Oceanis 38 As you like it · 2017. 5. 18. · size, and in doing so have managed to create a 38-foot boat that sails and feels like a much bigger boat. Beneteau’s Oceanis 38 comes

70 sailingmagazine.net | September 2014 September 2014 SAILING 71

Boat Test Beneteau Oceanis 38

As you like it

Beneteau’s new 38-footer gives buyers options to customize a boat that comes with sparkling performance and stylish design

Copyright © SAILING Magazine, all rights reserved reprinted with permission of SAILING MagazineCopyright © SAILING Magazine, all rights reserved reprinted with permission of SAILING Magazine

www.sailingmagazine.net


A deep anchor locker houses the electric windlass to keep it out of the way.

Teak leaves fold out on a cockpit table that houses an icebox in the middle.

The transom folds open to make a great swim platform or boarding area. An exten-sion on the ladder serves as a handle to easily flip up the step. Helmsman seats flip up for unencumbered access.

Halyards are lead back to the cockpit and neatly organized in sheet bags.

A mainsail arch keeps the traveler out of the cockpit and makes sail handling easy.

1

2

3

4

5

142

5

3

1 2 3 4

There was a time when only the largest production boats were customizable. But why should only owners of big

boats get what they really want in an afford-able production boat? Beneteau recognized owners’ desires to have the boat they want, without much compromise, regardless of its size, and in doing so have managed to create a 38-foot boat that sails and feels like a much bigger boat. Beneteau’s Oceanis 38 comes in three ver-sions depending on what its owners plan to do with it. Daysailer, weekender or cruiser layouts dictate the basic interior design, while the deck layout remains consistent. We test sailed a three-cabin weekender version—a nice compromise between the spacious but light-on-accommodations day-sailer and the more conventional cruiser lay-out—on San Diego Bay on a glorious sun-drenched afternoon with Barrett Canfield and Rob Harring of South Coast Yachts. With breezes ranging from 8 to 13 knots and a gennaker borrowed from a Beneteau down the dock, we had a ideal day for sail-ing and chose to continue puttering around the bay long after we were finished testing the boat.

The details The Oceanis 38 is typical of European-inspired designs with a nearly plumb bow and wide transom, creating a long waterline and 13-foot 1-inch beam carried far aft. The hard chines extend nearly all the way to the bow, creating a deceptively long, lean look-ing hull without sacrificing interior volume. Large portlights in the hull as well as a long

line of windows with opening ports in the cabinhouse flood the interior with light. The hull is molded in polyester and the deck is an injected fiberglass and foam sand-wich. The hull-to-deck joint is screwed and glued and then trimmed with a bulwark. Two keels are available: a deep-draft cast iron T-bulb drawing 6 feet 9 inches with 3,945 pounds of ballast and a shallow-draft keel drawing 5 feet 3 inches with 4,540 pounds of ballast. The deck-stepped mast has a compression post that tucks neatly into the table in the saloon. Made by US Spars in North Caro-lina, the aluminum rig rises 54 feet over the water and has a split backstay for unencum-bered access through the opening transom. The test boat was outfitted with the optional furling main. The spacious cockpit has nicely angled coamings to make sitting back comfortable while sailing and perfect for lounging at an-chor or at the dock. An icebox built in to the cockpit table puts cool beverages an arm’s length away and the test boat’s cockpit was trimmed in teak for a sharp look. Twin wheels leave access to the transom open, which is particularly nice since the transom flips down with an extendable han-dle from a stern-mounted ladder. The test boat was outfitted with every-thing a cruising family could want includ-ing a hot-and-cold shower on the transom, and an inflatable pool “ring” with a net to keep jellyfish out and kids in. There is even a combination passerelle and slide for Med mooring or fun at anchor. Best yet, parents won’t spend their time and breath blowing

By Erin L. Schanen with photography by Bob Grieser




Beneteau USA105 Eastern Ave, Suite 201, Annapolis, MD 21403410-990-0270www.beneteauusa.com

Base Boat Price

$169,000-$225,000

Beneteau Oceanis 38LOA 37’9”LWL 35’2”Beam 13’1”Draft 5’ 3” (shoal), 6’ 9” (deep)Ballast standard 3,945 lbs.Ballast shoal keel 4,540 lbs.Displ. 14,172 lbs.Sail area 748 sq. ft.Fuel 34 gal.Water 87 gal.

A large anchor locker with an elec-tric windlass should make anchoring especially easy.

