Sweden Yachts 38

[sighmoon]

Slowly, slowly the budget is creeping upwards, beyond the limits of reason.

Does anybody have any experience of a Sweden Yachts 38? We'd be using it as a summer liveaboard, and I'll surely be single handing for a lot of the time.

One thing that is part of the gorgeousness but a worry is the teak decks. On one of the boats I was looking at, the fastners are all look black. Is this normal after rain, or is it a sign of water getting where it oughtn't and impending expense?

Is the hull solid laminate? How are the decks stiffened (balsa with deck fastenings channeling rain into it?)

My wife's concern is that the beautiful interior won't stay beautiful if we leave the boat unattended for long periods , which we will have to. Our last boat got a lot of water in it and rather moldy after 2 months - we'd be leaving this one for up to 10 months at a time.

And finally, at 6'2, could I stand up inside?

Thanks in advance
Simon

 

[markdj]

Sounds like you need to visit the boat show ;-)

 

[sighmoon]

Alas, I'm talking about old second hand boats. I should have visited the boat show 25 years ago.

 

[Tranona]

Alas, I'm talking about old second hand boats. I should have visited the boat show 25 years ago.

But, perhaps you should - at least at the second hand shows that go on around Southampton this month.

I assume from what you have said your floating holiday home will be in the UK rather than the Med. The SY was a top boat in its day, but is now in the category of "avoid at all costs unless you are a dedicated boat maintenance person". As you have already discovered most will need their teak decks replacing, as will most boats of that age. Plenty of threads on these fora advising avoidance of such boats. £15-20k for complete replacement with a life of 15-20 years or if it has not been done already, £7-8k for refastening and recaulking that extends life by about 5 years. As to style of boats, these are performance cruiser racers and perhaps not the best choice for short handed sailing.

TBH if I were in your shoes I would take a much more pragmatic view. Why own a "boat of a lifetime" when this is unlikely to be your last boat. If you want trouble free 2 months a year holiday sailing, do what the professionals do (charter companies) - buy a well specced AWB. For the same price as an SY you could get a nearly new 36-38ft BenBevJeannHanseDufour that will have more space, perform well, need no significant work for at least 5 years and be easy to sell when you want to move on.

Avoid teak decks if you can, although bonded on ones seem to standup better than old solid fastened ones. Invest in an overall cover with proper vents and supports. Run a dehumidifier, particularly in winter, take off all the sails, lift all cusshions internally and have someone check regularly that all is OK and you will see minimal deterioration.

Hope this helps

 

[Boat44]

Have you seen one you like, or just generaly casting around? Seems to be a big varience in price in those currently for sale.

I would see no reaon why they would not suit your purpose.

Leaving any boat unattended for 10 months if going to create similar problems, although as Tranona says avoid teak decks, not necessarily due to cost but because it needs regular maintenance such as buckets of salt water every week.

If you want a two month liveaboard with out using it any other time of the year I would seriously think about chartering. Not the Sunsails of this world, but the little independants and see if you can strike a deal, which I'm sure you could. They will have more interesting boats, and the boats will be owned by individuals not the charter company so various deals are always available. The other benefits being you are not tied to one location, and wont spend the first week of your two months finding all the faults and the next three fixing them!

 

[Neil_Y]

Sailed one a few times including across the atlantic and some balearics cruising, probably around 10,000nm. It was a 1988 or 89 model I think.

Look out for corrossion in mast base plate on older boats as well as grounding damage. On the one I saild the keel needed to be re fitted and internal ribs re glassed which later started to come apart and needed re doing.

I've also had the steering fail on these and its a pig and badly (weak) designed as the castings for the rollers at the base of the steering failed. The emergency tiller also then failed after a few hours. It's difficult to get access to the steering.

Poor ventilation in aft cabins in hot weather and no swim platform meant that I opted for a bavaria 390. A very similar boat but better made with better design features which make it nicer to sail and live aboard.

 

[Pasarell]

Sweden 38

I sailed on a friends 38, on and off, for about 18 years. He bought it from original owner early 90's and sold it last year. We mainly used it for short handed racing. Lovely cruiser/racer but hard work for 2 to race - much easier with a full crew.
Very satisfying when properly set up but essential to reef early or it quickly gets too much. Teak deck needs a lot of maintenance and the steering on our boat was a problem several times that cost £££ to fix. Can't comment on the headroom as we are both about 5'10" and had no problems! Interior joinery very good quality but dark and heavy looking by modern standards
Definitely worth a look but make sure you have a trial sail in a reasonable wind so you know it's right for you.

