[C38] crossing oceans

Sun Apr 3 19:16:52 EDT 2011

Hi All, 
I guess no one told us not to cross an ocean in the C-38. They are a bit wet at the helm seat but we were tiller steered with a monitor windvane. I could steer from the forward end of the cockpit and not get wet. We had JA in several gales before my wetaher forecasting got better and she did us fine in 50 kt winds and 25 foot seas. One night we turned into the wind and forereached under doulble reefed main and the next night we let her run and surf the waves with the monitor steering.

We added a 40 gal fuel tank behind the engine so we carried 60 gal diesel total, we used 26 gal charging batteries on a 26 day run to Hiva Oa from Mazatlan. We had also installed an extra 18 gal water tank under the starboard setee and we carried 48 gal + 18 more in jerry jugs in the quarter berth. We also installed a Katadyn 40e, Air X, wind gen and a 55 watt solar panel. We had a Avon 4 man life raft, a Achilles dinghy and a ditch bag stuffed in the quarter berth too. She was well overloaded and still sailed well.  We never got stern popped, we had several waves land in the mainsail pocket so we got a loose footed mainsail built for her. The cockpit drains are fine for offshore, a bit of wayer creeps in if you are motoring in a large stern swell. We filled the T of the cockpit with jerry jugs for stove fule, diesel and gas for the dinghy. The run from Boar Bora to Am Samoa was 35 kts 11-15 foot seas and the C-38 loved it.

