Island Packet 38 for blue water cruising

[Sevi]

I feel like I need some advice from all of those with more experience. I am looking for a good blue water cruising boat and have found several Island Packet 38's in my price range. They only carry 60 gallons of diesel. I guess my questions are: is this adequate or should I count on bringing jerry cans? Can I carry the jerry cans securely, without fear of losing them in inclement weather? Also, I'm planning on doing this solo, although friends may join me for segments of the voyage. I am planning on roller furling main, jib and staysail, as well as a watermaker, life raft, windvane, solar cells and a wind generator. What other equipment would you also consider mandatory? Thank you to all who respond.

[Kenomac]

The Island Packet 38 looks like a tough boat to me. Friends of ours have one out in California, it's a very nice boat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44QjXCvFbI0

[Cowboy Sailer]

My 38 foot C&C has less fuel than that. I carry 12 gallons in jerry cans tied to a board on the lifeline stanchions. I use about half a gallon per hour cruising. The longest I ever motored was 24 hours. I think that you need an autopilot. Have fun!

[Cheechako]

It depends on your plans, for all but crossing oceans the fuel capacity is probably fine, one advantage is it keeps your fuel from getting old.
If you are crossing the pacific and going to do a 3 week crossing (more before you find fuel!) thru the doldrums, then you need more I suppose.

[Sevi]

Thanks, guys. Any thoughts on a minimum equipment list?

[Mike R]

Look at it this way... There is no Max!


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[a64pilot]

It's 57 gls, and I assume not all of that useable, but fuel consumption isn't nearly as high as you may think, I burn 1 GPH on motor alone at 7 kts. I figure 350 NM range, every 5 gl can you carry increases that by 35 NM of course.
I put an Autoprop on which I believe increases range depending on speed by as much as 25%, but Motorsailing is where it comes into it's own, give me 6 kts of wind and I can motorsail at 1000 RPM at 6.5 kts, and burn I think about a quart an hour, but I have not measured that, it's a guess.
Another way to look at it is you can motor for two and a half days before needing fuel.


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[Sevi]

Would you consider the 57 gal to be sufficient for me to cruise the world? It seems to me that no sailboat carries enough fuel to motor the world and that when the wind stops, patience must prevail.

[barnakiel]

I looked at 32' and something bigger (38' perhaps) last year in the Caribbean. They looked very well put together. Nice gelcoat too, not the off white horror that makes you wear polarized shades 24h a day.

Do not over-worry fuel. You may need it less than you think, if you are willing to sit and wait for the next wind now and then.

Our boat has less than 10 gallons capacity and yet we sailed to where we wanted. One can.

Cheers,
b.

[Jon Eisberg]

Originally Posted by Sevi

Thanks, guys. Any thoughts on a minimum equipment list?

Perhaps you could do some actual cruising first, then compile your own list, before heading off into the Deep Blue?

Just a thought...

:-)

[captmikem]

I have sailed a number of Island Packet boats are solid but they are SLOW and do not go to weather well. So, most people that own them motor a lot, which requires fuel stops. You will find a number of them cruising the intracoastal.

But they are roomy and pretty well built.

Michael

[hlk]

We just spent 3 1/2 months on our IP 36 Estero with 60 gal fuel tank. The wind invariably blew directly on our nose so we motored a lot. Our trip included east and west coast of FLORIDA and the Exhumas. My fuel consumption is about 0.6 gph. We carried two 5 gal jerry cans which we never used. At that rate we have a range of 4 twenty four days. I feel that that is adequate. A much more serious consideration is water. That's why we are researching a watermaker. As for eqpt. I would not take the boat out of the slip w/o my trusty autopilot. We found our SSB radio valuable to listen to Chris Parker give the weather, weather being critical to safety and comfort. IP 's are about as bullet proof as you can get, being built like a tank. Grab one and set off across any ocean. Fair winds.

[a64pilot]

I've heard the slow thing tossed around a lot, and they won't go to weather.
The derogatory nickname for IP's is Island Piglet's by the way.
Mine seems to go to weather well, and isn't slow assuming greater than 10 kts of wind, what she is not is a light wind boat, takes 6 kts to make her move, but it takes 6 kts to make my slip mates Lagoon 38 move too. I seem to go to windward much better than he does as well.

But put me in 20 or more kts of wind, seas 6 ft or greater, and often I'm the fastest boat of my size out, truthfully most don't go out, but the IP's niche is foul weather.

That video that was posted, I'd bet there was minimum damage if any at all, and watch that video, she is hitting the bottom, hard on several occasions. My slipmate, the one with the Lagoon, their last boat was a big Hunter, maybe a 450? Anyway they totaled it around the coast of Ga somewhere going aground in waves, busted the grid completely I was told and the boat wasn't repairable.

On the fuel thing, I've toyed with lashing 100 gls on the foredeck in a bladder cell before we head to the Pacific, then maybe selling, giving away or storing the bladder once there. But that's three or four years away.

[KadeyKrogen38]

The IP 38 has known chain plate issues. They leak and rot out the bulkheads where attached below deck. Repairable but expensive as interior has to have substantial dismantling to get access for repair.

[gonesail]

Originally Posted by KadeyKrogen38

The IP 38 has known chain plate issues. They leak and rot out the bulkheads where attached below deck. Repairable but expensive as interior has to have substantial dismantling to get access for repair.

agree. i might also add that the old IP38 tanks are due for replacement soon and the process of cutting them out of the salon floor is difficult and not cheap either