Beneteau 38

[Polux]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

I wouldn't debate for a moment that you have it over a Moody 425 as they are very cruisy, maybe that poor guy motor sailing against you was me, LOL. Your boat might indeed be a stiff boat but my experience sailing on newer beamy boats is that they are fact quite tender. The sail area to displacement ratio is often in the high teens but they are often lightly ballasted. Nothing wrong with that as you can always reef but often you can't add more sail so I prefer big sail areas myself but while a few of the modern boats probably do qualify as stiff, most don't in my opinion.

I don't think it was you unless you have been sailing on the Corinth golf this month :-)

To make it more clearly I did not said that what you say did not apply to some of the mass production boats, what I said is that it not apply to all (I have talked about a big generalization).

Fact is that what you say applies to some modern production boats even if in not as simplistic terms as you describe (in my opinion). Most modern production boats, including the Oceanis 38 are maximized for downwind sailing and beam reach (till 60º) and even if they can sail well close hauled, with waves and specially in the conditions I described previously, it is another story and the performance is not very good. But on the other points of sail, as was demonstrated by the numbers that where posted on this thread by a proud new owner, they sail better than older boats, even relatively new models. Kind of a trade off that suits the vast majority of owners that when going really upwind just motor.

But not all production boats have those characteristics and some, like the Salona, Grand Soleil, Elan, First, Dehler and many others have a great performance upwind. They are more sportive, more powerful, more stiff, more narrow with a bigger draft and all that counts upwind. In the end it is not a price difference but a sailing style and interior preference: A Dehler 38 or a Salona 38 will end up at about the same price of an Oceanis 38

Regarding the Oceanis 38, that sails very well with medium to strong winds one of the weakest points is the performance with very light winds. Not that the boat does not sail well if compared with a relatively older boat but even a very inexpensive boat like the Varianta 37 (made by Dehler) can go faster, as a comparative test sail on a French magazine had showed.

Regard

Paulo

[robert sailor]

Given that you imply that the Benni 38 is not that great to windward that might explain the rather high PHRF rating on it because its based on a triangular course. You are right of course the narrower boats do much better to windward than their beamy cousins but I expect a boat like the Benni 38 is optimized for cruising, Kinda like the Moody 425 which for some strange reason rates much faster.

[homerobarros]

RKsailsolo,
I am 6'2"and bang my head on the main arch, and every door inside, but like Matt said, with time either my head will be like a Naan bread or I will get used. I also thought of raising the main arch, but I think Matt is right: there are not much space between the boom and the Arch.
I did get the Shoal keel, as everything here is Florida and Bahamas are very shallow.
I have asked a quotation from Canvas Design in Florida for an Arch + Bimini + Dodger like the one from the Grandson of Joaquim Beneteau's Oceanis 38. I hope he can proof that our boat can indeed do ocean crossing, as I hope some day to take mine from Florida to Rio de Janeiro. Photos - LE DEPART *St Gilles X2 Vie* - Beneteau Ocean Atlantic Tour
Cheers
Homero

[homerobarros]

Interested to know how many people can fit on the cockpit of the Oceanis 38?
Have a look at the champagne ceremony this weekend:

[Fluer de Mer]

Just ordered the boat. Should get it by holidays.

[homerobarros]

Congratulations, Fluer de Mer.
Get in touch with Matt (Mstreebe) to join his Oceanis 38 facebook group.
Cheers
Homero

[RKsailsolo]

Originally Posted by Fluer de Mer

Just ordered the boat. Should get it by holidays.

And a J24?!!!

Will be interested in your contrast of the two.

Congrats Fluer de Mer. Very nice boat!

[mstrebe]

Originally Posted by Fluer de Mer

Just ordered the boat. Should get it by holidays.

Let us know what your hull # is when you find out.

Matt

[johanhook]

Just let the Swedish dealership know I'm buying their demo Oceanis 38!


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[homerobarros]

Oceanis 38:
Initial mishaps with SV Monica, of Fort Lauderdale.
1) I tighten the mainsheet too strongly and rope snatch (not electric winch) and mainsheet block on top of the arch broke, the side of it.
3) Shock absorber on the swim platform lose itself and almost went diving.
4) when open the swim platform, be careful that the SS connector is straight, otherwise will bent the connector.
5) Submerged palm trees leaves on the inter-coastal, easily entangled itself on the ruder. A reverse at half speed will free it.

Other than that, we are enjoying it very much. Looking forward to an urgent bimini and Arch.
Cheers
Homero

[Fluer de Mer]

Don’t yet know hull #...I’m told that I will have it shortly.
I ordered a fully loaded cruiser version.
Will also keep our J24.
Spoke to a maintenance/repair man who works on several O38 for local charter company with lots of new Beneteau models and he said the boat has had no major problems. But he did say: a) lots of screws/bolts, etc. need tightening on all Beneteaus during break-in period, b) fuel gauge didn’t work on one because factory reversed wiring, c) OEM/provisioned lines/sheets used were too small/undersized, d) cockpit table needs to be protected as the wood is a bit fragile.