rod

 -----Original Message-----
>From: Don Strong <drstrong at ucdavis.edu>
>Sent: Apr 3, 2011 4:20 AM
>To: Catalina 38 Listserve <listserve at catalina38.org>
>Subject: Re: [C38] crossing oceans
>
>John:
>   a tyro is a beginner. Someone who knows only the rudiments. I'm no 
>expert. My feeling that C38's aren't a good choice for crossing oceans 
>is the advice of the surveyor who did my boat at purchase. The C38 
>features that to his mind said "choose another boat if you want to cross 
>oceans" were the lack of stern buoyancy ---part and parcel of an IOR 
>boat--- combined with the poor cockpit drainage, combined with the huge 
>passageway allowing water from pooping into the cockpit. The second two 
>can be fixed. But, as I said, I'm no expert. What do others feel about this?
>Don
>
>On 4/2/11 7:20 PM, John Felkins wrote:
>> Sorry, but what's a "tyro?" Also, why don't you think the C38 is a good passage maker?
>>
>> On Apr 2, 2011, at 11:00 AM, listserve-request at catalina38.org wrote:
>>
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>>> Today's Topics:
>>>
>>>    1. Different builds? (John Felkins)
>>>    2. Re: Different builds? (Harry Powell)
>>>    3. Re: Different builds? (Don Strong)
>>>
>>>
>>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>> Message: 1
>>> Date: Fri, 1 Apr 2011 13:28:56 -0500
>>> From: John Felkins<jrfelkins at gmail.com>
>>> To: "listserve at catalina38.org"<listserve at catalina38.org>
>>> Subject: [C38] Different builds?
>>> Message-ID:<057FF911-B3CA-44E8-BBB6-78A0D2C62B73 at gmail.com>
>>> Content-Type: text/plain;    charset=us-ascii
>>>
>>>
>>> I'm a Cal38 admirer, not an owner (yet). I'm wondering if there are years of manufacture that are more desirable than others? I like the boat for it's pedigree, lines, size, price and the Pardeys recommendation. Now I'm starting to look more closely. Thank for any feedback!
>>>
>>> Smooth sailing,
>>>
>>> John
>>>
>>>
>>> ------------------------------
>>>
>>> Message: 2
>>> Date: Sat, 02 Apr 2011 15:38:26 +0000 (GMT)
>>> From: Harry Powell<harrypowell at mac.com>
>>> To: Catalina 38 Listserve<listserve at catalina38.org>
>>> Cc: jrfelkins at gmail.com
>>> Subject: Re: [C38] Different builds?
>>> Message-ID:<acc74510-842a-4f24-ab9d-cd641fdac383 at me.com>
>>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; Format="flowed"
>>>
>>> My 1984 is just about the perfect year, also for sale in San Diego at the moment.
>>>
>>> Kidding aside, when I was looking I looked at the systems; electrical for upgraded wiring and clean runs, etc. And electroics; original? working? Also engine especially routine maintenance and exhaust system. The boats are very similar from year to year and the later years have a few "upgrades" but are quite simply not as old and have seen less wear and tear.
>>>
>>> Look at inventory as sails are expensive. Check the engine log as rebuilds are expensive.
>>>
>>> Cheers!?
>>> Harry?
>>> Sum Fun,hull #258
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Apr 01, 2011, at 11:28 AM, John Felkins<jrfelkins at gmail.com>  wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> I'm a Cal38 admirer, not an owner (yet). I'm wondering if there are years of manufacture that are more desirable than others? I like the boat for it's pedigree, lines, size, price and the Pardeys recommendation. Now I'm starting to look more closely. Thank for any feedback!
>>>
>>> Smooth sailing,
>>>
>>> John
>>> _______________________________________________
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>>> ------------------------------
>>>
>>> Message: 3
>>> Date: Sat, 02 Apr 2011 08:44:33 -0700
>>> From: Don Strong<drstrong at ucdavis.edu>
>>> To: Catalina 38 Listserve<listserve at catalina38.org>
>>> Subject: Re: [C38] Different builds?
>>> Message-ID:<4D974461.9090405 at ucdavis.edu>
>>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>>>
>>> Dear John:
>>>       Discreet Charm is C38 number 50 built in 1980. We all love the way
>>> our boats sail, the large interior of C38s, and the superior
>>> craftsmanship. So I will tell you what I don't like about them. Common
>>> to all IOR boats is the pinched stern, which means no space aft. The C36
>>> does not have a pinched stern. I also dislike the very restricted space
>>> in the engine room. To be able to view amply and work around the engine
>>> of a sailboat is a real plus that the C38 doesn't have.  Finally, the
>>> early boats like mine have small fuel tanks, 20 gals, and replacement
>>> with a larger fuel tank is a lot of work and expense.
>>>      These are the only minuses that I have encountered in 8 years of
>>> ownership. I will say that if I had the choice to repurchase my boat I
>>> would. I would not buy a C36 because I think they look like pigs, and
>>> appearance is a big part of the hedonic pleasure one takes from a yacht.
>>> I wouldn't buy an Erickson to get the great engine access because they
>>> don't sail nearly as well as a C38. The fuel limitation can be worked
>>> around, it isn't a problem unless you were to want to cross oceans. I
>>> don't think the C38 is a great ocean crossing boat, but I'm pretty much
>>> a tyro about ocean crossing.
>>>      I'll bet others have different opinions. I look forward to the
>>> other responses to your question.
>>>      Regards, Don
>>>
>>> PS. Renovation and refitting is really expensive. Buy a boat that has
>>> recently been renovated and refitted.
>>>
>>> On 4/1/11 11:28 AM, John Felkins wrote:
>>>> I'm a Cal38 admirer, not an owner (yet). I'm wondering if there are years of manufacture that are more desirable than others? I like the boat for it's pedigree, lines, size, price and the Pardeys recommendation. Now I'm starting to look more closely. Thank for any feedback!
>>>>
>>>> Smooth sailing,
>>>>
>>>> John
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Listserve mailing list
>>>> Listserve at catalina38.org
>>>> http://catalina38.org/mailman/listinfo/listserve_catalina38.org
>>> -- 
>>> Donald R. Strong
>>> C38 Discreet Charm
>>> Emerycove, San Francisco Bay
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ------------------------------
>>>
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>>>
>>> End of Listserve Digest, Vol 7, Issue 224
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>
>-- 
>Donald R. Strong
>Professor
>Dept. of Evolution and Ecology
>University of California, Davis 95616
>
>
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