Beneteau First 38 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

Berret gave the First 38 a sweet-lined, racy hull that is easily driven, with a tapered stern that yields a more balanced shape than the broad-transom fashion of later years. The boat was among the first production yachts to use a reverse scoop transom, and that transom is convertible: solid sections can be inserted to fill the scoop when a conventional stern platform is wanted. Structurally, the hull is solid fiberglass laminate stiffened by a large, shallow structural pan with an integrated grid that is firmly glassed to the hull; the pan leaves most of the hull above the bilge reachable, and its access ports open the bilge for inspection. Bulkheads are glassed along their entire perimeter to hull and deck and bolted to the floor pan, while the deck joint is bonded with sealant and through-bolted, incorporating the aluminum toerail. The deck itself is a balsa-cored glassfibre sandwich for stiffness, with solid laminate underneath hardware and raised bosses under the chainplate covers and genoa turning blocks to shed water. The cast-iron ballast rides externally on stainless keel bolts, and the iron keel is tied to bolts built into the hull liner. Yachting Monthly found her well built and unsparingly laid up, and noted a removable cockpit sole that lets the engine be craned out without cutting structure.

Rig and Handling

The First 38 is a masthead sloop carrying a large genoa and a vast spinnaker, with the mainsheet traveller set on the coachroof forward of the companionway and the track run across the coachroof out of harm's way. Headsail sheet tracks sit well inboard for close-winded work, served by Lewmar 46 self-tailers and Lewmar 30 halyard and spinnaker winches; reefing needs only one crew on deck. Owners describe the boat as very closewinded, and the inboard sheets suit that character. Test sailors found her fast-paced, sea-kindly and highly manoeuvrable: close-hauled she made 6.2 knots in the groove and tacked through 90 degrees, an angle the tester said improves 10 degrees in racing mode, while off the wind she sped away at 7.4 knots and made 6.5 to 7 knots running down-Channel. The balanced spade rudder gives excellent control downwind and a light, balanced helm in most conditions, though without a protective skeg the blade is exposed to damage and going astern shows propwalk. She can turn in her own length ahead, sails upwind in strong winds without slamming, and tracks well; owners note less pounding to weather than flat-bilged modern performance boats. Surfing downwind has produced reported speeds beyond 13 knots, and offshore passages average a credible 150 to 170 miles per day.

Accommodations

Below, the cutaway bulkhead frames a saloon that period reviewers said has not dated like many contemporaries, with a cherry and oak sole and wood-veneered headlining. The U-shaped port settee converts to a double with the drop-leaf table; starboard has a single settee and a small pilot berth. The forward cabin's V-berth is narrow at the foot but has shelving and a hanging locker, lit by a forehatch; the forward heads to port carries a shower and a dated padded vinyl deckhead. A forward-facing nav station to starboard has a huge chart table and room for radar, VHF, and plotter. The galley is well designed with double sinks, top-loading fridge, and a gimballed two-burner with oven, though testers called it small but seaworthy. Aft, two double cabins with hanging lockers and even a sink each are tight for two, and their headlining drew a reviewer's unflattering grotto comparison. A seamanlike centerline second heads sits behind the companionway. The boat can sleep up to 10 at a push, nine comfortably, but the V-berth, pilot berths, and aft doubles are all narrow or tight.

Known Issues

The First 38 has had more than its fair share of osmotic blisters, the one structural caveat that follows the class. The exposed spade rudder without skeg is always vulnerable to impact, and the aft-cabin headlinings are prone to drooping. The foam-backed vinyl liner glued to deck and hull throughout the boat, aside from the saloon's plywood panels, is a long-term material to watch.

Refits and Ownership

Many owners have converted the cramped pilot berths to cupboard or shelf space, and bluewater-minded owners have turned the tiny aft head into a giant pantry or locker. The Perkins diesel—a 45-horsepower 4108 as standard, with some fitted 50-horsepower units—and brilliant all-round engine access via aft head, both aft cabins, and cockpit sole make ownership approachable. More than one First 38 has circumnavigated, and many sail in the USA.

The Verdict

The Beneteau First 38 is a genuinely early-modern Euro cruiser that still reads as contemporary below and behaves like a lively, sea-kindly performer above. Its short production run and Berret pedigree make it a distinct entry in Beneteau's First history, and the convertible scoop transom plus shallow pan show real design thought. The osmosis history and exposed rudder are the prices of admission.

Pros

Easily driven, tapered-stern hull with convertible reverse scoop transom
Closewinded, light helm, sea-kindly and manoeuvrable under masthead rig
Shallow structural pan and removable cockpit sole give excellent engine and bilge access
Three-stateroom layout that reviewers found un-dated, with practical nav and galley stations

Cons