoa (120%) 90.00m²
Code Zero (optional) 220m2
Asymmetric spinnaker (optional) 255.00m²
Staysail (optional) 35.00m²