Beneteau Gran Turismo 38 para vender (2011) en Wanssum, Países Bajos

Comentario del propietario

Boat location: Wanssum / The Netherlands

VAT status: EU-VAT paid.

Just received very extensive maintenance. New stern drives, new airconditioning system, new engine service by Volvo Penta. Total investments made approx. € 40.000,- and zero hours since then. Can be delivered with a road worthy trailer for extra 20k. Was always inside a heated winter storage. Turn key boat, ready to go.

84 pictures on our website and in high-resolution upon request.

We think the GT 38 is a noteworthy boat for a number of reasons. While she may look similar to many other express hardtops in class, there are some important differences.

Air Step Hull.

First, is her Air Step Hull which we think gives her demonstrably better performance than the same hull without this design. It has shown that the step is not just something that helps the boat at normal displacement speeds, but it moves a lot of air under the hull at planing speeds.

Centerline Helm.

There are a number of advantages to a centerline helm and the GT 38 takes advantage of them. First, three people can sit facing forward. Second, obviously, the skipper is equidistant from each side of the boat making docking a bit easier on one side. Third, there is no fore-and-aft bench seat with people being forced to sit sideways while underway.

Centerline Access to Mid-cabin.

I can think of only a few boats that have centerline access to the mid-cabin in class. This, combined with the engines shoved all the way back to the transom means that this full-beam cabin can have large twin berths running fore-and-aft. If a double is wanted, simply insert a small platform and sleep athwartships.

Natural Light Below.

More and more builders of express boats are discovering techniques of getting more sunlight below. This is an important attribute and it is done on the Gran Turismo 38 better than on most other boats in class.

A "Step" in the Right Direction

The GT 38 was built with the patented Air Step hull from Beneteau. I've tested a large number of boats in this class and have come to expect the performance parameters to be within a certain window and I'm rarely off. The GT 38 was one of those exceptions. My expectations went out the window as everything I anticipated from the 38's performance was off -- and for the better!

Air is drawn down through tubes to the two exit points in the boat's keel and then washed across the stern of the boat as it travels forward.

Acceleration was the first thing I noticed a difference in. The Air Step hull really showed itself with the 38's quick acceleration. I measured only 5.4 seconds to plane. This is in a boat with a test weight of over 8,000 kgs.) and a just under 4 metre beam.

Swept back grooves in the bottom and ridges at the chines trap air under the aft section of the hull to reduce friction and drag.

20 knots came and went in 7.6 seconds, and we accelerated through 30 knots in 12.3 seconds. Again, all of this performance is just a shade off the marks set by average sportboats. If you want to pull wakeboarders behind this boat, they'll have the time of their lives!

No Pounding

Running back and forth across wakes showed a marked improvement in the way the 38 penetrates waves compared to others in class. I tended to slice through the waves until reaching the center of the hull, and then continued in a slightly elevated angle catching air underneath. Coming around across our wake just had us gently bouncing over the waves and continuing on course with none of that aggravating back and forth in the heel angle that one would normally expect on a deep-V with a sharp keel.
 After crossing, a big wake re-entry was gentle and uncharacteristically smooth. Both with contacting the wave, and coming back down, I was braced for the hull to pound, but it never came. The entire action was smooth and gentle.

Looking forward at the bottom of an Air Step hull we can see the two large holes in the keel through which air is drawn under the boat.

Agile Turning

Turns were another area where this boat handled differently -- and more sprightly -- than most conventional express cruisers. At full speed, I cranked the wheel hard over and we simply entered a 5-degree bank and nearly pivoted around with no grab or slide. It seemed as if the combination of the propulsion aft and the Air Step together moved the stern around with unusual alacrity.
 Steering is very responsive with 2-1/2 turns from lock-to-lock.

Sterndrive Power for Performance

The second aspect of the boat leading to optimum performance is the fact that it is driven not by conventional inboard drives or even pods, but rather by sterndrive lower units. Because the drives are so far aft and the Volvo Penta Duoprop drives are horizontal to the surface of the water, the standard D4 300-hp diesels can deliver efficient propulsion to the nearly 7500-kg, dry, boat.
 Bear in mind that Beneteau's objective is not to produce the fastest boat possible, which would mean putting in high-horsepower fuel-guzzling engines, but rather to power the boat in such a way that it can have a good turn of speed at best cruise where most people run their boats most of the time, and be fuel-efficient.

With an empty weight of 7,348 kgs, full fuel, and 3 people onboard, we had a test weight of just over 8,181 kgs. With the twin 300-hp Volvo Penta D4 diesel engines, we reached a top speed of 32.3 kts at 3300 rpm. 
 

Deck Layout

The swim platform measures 3.0 m from side to side. The side decks are quite easy to access thanks to two steps from the cockpit and a very conveniently located handrail mounted to the aft end of the hardtop. There are no rails along the hardtop, but there is a molded-in groove that serves the purpose of keeping you secure in conjunction with the 63.5 cm high side rails.

Bow

At the bow, is a large sundeck area. There are no rails to the sides but there are drink holders. Non-skid covers the entire deck. At the bow, a Lewmar windlass is concealed under a hatch. There's an opening to the side of the windlass that allows you to reach in and deal with any tangles that may occur in the rode.
 A remote control for the windlass is mounted in this opening.

