Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 440

A 13 m Jeanneau offshore cruiser, now out of production, with two, three or four cabins, suiting couples wanting space or families and groups of up to 10.

Jeanneau no longer builds the Sun Odyssey 440, but she was designed with longer crossings in mind, and that shows in how she's put together. She's sturdy and stable, and the cockpit keeps you secure when the weather picks up offshore.

Her lines came from Philippe Briand, with interior work by Jean-Marc Piaton and Jeanneau's own design team. She measures 13 m overall on a 12.64 m hull, with tanks for 200 l of fuel and 330 l of fresh water.

Owners could choose how much of her went to sleeping and how much to stowage. A couple might go for the two-cabin version, which gives you two very generous cabins plus a storage locker. At the other end, the four-cabin layout takes up to 10 people, two of them in the saloon, and there was a three-cabin option in between. It's worth confirming which one any boat you're looking at has.

Comfort on board was taken seriously. There's ventilation built in, sound insulation, a well-equipped galley and carefully chosen materials, and outside you've got a sundeck for lazy days at anchor.

Because so much was optional, no two are quite alike. Some were fitted with a bow thruster to make close-quarters handling easier, some with a higher-performance mast for owners after more speed. Those planning long passages could add a water-maker, solar panels and extra batteries.

Jeanneau also produced a Millennium Edition aimed at charter work. It was set up for hard, regular use, with a Lofran electric windlass, a PROFURL furling system and a laminated wood interior finish.