Beneteau First 235 Mods - Owners submit their own solutions

Owners Modifications Index
Mods/tips/drawings First 235 owners have submitted, bringing their own solutions and additions to the F235 design. Some files below need Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader. Click icon to acquire.

Beneteau First 235 Cabin Stripe files Files in Illustrator 8 courtesy of Larry Pockras. Almost every First 235 has cracking and fading of their "80s" style cabin stripes. The Beneteau option costs a fortune and this is a tremendous savings. Just take the files to your local sign maker to put it in plastic. Thanks to Ian McPherson for the all dark BLUE option as well. Larry provided the old and new logo style.
Custom Aluminum Mast Gates for Slug Main Greg Follmer crafts a nice mast gate solution for the US Spars Z190 keeping those pesky slugs in place when raising, lowering, flaking, or reefing ye olde main. This is a good solution for those opting to leave the main on the boom. Made from Alum weather stripping one can find at Lowes or Home Depot.
Opening Cockpit Portlight - Light & Breeze! Mike Hayden does an excellent write up with pictures documenting the installation of a Lewmar Opening Portlight on the cockpit wall. This is a GREAT mod and highly recommended to get some air back in the rear berth. You see this on many larger boats and it works great. Quite a few have opted for this solution as an alternative to the rear port mod. This is a really clean looking install.
Transom Port Light Mod (1.2MB .PDF file) Larry Pockras adds his own touch to the transom light - open and close! Not recommended for ocean use in my view but it's a great article and a killer application better suited for inland waters. This is a cheap and easy mod done by many! The port is by Beckson.
F235 Countertop Cutting Board Mike Hayden & Thomas team up to give another practical mod, this time for Windependent's galley where space is at a premium. Mike's custom wood cutting board fits right over the stove. See this excellent detailed article with pics. Now where will I will put my tea kettle?
Four Leg Bow Pulpit for Roller Furler Mod Art Kara outlines his mod to the four post Bow Pulpit to better suit the roller furler moving it closer to the deck. Anchor access ok and this mods makes a suitable place for a proper bow light. Good Pics and write-up with some nice workmanship as well. This was the bow pulpit style for the original F23 but never made overseas. Should be a must for those with roller furler.
Corbino F235 Bowsprit Mod for Asymmetrical The First 235 looks so much like a toned down Mini Transat so adding the big Bowsprit seems a given for this little beast. Gerard Corbino was one of the first to attempt this mod and it's a nice job. See the various pics all expanding to full size. The boat is such a neat little single-handing platform that the Asymmetrical just makes great sense.
Geronimo's Bowsprit ~ Slick Italian F235 Solution Italian F235 owner, Fabrizio Andrighetto, incorporates one of the most simple & intelligent implementations of a bowsprit that looks very doable (and you get a perm starboard tack bias, too!). See full size shot plus some comments on the setup. Also, see information and photos of the new Selden Masts Bowsprit kit. Now you can order pre made rings in the USA out of Charleston, SC.
Helia Bowsprit ~ Slick German F235 Solution Pete Mohr goes aspin with his simple mod utilizing gear already on the First 235 such as the anchor roller and heavy duty Beneteau bow cleat. His aluminum pole/sprit has done well so far and it's easy to slip on and off. And it's another solution that bypasses anchor locker interference.
A-Frame Bowsprit for Aspin by Art Kara Art Kara is back again with another mod from Ballerina, this time with his version of the bowsprit for his Aspin. Art takes the A-Frame approach and gives his instructions and parts list for all to see. Looks like yet another alternative that doesn't block the anchor well and is strong and quite sturdy from all reports.
Rudder Mods for Decreased Play - COMING SOON! The First 235 rudder is often a point of concern when it's pressed in service via high winds and/or seas. See how F235 owners have come up with various solutions to ease the problem. From the cleat tie off on the alum bracket to the SS bolts, some even thru bolted, many opt for solutions.
F235 Rudder Pin Mods for Play Reduction Art Kara of Key West, FL comes up with another mod, this time to take care of the rudder pin area where slop sometimes comes into play, even with our new Bushings. This solution employs a new SS bolt with EIGHT of the bushings (hope you guys didn't miss out on the Bushing and Bolt Sale). Nice little solution that can be done while the boat is floating in water.
Pintle Bushing & Bolt drawings & Orders Larry Pockras takes a napkin drawing and gets serious, all of the troublesome F235 Pintle Bushings. This has been a huge asset as the Beneteau First 235 Forum Members have come together for TWO orders of Bushings and Rudder Bolts in the first year, this for a substantial savings for a product that is BETTER than stock. Tune into the Beneteau235.com Forums for the next Order. Try $3 per bushing instead of $24 from factory.
F2325 Hatch Board Drawings w/Hatch Lock Info Excellent drawing of F235 hatch boards with measurements for boards including cutouts for lock and vents. Also, see info on the F235 barrel lock with key replacement and type. Here you find the exact key match if you don't feel like plucking down 18$ for the Beneteau replacement. Before you lose yours, take it down to the local locksmith to get a few copies made. It's a standard size that most have (sadly, you lose the cool square head).
Windependent's Cockpit Table Mike Hayden puts together a nifty cockpit table that mirrors the salon table; it's an easy stow to boot. See this nice little mod that could be done in a variety of woods. Pics and a detailed writeup from Mike included. Mike says he uses this thing all the time and I dont doubt it.
Mike Hayden's Faux Teak & Holly Cabin Sole This time, Carbon Cat comes to Mike's aid as he tackles another project with his usual excellent attention to detail that always brings results from the gallery. Mike is itching for a 40ft boat so this is the next best thing - Teak & Holly First 235 sole relief, albeit, of the FAUX variety. Mike uses his stock sole and does a cheap mod that looks much like the real thing. Nice article with full picture documentation. Even Carbon Cat approves!
First 235 Silverware Tray by Boudewijn Neijens Boudewijn Neijens lives near some of the most beautiful cruising grounds in North America; it's hard to match the Vancouver area of British Columbia. Boudewijn has already done some great work with review translations for beneteau235.com. Now is his first entry into the owner mods page with his custom silverware tray under the stove. Check out this extremely clever factory stock looking mod.
F235 Cabin Sole Drawings and Measurements Pockras is at it again, this time with full F235 cabin sole drawings with measurements. Two views provided. My boat lost its cabin sole so this was especially helpful to me; now I just need to actually use the dimensions to make the beasts! Thanks to Larry for taking the time to do these measurements.
Flatbad Trailer and Cradle by Pat Turner First 235 owner, Pat Turner, doesnt need a trailer for long hauls or serious Interstate travel. He also has total crane access and saw float off ability as secondary. His solution? A fine mix of a multi-purpose flatbed trailer combined with a boat cradle purchased from a local yard. See Pat's relatively low cost, easy solution to the First 235 trailer quandary.
F235 Battery Upkeep - VW Solar Panel Secret You know those expensive solar panels you can get? Even the 5w models arent cheap. Enter the VW Solar Panel Ebay tip. Keep the battery topped off and ready to roll on the solar panel CHEAP! These VW Solar Panels came with VWs to keep the battery topped off when the cars were shipped. They routinely apper on ebay - Price and compare!
Bow Nav Light Addition (635KB .PDF File) Larry Pockras gives another pdf "How To" on installing a bi-color navigation light on the plumb bow. Some prefer the pulpit approach, Larry opted for the flush plumb bow method. Again, excellent, detailed article from Pockras.