What the fleet has seen
The Beneteau First 47.7, as the fleet has seen it
Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.
The Beneteau First 47.7 is a 14.3-meter fractional sloop designed by Bruce Farr and built by Beneteau from 2000 onward, featuring a fin keel with a bulb and a spade rudder. Its deep draft of 2.3 meters contributes to its performance as a racer-cruiser. Aboard *Sailing 'Iwa*, the boat has completed passages from San Francisco to Hilo, Hawaii, and navigated the California coast, including Monterey Bay and the Channel Islands. During a multi-day passage to Hawaii, *Sailing 'Iwa* experienced equipment failures including a broken whisker pole, a blown-out mainsail clew, a damaged mast headlight, and a wobbly propeller shaft due to a failing cutlass bearing, yet maintained steady progress.6:48 The crew of *Sailing 'Iwa* uses a "bear cave" berth for sleeping during passages and notes the boat handles beam reaches well without excessive slamming.15:11 They have anchored in various locations, including Catalina Island and Kealakekua Bay, where they serviced a Spectra 150 watermaker. *Be The Captain* reported a near-catastrophic keel failure on a Beneteau First 47.7 during a delivery from the Bahamas to Cartagena, Colombia, where the hull-to-grid bond failed, causing seawater intrusion through cracked keel bolt bedding.1:17 The internal grid detached from the hull along nearly half its length, and the forward compression bulkhead cracked at the mast step.11:10