Cockpit

The cockpit certainly isn't lacking seating on the 38. Large U-shaped seating is to port with a wood table in the center. The table folds to provide more room and exposes a grab handle in this position. Opened up, it is large enough for dining at the settee or the lounger to starboard. The table is a high-low so it easily converts into a sun lounge. The table is mounted to a hatch leading to the engine compartment. The aft facing lounger is immediately to starboard and is fixed in the chaise position. Ahead and to port is an entertainment center with a sink, grill and cockpit refrigerator.

The center-mounted helm is laid out with an impressive array of analog gauges, and Volvo Penta EVC displays, all fitted within a beautiful piano black dash panel. To the right are the digital engine controls, and the desired-by-all joystick. Notice the large cubbies underneath the panel. The skylight to the right leads to the head below.

With a double wide helm seat and a third observer's seat, there'll be plenty of eyes looking ahead while the 38 is underway. This is a very unusual set-up and I like it.

The overhead is rather thick and as such, drops down slightly into my line of sight out the sides. I had standing headroom with the sunroof in the closed position, a rare feature! Opening side windows were a big help in adding ventilation.

Helm

With a single piece thick safety glass windshield, there's great visibility directly forward. Notice the large bow and the high safety rails carry well aft. Our boat has the newest Raymarine Axiom display with chart plotter, HD- radar and forward looking sonar. A Raymarine autopilot from the latest series is fitted as well.

Below Decks

I notice that Beneteau did a great job of adding natural light to the cabin with a massive piece of smoked glass just ahead of the helm console. At left of the companionway is the ship's electrical panel and stereo. Immediately I noticed that there's plenty of storage in the salon, including a shelf behind the settee for quickly tossing items in, like a good book.
 There's an L-shaped settee with a high-low table.

I measured 1.95 cm of headroom up to this large elongated skylight that floods the salon with natural light. Rarely do I see a boat that has a skylight this large while also allowing for a sun pad on the bow. This skylight is between the windshield and helm.

Across from the dinette is the galley with the usual cast of appliances. A gas stove is connected to a hookup in the cockpit and the microwave and fridge are concealed behind cabinets above and below. A single basin sink is next to a counter that nicely accommodates a drying dish rack and drains into the sink.

The dinette, opposite the galley, has a small table that will convert the L-lounge into a berth. Joinery is either Alpi light oak or mahogany, with beige leather-texture vinyl coverings overhead and a parquet sole. There is room for a TV, but it's optional.

There's a wet head just abaft the galley with natural light above, and an opening portlight to the side adds ventilation.

The owner's cabin has the typical centerline "island" berth. The hatch overhead is fitted with a blind for those who like to sleep late. There is 190 cm of headroom here.

Berth Right

At the forward end of the salon is a privacy door, not just a curtain, to the forward stateroom. One thing that continually impresses me about Beneteau is the simple fact that I never have to look for a light switch. Just as in your house, all switches are right inside the doorway, so you never have to search in a dark cabin for a way to turn the lights on, and they are all "hot-wired" so you don't have to search for the breaker in the dark either. Why this simple concept escapes so many builders is a mystery to me.

Drawers under the berth provide lots of stowage for bed linens and so forth. You can't have too much stowage space on a boat, and Beneteau makes use of every cubbyhole.

The forward berth is an island queen accessible only from the front and sides. Two elongated hull side windows and two opening portlights add natural light and ventilation, and there's also an overhead hatch for light, ventilation and egress. I noted the usual cast of storage compartments with one additional… a drawer recessed into the step to starboard.

This is probably the largest mid-ship guest cabin you will find on a 38-footer. The cabin is full beam and the twin beds run fore and aft. There is standing headroom at the entrance. Look at the space between the berths. For those who want to snuggle up at night, simply lay out a double bed athwartships. Note the standing headroom in the upper left corner of the pictures I’ve made.

Abaft the salon/galley is another stateroom behind a privacy door, this time with twin berths convertible to a queen. I noted good standing headroom. As this cabin is geared more towards two people, there's increased storage space in the form of shelves in cabinets under the portlights.

Considerations

The Beneteau GT 38 is certainly a slick-looking yacht, with lots of innovative features that everbody likes: the extended hardtop, the big on-deck dinette, the centerline helm and large mid-ship cabin made possible by the centerline helm. It just is a great boat and a viewing is very, very recommended.

Engines and controls:

• 2 x Volvo Penta D4-260
• 633 engine hours
• Volvo Penta joystick for manoeuvring 
• Hydraulic steering with power assist
• Volvo Penta electronic controls
• Bow-Thruster
• Marine diesel generator

Specifications:

• Length 12.32m
• Beam: 3.77m
• Draft: 1.10m
• Weight: 7470 kgs
• Fuel: 650 Litres
• Water: 250 Litres
• Black: 100 Litres

Lay-out:

• Master stateroom over her full beam
• VIP guestroom amidships
• VIP bathroom ensuite
• Large saloon
• Wide dinette
• Large galley

General:

• Generator
• Teak deck
• Teak swimming platform
• Airconditioning
• Heating
• Cd/radio
• Silent flush toilet
• Compass
• Bar in cockpit with grill, refrigerator and sink
• Full cockpit cover
• Bow sun pads

Galley:

• Dual zone HOB
• Combi oven-grill-microwave
• Large sink with mixer tab
• Dishwasher
• Extraction fan

Electronics:

• Raymarine Axiom chart plotter
• Raymarine radar
• Raymarine echo-sounder
• Raymarine speedometer
• Raymarine VHF