Description

1984 Beneteau First 29 | Volvo Penta 18hp | Finot design |
A fast, spacious and very enjoyable 29-foot cruiser from Beneteau's original First range.

Designed by Groupe Finot, the First 29 combines a relatively light, performance-oriented hull with an unusually generous interior for a boat of just 9 metres. She is rewarding to sail and capable of making good passage speeds, while still providing two separate sleeping cabins, a proper saloon, separate heads, galley, fridge and inboard diesel.

Throwaway was purchased in the Netherlands in 2024 and has sailed approximately 1,500 nautical miles since then, including her delivery to Ireland and subsequent coastal cruising. She has been actively used as a family cruising boat and maintained and improved throughout that period.

She has been much loved during this time but we are now seeking a larger boat to accommodate our growing family.

Recent maintenance and upgrades include:

2024 – Volvo Penta engine professionally serviced by a Volvo Penta dealer
2025 – iron keel refinished
2025 – two new batteries
2025 – new stern navigation light
2026 – new Icom M330GE compact fixed DSC VHF
2026 – new 150-litre freshwater tank
2026 – substantial repairs/refurbishment to sprayhood
Cabin windows recently resealed

At approximately 3.2 tonnes displacement, the First 29 is light and responsive compared with many cruising yachts of similar length and era. Under sail she is easily handled, with roller-furling genoa, mainsail and gennaker. The 18hp Volvo Penta inboard drives a conventional shaft and two-blade folding propeller.

Below decks is where the First 29 is particularly impressive for her size. There is a separate forward V-berth cabin and a separate aft double cabin, together with two saloon settees/berths. The accommodation also includes a separate heads compartment, proper navigation station and galley with two-burner Origo stove, stainless-steel sink, Waeco refrigerator and pressurised fresh water.

The new 150-litre freshwater tank fitted in 2026 gives unusually generous water capacity for a yacht of this size and makes her particularly practical for longer weekends and coastal cruising.

She has worked extremely well for us as a family cruiser: small enough to be inexpensive to berth and straightforward to handle, but with considerably more accommodation than her dimensions suggest. We are selling because we now want to make the move to a larger yacht as our family grows.

A professional survey was carried out when she was purchased in 2024 and is available to serious prospective purchasers.

Specifications

Accommodation

Surprisingly spacious accommodation for a 29ft yacht, with two separate sleeping cabins plus additional berths in the saloon.

Separate forward cabin with V-berth and separate aft cabin with double berth. Main saloon with two settee/berths and central dining table. Separate heads compartment with marine toilet. Dedicated navigation station.

Galley to port with two-burner Origo spirit stove, stainless-steel sink, Waeco 12V refrigerator and cold-water system. New 150-litre freshwater tank fitted in 2026.

Good storage throughout, with attractive mahogany-finished joinery. A practical layout that has worked very well for family coastal cruising.

Construction

Solid GRP hull with internally bonded GRP structural frames and cored GRP deck. Standard 1.70m cast-iron fin keel. GRP semi-balanced spade rudder.

The hull is strongly constructed and the 2024 survey found the hull and structural bonding sound, with no delamination or blistering identified and no significant moisture issues.

Equipment

Anchor with galvanised chain and nylon rode, stowed in self-draining bow anchor locker. Mooring warps and fenders.

Sprayhood, substantially repaired/refurbished in 2026. Stainless-steel pulpit, pushpit and guardrails. Stern boarding/swim platform and boarding ladder.

12V electrical system with two batteries replaced in 2025, battery switches and circuit-breaker distribution panel. 230V shore-power system with onboard battery charger.

230V shore-power system with onboard Victron Centaur 12/20 battery charger for charging the domestic and engine batteries.

Sprayhood, substantially repaired/refurbished in 2026. Stainless-steel pulpit, pushpit and guardrails. Stern boarding/swim platform and boarding ladder.

12V electrical system with two batteries replaced in 2025, battery switches and circuit-breaker distribution panel. 230V shore-power system with onboard battery charger.

Navigation Equipment

Icom M330GE compact fixed DSC VHF radio, new in 2026, with masthead VHF antenna.

NASA Clipper instruments providing depth, boat speed and wind speed/direction.

Two cockpit-mounted Plastimo steering compasses.

Full set of navigation lights, including new stern navigation light fitted in 2025.

Engine(s)

Volvo Penta 2002 18hp two-cylinder diesel inboard with conventional shaft drive and two-blade folding propeller.

Professionally serviced by a Volvo Penta dealer in 2024. Raw-water cooled with seawater strainer. 25-litre stainless-steel diesel tank.

Sails & Spars

Deck-stepped National Spars aluminium mast with single spreaders and masthead sloop rig. Standing rigging renewed in 2016.

Furlex 100S roller-furling headsail system, adjustable backstay and boom kicker.

Sail inventory includes mainsail and roller-furling genoa (Tasker/de Vries), together with a gennaker. Sails assessed as fair to good in the 2024 survey, with the gennaker in good condition.

Lewmar 30 self-tailing primary sheet winches, additional Lewmar mast and deck winches, halyard clutches and associated running rigging.

Safety Equipment

Current in-date coastal flare pack and fog horn.

Horseshoe lifebuoy and stern boarding ladder.

Fire extinguisher and first-aid kit.

Additional safety equipment and lifejackets can be discussed with purchaser.

Location Map