2017 Beneteau 41 versus 38

[carlson3]

I am looking to purchase coastal cruising sailboat for day trips out of Southern California and maybe Catalina four times per year. Was looking for opinion on 2017 Beneteau 41 versus 38? I am also considering slightly older Catalina similar size vessels.

[Sam Woodbridge]

Hi Carlson, I’m not going to be much help. I recently purchased a 38.1 we should have the loan closed this week. I did a lot of research and all I came up with was the 38.1 suited my needs the most. I really think between both boats it’s more of a preference. I wanted a two cabin version and the separate shower. I also wanted twin rudders and that chined hull. I also wanted the most headroom with the smallest length. The 35.1 looses the headroom where the 38.1 is on par with a 40 footer. Let me know what you decide and good luck. The forums are a great place to get information.

Sam

[Yihang]

The 38 looks like a stretched 35 with the convertible linear galley in the middle of the boat and removable bulkheads. Beneteau got a lot of press that year for trying this out but it looks like they got rid of it for the newest line so maybe it didn't work out for them. If you like the whole open bulkhead studio apartment look then may as well get the 35. The 38 seems neither here nor there.

The 41 is a traditional layout that's basically familiar with anyone whoever sailed. Probably easier resale. Actually a very different boat, more than just the extra 3 feet.

[Yihang]

I feel like in the US you are paying a premium for the beneteau brand whereas Catalina doesn't have the euro image so you are getting more for your buck. A catalina 425 is probably more traditonal and easier to work on. Also single rudder so better maneuverability at dock. Bene is solid glass with balsa core deck. Catalina is solid below waterline, balsa core above and some kind of plastic honeycomb(some say balsa as well, not sure) for the deck. Shaft drive instead of sail drive. Pretty much all the stuff people on cruiserforum like

[vpbarkley]

My personal favorite is the Catalina 42.

[gjorgensen]

We sailed a 38 and a 41 before buying our 38.1, and we found the 38/38.1 sailed better because of the twin rudders. The 41 was simply too wide for a single rudder. The replacement for it (the 40.1) has now gone to twin rudders as well. We also liked the 38.1 interior layout better but that's just us. Our 38.1 is a twin cabin with the L shaped galley. I heard the same comments about dock maneuverability with the twin rudders before we bought the boat, but we've found that to be completely false. We owned a Beneteau 40.7 for 15 years prior to the 38.1, and find the 38.1 is every bit as maneuverable as the 40.7 was. It backs like it's on rails.

[Phyrcooler]

I have a recently acquired 2017 38.1, but shopped all brands and researched heavily before finding our girl. Although ultimately, what we got ended up being a results of it being a sellers market, and so few boats available over the past 1.5 years I was looking. I would have taken a 41 over any 38 that i saw during that time. I much preferred the size and layout of the 41 - and never liked the “open” floor plan of the 38 - especially that linear galley. And needing a 3 cabin - it made no sense to have a boat that could sleep 6, but barely seat 4 at the table.

However, the 38.1 changed that by going to the fixed forward bulkhead, the “L” shaped galley, and a huge dining table. Aka - a “traditional” layout. Additionally, we love the fact that we don’t have a feet-forward V-berth - but the nearly full queen forward stateroom of the 38.1. Those huge hull side port lights let in tons of light and afford a view out at anchor or dock. All pluses. The downsides - small wet head and no separate shower - neither of which were issues for us, nor would it effect a two cabin boat. I really liked the 41, and would have taken it over a 38 based on layout, shaft drive, and larger 40hp motor. But, the layout on the updated 38.1 made that a viable option. And ultimately it was what I was able to find.

I’ve never been a huge Catalina fan, and have sailed a few - but admittedly have my biases. Overall, my first choice would have been a Jeanneau - if we could have found one here on the west coast meeting our checkboxes. Several models met or exceeded the features of the Beneteau, with better wood work, and more cabinetry down below. Just couldn’t find one out here!

Another issue for me with any boat was maintaining it within the confines of the 40’ slip I have. Not only did i not want to pay a surcharge for hanging out... but I have a fairly narrow fairway at my slip - and have seen too many “oops” to want to risk hanging out of the slip. Not sure if this is a consideration for you with the longer boat.

