Sun Odyssey 349 Review: The Sailor's Small Cruiser

Quick Verdict

The Sun Odyssey 349 is the right boat if sailing is the point of the trip, not just the means of getting between anchorages. Marc Lombard drew a hull that points to 38 degrees apparent, responds immediately to trim changes, and rewards the kind of attentive helming you came sailing for. At 5,450 kg displacement with 56 m² of working sail, she gets moving in 8 knots of breeze and holds her course when it pipes up to 20. She reminds you why you wanted to sail in the first place.

She is not for everyone. Two cabins and a single head mean she suits a couple, two friends, or a pair of couples who genuinely like each other. If you need three cabins, two heads, and a cavernous saloon, the Oceanis 38.1 or a 40-footer is where you should look. But if sailing matters more than square metres, the SO 349 is the best small cruiser in the charter fleet, and one of the best small cruisers full stop.

Specifications

Under Sail

This is where the SO 349 earns its keep. Jeanneau gave Marc Lombard a brief to make a 34-footer that sailed properly, and he delivered. The hard chine aft and moderate 3.44 m beam produce a hull that tracks cleanly, accelerates in the puffs, and doesn't fight you through the tiller or wheel. The pointing angle is a genuine 38 degrees apparent, four degrees tighter than the Oceanis 34.1's broader 42-degree angle. That gap sounds small on paper. On a beat to windward over 15 NM, it's the difference between one tack and three.

In 12 to 18 knots of true wind, Force 4 to the bottom of Force 5, this boat comes alive. She holds 6.5 knots upwind with the genoa sheeted properly and the traveller working. Bear away to a beam reach and she'll touch 7.5 knots with the apparent wind at 90 degrees. The helm loads up progressively, giving constant feedback about sail balance without ever becoming heavy. It's a light, communicative wheel that tells you when the sails need easing or the jib car wants moving aft. Sailing schools love the SO 349 precisely because students learn real sailing feel here, not just point-and-steer.

In lighter airs, below 8 knots true, the 56 m² sail plan asks for patience. She doesn't have the waterline length to carry momentum through lulls the way a 40-footer does. A code zero or asymmetric would transform light-air performance, but few charter boats carry one. Below 6 knots, you're motoring. That's honest.

Living Aboard

The forward cabin is genuinely good for a 34-footer. A proper V-berth island double, about 1.95 m long and 1.50 m wide at the shoulders, with a hanging locker to starboard and shelved storage to port. Two adults sleep well here. The hatch and opening port give decent ventilation, and there's enough headroom to sit up and read without cracking your skull on the deck.

The aft cabin is another matter. It works, but only just. The berth fits under the cockpit sole and tapers toward the stern, meaning anyone over 1.85 m will feel the walls closing in. For a second couple on a week-long charter, it's adequate. Push past a week and someone will start eyeing marina hotels.

The saloon seats four comfortably for dinner, with a drop-leaf table and reasonable fiddles. Headroom is 1.88 m, enough for most people to stand without stooping. The galley runs along the port side: two-burner hob, a small oven, a top-loading fridge of roughly 80 litres, and a single sink. You can cook a proper meal here, but not while someone else passes through to the heads. It's a one-cook galley. Keep it simple and provision accordingly.

The single heads compartment is to starboard: a marine toilet, small basin, and a shower that doubles as the entire compartment. For two people it's fine. For four, the morning queue is a reality, the eternal compromise at this size. If two heads is non-negotiable, you need a bigger boat.

On Deck

The deck layout is straightforward and well thought out for a short-handed crew. All halyards and reef lines lead aft to the cockpit via clutches on the coachroof, so you can handle everything from behind the wheel. Two Harken 40.2 self-tailing winches on the cockpit coaming handle sheets and halyards. They're adequate for the sail loads but spin up slowly when you're grinding in the genoa on a quick tack. Powered winches weren't an option on most charter specs.

The cockpit itself is comfortable for four, with a fold-down transom that creates a serviceable swim platform. It's not the integrated bathing platform you'd find on the Oceanis 34.1 or larger Jeanneaus, but it does the job. A removable cockpit table seats four for lunch. Side decks are narrow at around 350 mm but passable if you keep a hand on the grab rail. Going forward in a seaway requires some confidence.

Most charter-equipped SO 349s carry a bimini and sometimes a dodger. The bimini frame can interfere with the mainsheet traveller on some installations, so check at handover. The mainsheet runs on a traveller across the cockpit sole, which gives good control but bisects the cockpit. A lazy bag on the main is standard on most charter examples, making solo sail handling a realistic proposition.

The Engine Room

The Yanmar 3YM20 delivers 21 hp through a saildrive, enough to push 5,450 kg to a comfortable 6 knots at 2,800 rpm in flat water, with a theoretical hull speed of about 6.8 knots. The 130-litre fuel tank gives a motoring range of approximately 350 NM at cruising revs, more than sufficient for a week's charter even in a light-wind area. Access is through a companionway step that lifts out, giving reasonable but not generous access to the raw water impeller and oil filter. The alternator and belt are reachable without contortion.

A bow thruster was available as an option but is rare on charter boats at this size. In practice, the SO 349 is light and responsive enough under engine to handle med mooring without one, provided you've learned to use prop walk. The electrical system is basic: a single 12V domestic battery bank, typically 2 x 85 Ah, a separate engine start battery, and a shore power charger. No watermaker was offered. The 200-litre water tank is your lot, so ration carefully or plan marina stops every two to three days.

Charter Market

The SO 349 is common in sailing school fleets across the Med and northern Europe, and appears in budget-tier bareboat fleets in Croatia, Greece, and the Balearics. Expect to pay €1,300–1,600 per week in shoulder season (May, October) and €1,800–2,300 in peak summer. That makes her one of the most affordable keelboats you can charter, roughly half the cost of a 40-footer in the same area and week.

Availability is generally good, especially as a last-minute booking. She's not a headline boat, which works in your favour. While everyone fights over the 40-footers, the 349s sit waiting. In Greece, check the Saronic Gulf and Ionian bases. In Croatia, Split and Trogir have the most examples. Quality varies. Charter 349s that spent years in school fleets will show their miles. Inspect the condition carefully and check that the standing rigging hasn't been deferred.

For couples who actually want to sail rather than float, this is one of the strongest picks in the small cruiser category. Pair her with a Saronic Gulf route or an Ionian week and you've got a proper sailing holiday at a reasonable price.

Used Market

The SO 349 was produced from 2014 to 2022, giving a healthy spread of used examples. Early boats (2014–2016) from private owners in reasonable condition trade between €70,000 and €85,000. Ex-charter examples from 2016–2019, and there are many, sit between €65,000 and €80,000 depending on engine hours and rig condition. Later models (2020–2022) in private-owner spec fetch €90,000–110,000.

Her predecessor, the Sun Odyssey 33i (2008–2013), is a different boat with a different designer but serves a similar market. The 33i has a more traditional interior and less refined sailing behaviour, with prices ranging from €55,000 to €80,000. The 349 is measurably better upwind. If budget is the primary concern, the 33i remains serviceable. If sailing quality matters, stretch for the 349.

On a used SO 349, check the keel bolts and bilge for any signs of weeping. The deep 1.98 m fin takes a lot of load. Examine the chainplates and the coachroof-to-hull joint for cracking gelcoat, which can indicate stress. Saildrive seals on the Yanmar should be replaced every five to seven years. Confirm the service history. On ex-charter boats, test every winch, every clutch, and every block. School boats accumulate more gear wear in one season than private boats do in five. Budget €3,000–5,000 for a post-purchase service on any ex-charter hull.