Questions:
· I purchased the Full Electronic Pack including radar and autopilot…with the B&G Zeus with SailSteer, does anyone have any feedback on it?
· I purchased the asymmetric spinnaker rigging w/o either the asymmetric sail, or code 0 with furling system…does anyone have any recommendations which I should get?
· I purchased bow thruster…anyone have use & maintenance experience with these?
· I purchased heater air pulse…anyone have use & maintenance experience with these?
· I am having the Sails, Dodger, Bimini, and table/binnacle/bbq/winch covers all be made local/custom (anyone have advice on gotchas/specs/ordering these items made?).
· Fans, TV, inline water filter will be installed locally…any advice on what to ask/watch for would be appreciated.
· This is my first ‘new’ boat, so any advice on what to watch for during the provision process would be appreciated.
· Any other thoughts for a new-boat-newbie would be appreciated.

[homerobarros]

Fluer de Mer,
I regretted not ordered the bow thruster...My dock is perpendicular to a narrow canal, and the prevailing wind is also perpendicular to the boat, so it is a hairy maneuver every time we go out.
Anybody out there which installed a bow thruster after delivery?
Other than cost and extra maintenance, any structural or performance disadvantage?
Cheers,
Homero

[mstrebe]

Originally Posted by Fluer de Mer

Cockpit table needs to be protected as the wood is a bit fragile.[/SIZE][/FONT]

The dealership varnished ours and provided a nice cockpit cover which I recommend.

· I purchased the Full Electronic Pack including radar and autopilot…with the B&G Zeus with SailSteer, does anyone have any feedback on it?

The unit is nice and I'm happy with it. However, I've got the Navonics data chip and the unit crashes on boot if the chip is in. If I put the data chip in after the boot process is complete, it's fine. I'm on the latest firmware update and I've contacted B&G, they have no solution to this software bug yet. Not a Beneteau problem but frustrating.

I am also having issues with devices dropping off. Both the Tri-Ducer and the wind sensor randomly drop off the bus, requiring me to shut off the navigation circuit and turn it back on to get everything back. I'm in the process with the dealership to get this addressed.

I really like the autopilot.

· I purchased the asymmetric spinnaker rigging w/o either the asymmetric sail, or code 0 with furling system…does anyone have any recommendations which I should get?

You definitely want the asymmetrical more than the code 0. This boat needs a true downwind chute as it does just fine on a beam reach with the stock sails. I don't see a Code 0 as necessary. I have to do a dead downwind leg every time I sail in San Diego Bay, so I'm getting an Assymetrical on a Selden furler.

· I purchased bow thruster…anyone have use & maintenance experience with these?

I see a bow thruster as unnecessary on this boat. It handles easily and rotates around on its own fin keel. The trick is simply to come into tight spaces backwards. With the rudders directly below the helm, the boat will follow exactly behind with little to no crabbing even in crosswinds and currents at a steady two knots. Helming from the dock side, I'm able to bring the boat in very precisely.

· I purchased heater air pulse…anyone have use & maintenance experience with these?

Sorry none.

· I am having the Sails, Dodger, Bimini, and table/binnacle/bbq/winch covers all be made local/custom (anyone have advice on gotchas/specs/ordering these items made?).

We're doing just a simple cockpit cover between the arch and the aft stays instead of a Bimini because we will be eventually putting an aft-arch on and that will require all new canvas, and we will do the dodger at that time.

· Fans, TV, inline water filter will be installed locally…any advice on what to ask/watch for would be appreciated.

These are things we wouldn't permanently install. Definitely go 12VDC for ventilation fans. We use iPads for watching TV but may self-install a DVD/TV LCD on a small mount and we would mount it on the port-side bulkhead abaft the navigation table.

As for the water filter, we will be putting a locally made RO system. The stock water system is located under the port side salon settee, and there's plenty of room there for a filter or RO system as well.

Once we have the RO system in place, we will convert the aft water tank (34) to diesel tankage and retain only the forward water tank (53 gallon)

We are also going to put NMEA 2000 Maretron ultrasonic tank senders on all four tanks (diesel, water, water, and backwater) so I can see capacities on the chart-plotter.

· This is my first ‘new’ boat, so any advice on what to watch for during the provision process would be appreciated.

Get a good turn-over and make sure you really feel like you know the systems. Private message me and I'll send you a PDF of the boat's owner's manual and all the electronics manuals so you can study while you wait.

· Any other thoughts for a new-boat-newbie would be appreciated.

Look for the Facebook group I'm setting up for the Oceanis 38!

[mstrebe]

Originally Posted by homerobarros

Fluer de Mer,
I regretted not ordered the bow thruster...My dock is perpendicular to a narrow canal, and the prevailing wind is also perpendicular to the boat, so it is a hairy maneuver every time we go out.
Anybody out there which installed a bow thruster after delivery?
Other than cost and extra maintenance, any structural or performance disadvantage?
Cheers,
Homero

Homero, you'll be pleased to learn that the waterproof bow-thruster channel is built into the boat (you can see it under the master-berth), and it's relatively easy to install one. My local quote was no more than the beneteau option price.

[Fluer de Mer]

Matt, Crusersfourm wont let me send you a private email due to me being a new member. what is your facebook O38 group address? I can contact you through that perhaps. I'd love to get the pdfs and start researching the systems of the boat before delivery.