Comparing boats 37''-38''

[gstraub]

Hi All,

Getting ready to look at several boats:
Ericson 38
Tartan 37
C&C Landfall 38
Morgan 38
Hunter 37 Cherubini cutter
and maybe a Cheoy Lee Pedrick 38

I''ll be looking at 1979-1984 vintage. Primary activity will be sailing on the Chesapeake and occasional coastal trips. Just wondering what people''s opinions are of any of these boats. Thanks in advance.

Gerhard

[JohnDrake]

Hello, I looked at all of these boats fairly recently, in the search for my boat. It is a fairly common list that people have in the reasonably priced 38 ft range. I am not sure of your requirements or sailing desires but I will list some just very general comments below. Hope this helps.

Ericson 38 - the lightest and fastest of all on the list. Might be overpowered for short handed sailing. Decent build quality but very plastic looking with the molded toe rail. definately good in the light air of the Bay. PHRF of 120 I think

Tartan 37 - very nicely finished below but also very cramped. PHRF of 174 means this is not a fast boat. Also, this is a K/cb design with a relatively short keel

C&C Landfall 38 - honestly, disapointing build quality. Also cored hull. The aft qtr cabin is open to the companionway thus opening it to weather.

Morgan 38 - a strong offshore capable boat, built well enough to take it. Very nice underbody design with a modified fin keel design similar to a passport. These boats are reasonably priced because the fit and finish of the cabin joinery is not very fine. Still, a very nice all around boat, plenty on the market so you could get one that the owner re-finished the cabin. PHRF of 144? And a handsome design when nicely cleaned up with better fittings.

Hunter 37 Cherubini cutter - very nice, under rated boat. Well built and good design. Reasonable choice at a good price. A bit less room than the Morg 382 down below.

Cheoy Lee Pedrick 38 - beautiful cabin, nicely finished. The only boat on the list that will have a true aft qtr cabin (the Ericson is close). Also a very classic looking boat above deck with a design that makes one think of a hinckley (in looks). Strong hull build. Unfortunately, these boats tend to have leaks that are hard to find and fix and of course teak decks that will almost certainly need to be replaced at some point in the future. Not sure how they sail, their underbodies are substantial and so my guess is that they are not fast. Still, a very very handsome boat. Classic good looks and a cabin that is most livable. You could probably negotiate for a very good price, maybe even a great price...this boat favors the buyer.

SO, those are some pretty superficial impressions, but I think you would come to the same conclusions on close inspection. It is a choice of what you want. If you are looking for a fast, light daysailor with good accomodations, the Ericson would be one choice (to be fair quite a few people have taken this as an offshore boat). A stronger offshore boat might point you towards the Morg. A good value might be the Hunter Cherubini or Tartan 37. A boat for a comfortable cabin and classic almost elegant beauty might be the Cheoy.

Hope this helps

John

[gstraub]

John,

Thanks for your impressions. I have not seen all of these yet, but many of your conclusions agree with mine. Guess it boils down to seeing what feels right. For the sailing we will be mostly doing, any of them would probably be fine.

Gerhard

[paulk]

Agree with above posts that the Hunter Cutter is often overooked. Her draft of about 5'' is good for the somewhat shallow Chesapeake Bay, and the spaces below are well thought out and roomy, without being overdone. Nice lines and an inward-turning hull-deck flange also make the boat attractive. Pricewise, she''s likely to be a steal. Just make sure (as with any boat) that she''s in good shape. An older Sabre 38 would also have a nice layout w/aft cabin and solid construction, but is likely to be pricier. Happy Hunting!

[lpisko]

Gerhard,
I''m biased, but as an owner of a 1978 Morgan 382 I can certainly recommend these boats. As JohnDrake already stated, the construction on the Brewer designed M38x boats is pretty solid, and many boats have demonstrated their offshore capabilities. The early 382 models did rate at 144, but taller rigs on later 383 & 384 models resulted a slightly faster boat. I think the interior is particularly roomy - lots of storage, though maybe at the expense of tankage. Check Yachtworld.com for an indication of asking prices, but for boats in the 79 - 86 vintage, they seem to run $50-70K for boats in decent shape with good inventory. A motivated seller might get you a good price! There''s also an excellent owners group at http://morgan38.org that you should check out. Good luck with your selection!
Larry
"Sail-La-Vie"

[Lahr]

I sailed a 1983 Sabre 38 c/b on the Bay and in southern New England for 18 years. Truly a fine boat--fast, seaworthy, fun to sail, and very well built. There are a few on the market.