Down below The Oceanis 38’s interior is unlike any boat I’ve stepped on before. In the Daysailer and Weekender versions, the forward bulk-head has been replaced by a structural frame, leaving the large forward berth open to the saloon. The feeling is that of a much larger boat and worth the effort to make up a bunk in the name of tidiness. Five people will sit comfortably at the table (not included in the Daysailer layout) and six could squeeze in, especially if one of the ottomans (attached to the floor for safety underway) is moved to the opposite side of the table for a little more elbow room. The table also drops down to become another bunk. The bulkhead can be added back in for the Cruiser layout, creating a more traditional in-terior and more privacy in the forward cabin. The interior, including the floors, is fin-ished in Alpi Wood, a sustainable product made of reconstituted wood from eco-re-sponsible sources, adding to the light and airy loftlike feel. To starboard is a galley kitted out with everything a sailor could want on a boat of this size. A microwave, good-sized sink, two-burner stove and oven along with a front-opening refrigerator are all easy to access, although the open galley may be difficult to use underway in rough conditions. A large portlight even affords an excellent view for the cook. It’s refreshing to see that a true nav sta-tion, aft-facing at the end of the port-side settee, is standard in all layouts. The nav desk is large enough for a folded chart, not just a laptop. In all versions, the head is aft to starboard. There are probably more opportunities to customize the Oceanis 38 than on most pro-duction boats over 50 feet. Two- or three-cabin layouts are available in the weekender and cruiser versions and owners can choose a separate shower stall, helmsman seats, galley design and more. The designs also give own-ers flexibility to modify some aspects of the layout as their needs change. Storage is not as obvious as in a more tra-ditional design. There are no lockers forward, just a drawer under the bunk for quick stor-

age. However, the berth easily lifts up to ex-pose cavernous storage underneath the bunk. Beneteau worked with luggage manufacturer Longchamp to create a “rolling locker” that can be hung from built-in hooks at the end of the forward bunk. The idea is that you pack your bags at home, roll them down the dock and hang them up when you get to the boat. It’s a concept that is probably well suit-ed to true weekender sailing. Other storage is cleverly tucked under settees, in ottomans and in the galley.

Under sail A Midwesterner escaping a frigid win-ter couldn’t have asked for a better day for a test sail and it wasn’t long before we shut off the engine and settled into port tack, having easily rolled out the furling main and 105% genoa. What struck me most was how well balanced the 38 was. It heeled just enough to nestle into the chine, where it happily stuck with nothing more than the occasional fin-gertip on the helm. Canfield said the boat heels about 5 degrees less than a traditional round-hulled boat.

Sailing on a fat beat, the boat chugged along at an impressive 7 knots in about 9½ knots of wind and, with the main tending itself, tacking was a singlehanded operation easily accomplished by the helmsperson. Again the boat seemed to find its comfort zone easily. With the borrowed gennaker aboard, we were anxious to head downwind to try it out. Tacked to the stem fitting and outfit-ted with a gennaker sock, setting the chute was a relatively simple affair that Harring managed in a matter of minutes. With the sock raised and the gennaker flying, the 38 immediately responded to the extra horse-power, clearly enjoying having the reins loosened a bit. Jibing, of course, took a bit more work than tacking, with Harring helping the gen-naker around and another person manag-ing the sheets, but had we opted to drop the sock to jibe, that too could have been a singlehanded operation. As we enjoyed our spin around the bay, the wind freshened to more than 13 knots and we couldn’t help but aim for speed on a

reach. We were rewarded with a glimpse of 9.2 knots on the speedo before easing out and turning down as some of the rest of the South Coast Yachts team gathered on shore to catch a glimpse of the 38 zooming along with the gennaker up. Having run out of excuses to stay on the water any longer, we furled the sails and powered in, giving the engine a bit of a test along the way. The 30-horsepower saildrive delivered 8.3 knots at max rpm and 7.4 knots at 3,000 rpm without any uncomfort-able vibrations and we never had to raise our voices, which were still busy talking about our exhilarating sail. The Oceanis 38 was instantly popular with buyers and with the variety of options available and the excellent performance, it’s no surprise that it has already spurred a little sister. The Oceanis 35 will make its debut at the U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis. But for the large group of sailors looking for a boat in the 40-foot range, it would be hard to argue that the Oceanis 38, which looks, feels and sails like a much larger boat, could be more spot on.

up all these toys; an air compressor is built in behind the wheel. All control lines are lead to the cockpit and the primary winches are within arm’s reach of the wheel so shorthanded or singlehanded sailing should be easy on the 38. As is becom-ing more common on production cruisers, the mainsheet is led to an arch, freeing up space in the cockpit that would have otherwise been taken up by a traveler. Although there is little need to go forward while sailing, sturdy hand-holds on the cabinhouse and wide side decks would make it a safe proposition.

Binnacles at each wheel house compasses and B&G touchscreen plotters are mounted at each station, although the throttle is only at the port wheel. There are storage compartments aft of the wheels in the cockpit sole with a life raft compartment and room for additional gear. The amount of lazarette space is dictated by the interior layout, but in our three-cabin weekender test boat, the starboard lazarette easily held the swimming pool, extra PFDs, seat cushions, tools and more. Two-cabin versions will have larger lazarettes.

Removing the bulkhead opens up the interior of the 38 to create a light and bright space that’s a pleasure to be in, top. The engine is easily accessed underneath the companionway and from each of the aft cabins, far left. The nicely designed companionway is easy to use, left. A proper nav station is situated just forward of a hanging locker. Previous page, the Oceanis 38 nestles into the chine creating great balance and allowing for fingertip control on the helm while the crew enjoys the comfortable cockpit.



Documents

Oceanis 38 As you like it · 2017. 5. 18. · size, and in doing so have managed to create a 38-foot boat that sails and feels like a much bigger boat. Beneteau’s Oceanis 38 comes