Velvet Elvis is a 2014 Beneteau Oceanis 41. She is a boat well built for a variety of conditions, with lots of sail to raise when the wind is very light, and sails that furl to keep the boat upright and comfortable if the wind blows hard.
A 5500 pound bulb below the waterline and her wide beam keep the sailing fairly flat, even when sailing into a heavy breeze. A 40 HP motor gets us home even when our wind dies.
She's outfitted with a bimini to keep us out of the sun, and a clear windshield that we can raise if we get hit with some cold or rain. The interior is large and comfortable for a 40 ft. boat.
The head (toilet) stays clean, and flushes without manual pumping. It flushes out with fresh water (not lake water) to keep things fresh down below. There's a galley, two staterooms, and ample storage in the cabin.
The transom folds down into a boat-wide swim deck from where we can launch kayak and dinghy excursions. The swim deck is also equipped with an outdoor shower with hot and cold water.
Velvet Elvis's Interior Layout
The swim platform (pictured here on a sister ship) makes boarding from the stern easy, and accommodates paddling excursions.
For the boat nerds, the statistics follow.
LOA 40’ 7” (12.38 m.)
LWL 37’ 1” (11.54 m.)
Beam 13’ 9” (4.20 m.)
Fin draft (shallow) 5’ 1” (1.55 m.)
Sail Area (100%) 821 sq. ft. (76.3 sq. m.). 1200 sq. ft. spinnaker.
Ballast (shallow) 5,527 lb. (2,507 kg.)
Displacement 18,624 lb. (8,448 kg.)
Ballast/D .27
D/L 151
SA/D 18.7
Water 151 gal. (570 l.)
Fuel 53 gal. (200 l.)
Holding 21 gal. (80 l.)
Mast Height 64’ 0” (19.50 m.)
Engine 40-hp. Yanmar
Beneteau USA
(843) 629-5300
www.beneteauamerica.com