The Beneteau Oceanis 311 Clipper is a well-proven cruising yacht, offering an excellent balance of performance, comfort and ease of handling. Firefly has clearly benefitted from careful and methodical ownership, with regular annual maintenance and a particularly well-documented engine care regime. A notable feature of her history is that she spent a significant proportion of her early life on Lake Windermere before moving to Scotland, and then sailed from Oban to Suffolk Yacht Harbour on the East Coast, meaning much of her early time afloat has been in freshwater, and her seakeeping credentials have been confirmed. Well-equipped for coastal cruising with heating, hot water, comprehensive navigation equipment and a generous sail wardrobe, she presents as a tidy and well-maintained example of this popular cruising design. Viewing by appointment only through the Suffolk office –or email:
Accommodation Six berths across two separate cabins plus the saloon. The forward cabin features a comfortable double berth with useful storage beneath, shelving to each side and hanging stowage to port. Moving aft into the saloon, there is a U-shaped seating area to port around a central dining table, with a settee berth opposite to starboard. Aft to port is the L-shaped galley fitted with a two-burner gas cooker and grill, refrigerator, stainless steel sink and ample storage for cruising provisions and utensils. Opposite, to starboard, is the aft facing navigation station with chart table and electrical distribution panel. The separate heads compartment is located aft of the navigation table to starboard and fitted with a Jabsco manual marine toilet, holding tank, washbasin and shower facilities. Also good wet hanging stowage. Hot and cold pressurised water is supplied throughout. The aft cabin to port offers a spacious double berth extending beneath the cockpit, together with hanging locker and useful storage. Blinds to hatches, and curtains throughout. Eberspächer diesel fired cabin heating. Hot water supplied via the engine and shore-powered immersion heater. 140-litre freshwater capacity. Mechanical Systems Located beneath the companionway steps is the Volvo Penta MD2020 three-cylinder 20hp diesel engine, installed new in 1999. Freshwater cooled via an indirect cooling system and driving a two-bladed fixed propeller through a shaft drive. The owner reports a particularly thorough maintenance routine, with Firefly being lifted ashore annually at the end of each season, the engine winterised, then recommissioned every spring before launch. Approximately 70-litre fuel capacity. Cruising speed approximately 5.5 knots with a maximum speed of around 7 knots. Electrical Systems 2x 12v Domestic Batteries (2022) 1x 12v Engine start battery (2022) Alternator Charging Shore Power Charging 240v Ring Mains Immersion Heater Inverter Sails and Spars Fractionally rigged Bermudan sloop. Deck-stepped alloy mast and boom. Stainless steel standing rigging renewed in 2019. Full rig inspection carried out by Evolution Rigging in 2023. Slab reefing mainsail and furling headsail. 2x Self Tailing Lewmar Sheet Winches, 2x Self Tailing Lewmar 16 Halyard winches. Lazyjacks, Stackpack, Whisker Pole and Spinnaker Pole with Spinnaker running rigging. Mainsail // Dacron // OneSails // 2014 // Excellent Condition, Valeted 2025/26 Furling genoa // Dacron // OneSails // 2014 // Excellent Condition, Valeted 2025/26 Maxi Asymmetric Cruising Chute // OneSails // 2019 // Never Used – still in bag as delivered Spinnaker // Good Condition // Last used 2011 Deck Equipment Plough anchor Danforth anchor Manual anchor windlass Sprayhood (2024) Mainsail cover (2014) Dodgers (2014) Wheel cover (2014) Bathing platform Boarding ladder Hardstanding Storage Cradle available by separate negotiation Navigation Equipment Raymarine C80 chartplotter Raymarine radar Raymarine ST4000+ autopilot Icom IC-M411 DSC VHF radio B&G Network Quad (Speed and log + Depth) B&G Network Wind AIS receiver Silva Star Nav Repeater Plastimo Olympic 135 Compass Clock and barometer Clipper Navtex Medion stereo CD/radio system Safety Equipment Four-person Ocean Safety liferaft (serviced 2022) Fire extinguishers Fire blanket Gas alarm Smoke alarm Horseshoe lifebuoy Danbuoy Navigation lights Radar reflector Electric bilge pump Manual bilge pump Emergency steering Jackstays Construction Built by Beneteau in 1999 to a Jean-Marie Finot design of Groupe Finot. White GRP hull with white GRP deck and moulded non-slip finish. Cast iron fin keel with bulb. Spade hung rudder and wheel steering. The owner advises that Firefly spent her first three years on Lake Windermere. This freshwater use is a particularly attractive aspect of her history and has undoubtedly reduced long-term exposure to saltwater compared with many comparable examples. The hull has never been treated for osmosis, and the owner is not aware of any significant defects. Survey recommendations arising from a survey completed in February 2010 were all reportedly carried out.