[C38] crossing oceans

Sun Apr 3 20:11:12 EDT 2011

WOW!  What an experience!!!!!!

The only thing we have to compare to your ocean crossing experience is a
trip we took once from Tampa Bay to Key West in 2002.  We had 35kt+ winds,
12' breaking seas and a very overloaded boat with 5 crew and almost enough
junk for a round-the-world trip.

We were beaten up from several days of relentless pounding but the boat
held up better than we did.  Our experience pales in comparison to your
trip but we did get a chance to see the mighty 38 strut her stuff in some
really challenging ocean conditions.

We particularly liked the way the fine bow sliced through the waves instead
of hobby horsing over them like the fuller, more modern designs do.

Sparkman Stevens knows how to design a boat and in my opinion the merits
and accomplishments of the Catalina 38 will live forever.

Tom Troncalli
Owner of memories of a 38  (It is considerably cheaper this way but not
near as exciting)

> [Original Message]
> From: Rod and Patti Headlee <ja38 at earthlink.net>
> To: Catalina 38 Listserve <listserve at catalina38.org>
> Date: 4/3/2011 7:17:02 PM
> Subject: Re: [C38] crossing oceans
>
> 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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> >>> than "Re: Contents of Listserve digest..."
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> 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
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> Listserve mailing list
> >>> Listserve at catalina38.org
> >>> http://catalina38.org/mailman/listinfo/listserve_catalina38.org
> >>> -------------- next part --------------
> >>> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
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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
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> ------------------------------
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> Listserve mailing list
> >>> Listserve at catalina38.org
> >>> http://catalina38.org/mailman/listinfo/listserve_catalina38.org
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> End of Listserve Digest, Vol 7, Issue 224
> >>> *****************************************
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> Listserve mailing list
> >> Listserve at catalina38.org
> >> http://catalina38.org/mailman/listinfo/listserve_catalina38.org
> >
> >-- 
> >Donald R. Strong
> >Professor
> >Dept. of Evolution and Ecology
> >University of California, Davis 95616
> >
> >
> >_______________________________________________
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> >Listserve at catalina38.org
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>
>
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