# Beneteau Oceanis 38



## rostyvyg (Jun 4, 2017)

Does anyone have experience long term cruising or living aboard Oceanis 38? What's your impressions about storage space, tankage, galley, handholds, handling really bad seas, etc? Basically, how practical is this design for trips longer then a weekend or a few days?


----------



## TQA (Apr 4, 2009)

Are you talking about the newer twin wheel 38 or the older single wheel 38 AKA 393


----------



## Lazerbrains (Oct 25, 2015)

I don't have experience cruising on one, but I have been aboard one. 
I didn't care for it at all. The entire boat exuded a feeling of cheap materials, especially the interior. 
It has particle board bulkheads and furniture that look like cheap Ikea stuff, and cheap vinyl flooring like you would find at a home center.
There were not adequate handholds in the beamy interior, and it would be easy to be tossed about under sail. 
The boat also lacks a traveller, so you won't be able to control twist or flatten the luff to weather.
Furthermore, from what I have seen of the hull construction, coupled with the large acrylic windows glued in below the deck joint, it is not
a boat I would want to be caught in rough weather offshore in.


----------



## rostyvyg (Jun 4, 2017)

Well, I understand she is not an Island Packet, but being a long time woodworker I recently went through one with a fine tooth comb and can say that there is no "particle board" anywhere on that boat, - it is a veneered marine grade plywood (or similar laminate), the floor is the same material and it does, actually have plenty of handholds. Don't get me wrong, when I saw the boat first time I had the same "Ikea" feeling at first, then told myself "What the hell were designers thinking?", then after spending an hour looking at every nook and cranny it slowly grew up on me. Everything is really very solid, the plumbing and electric are well laid out and easily accessible, the engine is easily accessible, the lazarette (on a two cabin version) is cavernous, all controls look totally dummy proof and the boat sails, actually, phenomenally well. As for windows in the hull, they look like an inch thick Lexan which can take a 45 ACP shot point blank. My concerns are related to rather small tankage (including one (ONE!) 5lb propane cylinder and no dedicated storage for a spare one) and not too many places in the cabin to store stuff.

This is why I am not seeking an opinion of someone who superciliously browsed through one at a show but for an experience of an actual owner, who actually sailed the boat, preferably over some longer time on longer trips with a few people.

Thanks.


----------



## kd3pc (Oct 19, 2006)

rostyvyg said:


> Does anyone have experience long term cruising or living aboard Oceanis 38? What's your impressions about storage space, tankage, galley, handholds, handling really bad seas, etc? Basically, how practical is this design for trips longer then a weekend or a few days?


We had a 36CC and have been aboard several 38 for days at a time. Our 36 had a horribly small holding tank. It was installed up high and readily accessible, but was of little use in reality. Water storage similar, way too small for even long weekends. The galley of both was to my liking, I preferred the 36CC as it was narrower and along side, but only a hip-width to the other side. Cabinet space was good on both boats. Our 36CC did not have flooring secured, the 38 we spent most time on was, as they did a fair amount of offshore work. Lots of nooks and crannies on both boats, a map or list of where you put stuff comes in handy.

Both boats handled seas well, the 36CC hull was the test bed for the 361 and the newer 38's share that heritage as well as some updates. I actually did my test sail, prior to purchase - the day after a hurricane passed through Deltaville - just to see how she handled the confused water at the mouth of the Potomac and the Bay, and on down towards Norfolk. We lived aboard the 36CC for 7-8 months a year and found her to be quite to our liking. The 38 was actually easier to handle with two people, as the CC of the 36 puts you midships and the 38 you can see everything.

With some tankage changes, and a "hold n treat" system you would be just fine.

The boat will handle much more than the crew will.


----------



## capttb (Dec 13, 2003)

In our warm climate we only use propane for the stove and not much of that so a 5 lb. bottle seems bottomless. The small green (6 Gal.?) gravity feed waste tanks on the French boats aren't a problem in our area because every harbor has free pump out and we can easily make the 3 mile tack to sea when required. I've been on similar French boats in some pretty rough sea states and they handle beautiful, especially if you don't overpower them.


----------



## Lazerbrains (Oct 25, 2015)

rostyvyg said:


> Well, I understand she is not an Island Packet, but being a long time woodworker I recently went through one with a fine tooth comb and can say that there is no "particle board" anywhere on that boat, - it is a veneered marine grade plywood (or similar laminate), the floor is the same material


I hate to disagree, but the Beneteau 38 uses an "engineered hardwood" i.e. particleboard for the bulkheads and furniture. I was told this by the Bene dealer at the boatshow this fall when I spent an hour examining the Oceanis 38, and I just asked another dealer and it was confirmed again. I'm not sure how you can tell by looking at it when the ends of the boards are capped with the veneer and you cannot see the interior board. If you don't believe me, write an email to Benetau - they will confirm it is not plywood.

As for the acrylic windows, it is not the acrylic I am worried about, it is the fact they are glued in place. I watched my dockmate re glue his over this past winter. Not the type of construction I would care for on a boat in heavy weather, but it does let in a lot of light if that is your thing.

The lack of handholds on this boat is obvious. This one only has counter holds and is a very beamy boat. Life at even a 20 degree heel for days on ends will reinforce the need to grab onto something overhead, when you're trying to move, or put on foulies, or do just about anything.

I wouldn't worry as much re water storage - a desalinator is pretty much the standard these days for cruisers.

I really like wide and fast designs, and I would like to have one for offshore passagemaking. However, I don't have much faith in the quality, and do not care for many of the details in the O38.


----------



## Ninefingers (Oct 15, 2009)

I sailed one for a season on Lake Ontario. It is a great boat for entertaining folks - probably the best there is. Massive cockpit and bright spacious interior. It sailed just fine. 

I did notice delamination of the veneer as the season wore on. The interior cushions stained easily. The stock sails were kind of crappy. 

My broker mentioned the storage space as a reason they could not sell more of them.


----------



## Ala Moana (Jul 25, 2017)

I own an Oceanis 45 and I can tell you there is no particle board on the boat. Beneteau does make their own "engineered wood" which is plywood. They use to have a video of the process on their website. I've owned the boat for three years and other than a few minor issues that you would expect when you buy a new boat we haven't had any problems. We have no leaks from the in hull windows or any place else for that matter. The boat is so dry that I have to pour water in the bilge every once in a while to make sure it still works and we've had the boat out in some pretty rough water. Our holding tanks are 20 gallons each and our main water tank is 80 gallons (Our second one is a bit smaller I believe). Beneteau's are not high end quassey custom cruising boats that cost +$800k but they are a quality production boat built by a big company. They use all brand name parts on the boat that are readily available if and when they need replacing.


----------