 

[jason -and the arguenauts]

TBH if I were in your shoes I would take a much more pragmatic view. Why own a "boat of a lifetime" when this is unlikely to be your last boat. If you want trouble free 2 months a year holiday sailing, do what the professionals do (charter companies) - buy a well specced AWB. For the same price as an SY you could get a nearly new 36-38ft BenBevJeannHanseDufour that will have more space, perform well, need no significant work for at least 5 years and be easy to sell when you want to move on.

Got a lot of sympathy with this view but it has a problem - depreciation on AWBs. Older boats are higher maintenance but lower depreciation so I'm not at all sure which is cheapest to run

 

[Fergus]

Slowly, slowly the budget is creeping upwards, beyond the limits of reason.

Does anybody have any experience of a Sweden Yachts 38? We'd be using it as a summer liveaboard, and I'll surely be single handing for a lot of the time.

One thing that is part of the gorgeousness but a worry is the teak decks. On one of the boats I was looking at, the fastners are all look black. Is this normal after rain, or is it a sign of water getting where it oughtn't and impending expense?

Is the hull solid laminate? How are the decks stiffened (balsa with deck fastenings channeling rain into it?)

My wife's concern is that the beautiful interior won't stay beautiful if we leave the boat unattended for long periods , which we will have to. Our last boat got a lot of water in it and rather moldy after 2 months - we'd be leaving this one for up to 10 months at a time.

And finally, at 6'2, could I stand up inside?

Thanks in advance
Simon

Where will you be leaving the boat? In winter I just splash a load of "patio magic" on our SY41 and it keeps the mould off for the six months she's on the hard, plus a dehumidifier. On the teak decks, the SY decks are long-lasting (mine's 22 yrs old and has been sanded down once. The screw heads do start to appear but replugging is easy if a little time consuming. These boats are built to last and sail really well. We're intending to live aboard for 6 months of the year eventually(!). I would have an SY over an AWB every time (at 20 yrs old she cost the same as a new Bav of the same length - that says something I think (and not that I paid too much either!). Don't let the teak deck nay-sayers put you off!

 

[sighmoon]

The boat would be kept in the UK, on a slow oddyssey around the coast. Good tip about the patio magic.

Can anyone say more about the steering issue? Hurley 24's comment that it happened a few times is alarming. Is the result a floppy rudder, a stiff rudder, or a jammed rudder? Could you limp home?

As for the decks, if you don't stay on top of them, does it lead to a slew of other problems, like water in the deck core?

 

[Neil_Y]

The rudder problem for us was simply the loads on the cables and turning blocks for the cables at the base of the pedastol. The design of the emergency tiller is terrible and weak, that could be changed. We ended up steering using the auto helm as it worked directly on the quadrant, which made berthing interesting!

 

[Fergus]

the decks will start to look tired before they actually leak. For replugging, my technique is to replace the domed screws with flat head screws (gives a bit more depth for the plug), countersink a little more VERY carefully, coat the screw with Sikaflex and bond the plug in with a bit of varnish. Have the decks already been sanded? If not you should have plenty to play with - SYs use 12mm which is a lot more than most and allows a complete refurb at least once before requiring replacement. You do however need to avoid leaks as the deck is balsa cored and you don't want water in the core!

 

[Tranona]

Got a lot of sympathy with this view but it has a problem - depreciation on AWBs. Older boats are higher maintenance but lower depreciation so I'm not at all sure which is cheapest to run

I was suggesting a "nearly new" - you are right if you buy new, particularly with today's prices. The big depreciation is the first 2/3 years then it flattens off. Maintenance and replacement is the big issue. A 20 year old old boat is likely to require £10-20k bring it up to scratch ad an expectation of regular replacemnts as gear wears out.

What I am suggesting is what I did, because the last thing I wanted was to need to spend any of my valuable holiday time on working on the boat. It is different if you are close to the boat all year round and you like the tinkering and organising. But if you want to just arrive and step on the boat ready to go, then I think there is no contest - both short and long term.

 

[jason -and the arguenauts]

As I said, it's a view I sympathise with. I once had a new boat - well actually it was a 2 year olf kit built Hunter with the mainsail still in the plastic bag as supplied , sawdust still in the bog, and 21 miles on the log. Went 7 years with virtually no maintenance needed which was brilliant. I sailed when others repaired.

The three 10 year old boats since then have all required significant renewals from engines to rigging to sails to epoxy coats. Never yet got to 20k but have certainly got very close to 10k.

Trouble is, I've got HR tastes and AWB pockets so the Arguenauts sail second hand.