What the fleet has seen
The Beneteau First 38, as the fleet has seen it
Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.
The Beneteau First 38 is a 12.2-meter masthead sloop designed by Jean Berret and built by Beneteau since 1982, known in the US as the Beneteau 38. It features a fin keel with a spade rudder and was offered with multiple keel and rig options, including a shoal draft of 1.49m or 1.68m and a taller or shorter rig. A variant, the Moorings 38/39, was adapted for charter with a shoal draft, shorter rig, and interior changes. Daniel of Adventureman Dan lived aboard his Beneteau First 38 for seven years before selling it for $23,000 to purchase a MacGregor 26X.1:40 Chiara and Adam of Sailing Millennial Falcon chartered a 38-foot Beneteau in the Whitsundays in poor weather as a trial before buying their own boat.8:59 Huub Vlogs toured a 1984 Beneteau Ideale 38, noting its 40-horsepower Volvo D240 engine, 4.5-foot draft, and 1,000 watts of solar power, and identified the lack of a dedicated aft cabin with a full-sized double bed as a limitation for long-term liveaboard comfort.0:18 A family on Sailing Big Lost chartered a 38-foot monohull, the *Calypso Express*, in the British Virgin Islands for ASA certifications, experiencing high cabin temperatures and poor airflow.