In regards to twin rudders - I never found the 41 to be lacking. Yes, if you were really inattentive you could over-power and start to lose some rudder authority. No more so than any other single rudder boat I’ve sailed. Definitely not an “issue”. YES! The twin rudders really give you control - both sailing, and backing. Really nice. But, sailing out of San Diego - I also find myself constantly picking up a crapload of kelp on those dang rudders!! But... that’s the way all the newer boats are coming. Everything is a trade off!

Lastly, I don’t know how much of an impact this is - but every foot bigger means a bigger boat and bigger rigging, sails, etc. Ultimately a bigger boat costs more to maintain. I really liked the 41/41.1... but we’re very happy with our 38.1

So - pros and cons.

[Phyrcooler]

Originally Posted by Yihang

I feel like in the US you are paying a premium for the beneteau brand whereas Catalina doesn't have the euro image so you are getting more for your buck. A catalina 425 is probably more traditonal and easier to work on. Also single rudder so better maneuverability at dock. Bene is solid glass with balsa core deck. Catalina is solid below waterline, balsa core above and some kind of plastic honeycomb(some say balsa as well, not sure) for the deck. Shaft drive instead of sail drive. Pretty much all the stuff people on cruiserforum like

In my shopping, I found the Catalina to be every bit as expensive, or more so than a Beneteau. According to the spec sheet for my Beneteau the deck is injection molded foam core - not balsa. This was confirmed with some recent work I had done adding some running rigging and dodger. Lastly - you do lose a bit of maneuverability at very slow speeds because of lack of prop wash over a rudder. However, the twin rudders are very authoritative as long as water is moving over them. The difference is you learn to keep the boat moving. Backing is often your best movement. You also lose prop walk by having a saildrive vs. a shaft. This is pretty common across all brands. If I were ordering a new one, I would add a bow thruster as a nice aid to have.

[canyonbat]

As touched on above, I think slip availability and cost might be the biggest driver in southern Cal right now. Slips over 40ft are very expensive and hard to find.

[Handsoff]

Hello, I have a 2019 Beneteau 38.1 and my son has a 2019 41.1.
My thoughts:
1. How many folks on the boat at a time? Overnight? Max 4 for the 38.1 unless 2 children, max 6 with the 41. Caution, any of these folks plus sized it wont be comfortable especially in the head.
2. I have the 3 cabin 38.1 with shower/head combination. Impossible fit in the head for a big person. My son's 41.1 has separate shower - easier
3. Water. Get the extra water tank if possible. My wife likes long showers and I fill standard tank 125 litres every day.
4. Coming from an Island Packet 32 with full keel, I can attest to the manoeuvrability of either Beneteau boat. That being said, I would strongly suggest a bow thruster. It takes docking from panic mode to a piece of cake. I'm in the Med and boats are docked fender to fender. Very tight. I could not do it without BT. Easier if the slip is large.
All in all the Bene is an acceptable boat. I dislike the plywood interior compared to the IP full mahogany finish. If I had know about BT's, I would have keep my 30 year old IP and installed one.

[DougSanborn]

Originally Posted by canyonbat

As touched on above, I think slip availability and cost might be the biggest driver in southern Cal right now. Slips over 40ft are very expensive and hard to find.

We've had our 2015 Jeanneau 379 for a couple years now. Love the boat for a lot of reasons. When we were looking at boats we were interested in the Beneteau 38 as well but we already had the slip and according to the rules (Oceanside Harbor) the Bene 38 was a few inches too long for the slip. With the 379 we basically maxed it out and have about 1 inch in length to spare. Also a tight fit width wise.

Of course now I want a bigger boat (48'-57') but, again the biggest issue is finding a slip.

[Doylelarson]

I have a 2019 Oceanis 45 for sale out of Dana Point that has been completely outfitted for cruising if you are interested in seeing her. Unfortunately we had to alter our plans to cruise the rest of our lives and never were able to use the beautiful boat. its brand new and loaded. You can see our add just posted in the classifieds on the forum as well