Beneteau Sense 50 Boats For Sale

The Beneteau Sense 50 is a 50-foot production cruising sailboat built around a deck-saloon concept that puts comfort and easy living ahead of outright speed. Rather than raising the cockpit over aft cabins, the design lowers the cockpit floor so it sits nearly level with the interior, reached by just three shallow steps angled at 45 degrees. The machinery — engine, generator and water maker — is housed in the aft section of the hull where sleeping cabins would normally go, keeping noise and smell away from the living space. The sleeping accommodation sits forward instead. Beneteau positioned the Sense to heel roughly 5 degrees less than the comparable Oceanis, aiming it at couples who cruise full-time and want a wide, social platform. This is the context behind the high-spec listings shoppers find when searching Beneteau Sense 50 for sale or Beneteau 50 sailboat for sale.

Under sail the Sense 50 prefers to be kept flat. Its twin rudders sit deep and close together, which adds drag and reduces feel, and the boat does not point high — making over 7 knots but only at around 50 to 55 degrees off the wind. The hull carries its beam well aft to a hard chine that limits heel and adds interior volume and cockpit space. Power comes from a Yanmar turbo diesel on a sail drive running through the centerline. Many boats were fitted with the Dock and Go system, a rotating sail drive controlled by a joystick that blends thrust and bow thruster for sideways and on-the-spot maneuvering. Beneteau later stopped fitting the system because of problems, and many owners have removed it in favor of the diesel and a standard bow thruster.

Below decks the Sense 50 layout reads like an apartment, with about 7 feet of headroom, a vast beam, large hull windows and aft-facing saloon glass that connect the interior to the cockpit. The galley runs along the starboard side with an island unit, solid-surface counters, a gimballed stove, dual sinks with fresh and salt water, and top- and front-loading refrigeration. The saloon table converts to a berth, a TV pops up from the joinery, and electric touches extend to the winches, blinds and a recessed companionway door. A nav station to port carries the chart plotter, breakers and instrument panels.

The accommodation is typically two suites with two heads, with the third cabin often ordered as a convertible office rather than a Pullman berth. The master cabin forward has a centerline island berth, hanging lockers and large picture ports; the guest cabin to port has its own head that doubles as the day head. Storage is plentiful, with deep bilge lockers under a centrally raised sole.

When weighing a Beneteau Sense 50, factor in the boat's age against asking prices that have run from roughly $300,000 to $431,000 for 2011 to 2014 examples. Recurring concerns include impractical white leather upholstery, peeling trim, visible prototype-style plywood mounts behind the blinds, and no proper access to service the generator. The aging electric systems and the Dock and Go installation are the main areas to inspect before buying.