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Old 10-06-2013, 11:00 PM   #1
Chuck Gould
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City: Seattle
Vessel Name: Dear Prudence
Vessel Model: Eagle 40
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 131
Beneteau Swift Trawler 34

As much as the Beneteau name has been associated with sailboats, it's somewhat surprising to learn that the company was once maligned for producing "stink pots".

Back about 1912, Benjamin Beneteau incorporated an internal combustion engine in a fishing trawler. When the rest of the fleet was becalmed, Beneteau's boat could motor out to the fishing grounds and get to work. Likewise, the motorized boat could make a bee-line for the market to sell off the catch. Competitors tried to get the boat banned by circulating a rumor that the "oil boat" was scaring away the fish.

Beneteau may have had one of the first model names in boat building history. The French name for the fishing trawler with the gas engine was "Vanquisher of the Jealous".

These days, Beneteau is again beginning to concentrate on powerboats, including the Swift Trawler series. We got some details about the 34-footer, and took a lot of photos- all available at Pacific Nor
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