Oceanis 38 to buy or not to buy

[Paddyd]

I looked at an Oceanis 38 over the weekend and fell in love with it .
I have never sailed a beneteau before ....please tell me your thoughts good and bad on the boat and quality .......
I can only find a couple minor problems with the boats
what are your thoughts on this ????
In the forward V berth and the double stern cabins there is material covering the hull that has peeled off
it seems from moisture/ sweating on the inside of the hull
does anyone else have this problem ????
the opening ports ....leak just a bit around the black lip seal ...I was thinking cleaning them with vinager and water solution would clean the rubber and then that should stop the dripping ......and ideas ????
tks Paddy

[jsaronson]

Sail it!
Shoal keel = doesn't point as well
In mast furler = doesn't point as well

Was it a charter?
How do you plan to use it?
Is stuff obsolete? Worn?

[miatapaul]

Originally Posted by Paddyd

I looked at an Oceanis 38 over the weekend and fell in love with it .
I have never sailed a beneteau before ....please tell me your thoughts good and bad on the boat and quality .......
I can only find a couple minor problems with the boats
what are your thoughts on this ????
In the forward V berth and the double stern cabins there is material covering the hull that has peeled off
it seems from moisture/ sweating on the inside of the hull
does anyone else have this problem ????
the opening ports ....leak just a bit around the black lip seal ...I was thinking cleaning them with vinager and water solution would clean the rubber and then that should stop the dripping ......and ideas ????
tks Paddy

Every older Beneteau, will eventually have the sagging liners. Some of the newer boats they seem to be using hard gelcoat instead. The older style head liners have a foam backing that breaks down over time and sags. It is a nasty job to scrape it off and some just smooth it out and paint, others put up other materials.

They do seem to make a quality boat for sure though. I have looked at a few, and have liked all I looked at. Check keel bolts carefully as most have a cast iron keel, and replacing them is a chore. (this was a deal killer on one I looked at) cast iron keels have advantages and disadvantages, so it is not out just in it self, just requires some extra diligent maintenance.

[dugsmith98]

I have the Oceanis 393, 2003 model year, and enjoy her a lot. I sail with little kids, and so need to be able to handle most of the tasks single handedly. The in-mast reefing is a bonus for that.
The bottom paint had some adhesion problems and was just flaking off in sheets. In 2010 I had to take all bottom paint off and sand blast the keel, then epoxy the entire bottom (4 coats) and then a few coats of bottom paint. Lot of work, but well worth it. Look closely at the adherence of the paint on the bottom.
I really do enjoy this boat, and sail with a family of 5, so the size is just right.

[sailortjk1]

If you are looking for a good family coastal cruising boat, It will meet your requirements.
The statements above about roller furling main and wing keel our correct. She is not going to point well. I know from experience. We did convert out our main sail for when we give it a go at some long distance racing, so a good sail loft can make a non furling sail to work for special limited occasions.
Our head liner is solid, not fabric. It is nice that Benny provided access to points that have deck hardware installed, but it is very inconvenient if you want to add a piece of hardware in a different location.
We don't have material covering the exposed walls, ours are covered in veneered wood / fake wood paneling.
I am only speaking in general terms, I can not address the exact model as we sail a 361.

What year is the boat?
What model? I know you said Oceanis 38, but I thought that it wasn't until recently, say the past 6 years or so that they went with single digit model numbers. That being the case, I would not expect the liner material to be falling down already.

[hellosailor]

paddy, leaking hatches and portlights are best fixed by replacing the gaskets. If you don't want to get adventurous, Beneteau can probably sell you replacements. Use Armorall or a similar product on the replacments and they will last much longer. Ignore them, and they'll fail similarly. Simple cleaning is not likely to help.

If the "wallpaper" was foam backed, foam often breaks down and crumbles over time and the only solutions are to clean (scrape/scrub with a brush, wire wheel, abrasive block) down to solid fiberglass, then put up a new material or paint it, install battens, etc. as you choose. You can use a permanent "headliner" type spray cement and try to glue the old stuffback up, but that's a kludge and often an ugly one.

[Faster]

Are we possibly talking about a 'Moorings' 38?.. one of the Beneteaus made expressly for the charter trade. Not all were sold into charter, but odds are. So another thing to look for is excessively high engine hours.

I have never liked that fabric headliner approach, it seems always to either lose its form and 'look' crappy, or decides to break down altogether and start separating. It's certainly possible to redo/replace it with something more attractive and practical, but it can be a big job. It would be a big issue for me as far as price negotiation.

[Paddyd]

It is 2000 Oceanis 381 ...engine hrs are around 400 hours ....thanks for all the insights , we are going to step back for several days and do some serious thinking
Is there anything that you feel we should pay closer attention to on this boat ?????

[Paddyd]

Oh yes this boat was never a charter boat ......2 owner boat ..... thanks for the insight on the liner ...this is something I can work around .......
tell me more about the keel bolts ???? what should I looking for ????

[Paddyd]

opps what should I be looking for on the keel bolts ?????