NEW BOATS BENETEAU SWIFT TRAWLER 34 // FLEMING 58HELMSMAN 38 PILOTHOUSE // OCEANCO PA153

1,000s OF NEW & USED BOATS FOR SALE INSIDE

seamagazine.com DECEMBER 2011

HOW TO REPLACE A CUTLASS BEARING // 5 TIPS FOR A BETTER-BUFFED BOAT

RAIN, RAIN,

GO AWAYA BY-THE-NUMBERS ACCOUNT OF A VERY WET BROUGHTONS CRUISE

GIFTGUIDEIDEAS FOR THE BOATERS ON YOUR ‘NICE’ LIST

>> INSIDE ON PAGE 34

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30 SEA MAGAZINE / DECEMBER 2011

Our test boat, the 38-footHelmsman trawler, is in the truck cat-egory and one of an increasing num-ber of trawlers being offered to boaters.Trawlers in this market segment gen-erally are stoutly built, have an eco-nomical single engine and cruise any-where from 6 to 8 knots, getting

between 2 and 3 nmpg at those speeds.These vessels usually have a top speedof about 13 or 14 knots, which is use-ful for battling the current and tide oroutrunning the weather, but captainspay a substantial price in increased fuelconsumption if they run at top speed.

The Helmsman 38 (previously

marketed as the Mariner 37 SevillePilothouse) fits comfortably in themarket segment. As we approached thevessel at its dock in Seattle, I noted thetraditional trawler look, with a full-beamaft salon and a low-rise pilothouse. Ithas the traditional bolt-on fiberglassswim step and cockpit access througha transom gate. The swim step is posi-tioned just the right height above thewater — about level with the dock, whichmakes boarding quick, safe and easy.

As we entered the cockpit, I notedthe bottom of the transom door framehas a stainless steel tread. While it mightseem like a small thing, that is a high-wear area — almost everyone gettingon board steps there — and serious tran-som wear can occur at that point with-out the protection of a hard-wearingmetal plate.

The solid fiberglass hull is hand-laminated using vinylester resin on theouter layers. Internal stiffness is pro-vided by a glass grid throughout the ves-sel. An epoxy barrier coat is applied

The low-speed small trawler is making a comeback, and one of the tra-ditional designs in that market segment is the Helmsman 38 Pilothouse.Is this boat for everyone? No. But what boat is? Whenever people askme what kind of boat they should buy, my response is along the lines of

this: “Buy a boat that will do what you want to do with it.” That usually leadsto further discussions, and sometimes I use an automotive expression: “A mechan-ic who has to transport tools and equipment from one job to another will needa truck, but a racing driver will need a race car.”

HELMSMAN 38 PILOTHOUSETRADITIONAL DESIGN, MODERN COMFORT AND PERFORMANCE

SEATRIALBY ROGER McAFEE

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SEAMAGAZINE.COM 31

below the waterline to help reduce thepossibility that the glass will take upwater. All of the railings are two-rungwelded stainless steel, and all of thewelds are ground flush and polished.Bow railings are bigger and stronger

than the side rails. The full-keel hullhas a stainless steel rudder and ruddershoe.

The anchor locker is accessedthrough a deck hatch and drains over-board. A stainless, self-launching anchor

hold-down assembly completes thebow area. Access to the lazarette isthrough an aft cockpit hatch.

The fiberglass deck has a sharp non-skid surface molded in. The steps thatlead up to the flybridge are more stair-like than ladder-like, and visibilityfrom up top is excellent all around. Theflybridge itself is chariot style but stillhas good forward visibility with very lit-tle bow “sight shadow.” There is plen-ty of room for socializing on the top deck,with seating for at least a half dozen.There’s also a lot of storage under theseats.

MOVING INSIDEThere are three ways to access the

deckhouse: the traditional doors off thecockpit, or port and starboard wheel-house doors. All of the doors aremounted in stainless frames. The ves-sel’s upperworks contain more glass thanfiberglass; therefore, plenty of naturallight floods the inside. This makes theinterior bright and cheery even on anovercast day.

All interior floors are well-fitted teakand holly, which nicely complementsthe satin-finished teak woodwork. Thesalon includes the galley to starboardand an L-shaped settee with a drop-down table to port. Also to port, for-ward of the settee, is the day head/show-er. A watertight door through thehead’s forward bulkhead providesengine-room access for routine inspec-tions and service, an unusual but veryeffective arrangement. The machineryspace can also be accessed through apair of hatches in the wheelhouse floor.The head access to the engine spacemeans that floor hatches do not haveto be opened for routine engine inspec-tions, thereby reducing the inconve-nience to those on board. The enginespace itself is neat and tidy, and all ser-vice points are accessible.

Another noticeable feature on ourtest boat is a curtain track on the over-head. When the curtain is in place, itcreates a private space that includes aberth — created when the settee is con-verted — and the day head. Helmsmanhas, very cleverly and at very little cost,created a temporary second privatestateroom, complete with a head, in the

ABOVE Satin-varnished teak dominates the interior spaces of the Helmsman 38, while up top the chari-ot-style flybridge provides great visibility.

32 SEA MAGAZINE / DECEMBER 2011

main salon. The galley is to star-

board and is completewith hinged drop-downcupboards, granite coun-tertops, a refrigerator/freezer, a stainless sinkand designer faucet, anda Seaward Princesspropane stove. The gal-ley has plenty of counterspace and good storagefor a 38-footer.

The master stateroom is forwardand is also well finished with plenty ofsatin-varnished teak. It boasts an islandqueen bed with storage underneath, andthere is also plenty of storage in hang-ing lockers and drawers. An overheadhatch and hull portholes let in plentyof outside light and provide good ven-tilation when they’re open. The raisedbed has storage underneath, and there

are bookshelves to port and starboard.Reading lights are standard. The en suitehead features an electric Masterflushtoilet, a vanity and a separate showerstall.

The Helmsman’s low-profile pilot-house, up a couple of steps from thesalon, is large and spacious with an L-shaped convertible settee to port and thehelm station to starboard. Visibility isexcellent, and because the pilothouse islow rise, it is possible for the skipper tosee easily into the salon and onto theback deck through the aft salon windows.

PERFORMANCEWe fired up the Helmsman’s

Cummins MerCruiser QSB 5.9 engineand idled away from the dock. This1,350-pound, common-rail, six-cylin-der diesel flashed up instantly withoutsmoke or clatter. The noise level at idle,600 rpm, was 70 decibels, about thesame as a normal conversation. At idlespeed, we made 3.6 knots and burned

0.6 gph. At 1000 rpm, we moved alongat 5.8 knots, burning 1.5 gph. Thenoisemeter read 72 decibels.

When we stepped the rpm up to1500, our speed increased to 7.75 knotsand our fuel burn to 3 gph. Ournoisemeter showed 73 decibels. Weburned 7.5 gph at 2000 rpm and made9 knots. When we set the throttle to2500 revs, we burned 13.1 gph andcruised along at 11.4 knots. Wide-openthrottle, 2920 rpm, gave us 14 knotswith a fuel burn of 20.7 gph.

The engine ran smoothly and with-out fuss. The vessel responded well toall control inputs and seemed to bemechanically comfortable at all speeds,an indication that the components ofthe driveline were well matched. In tightturns, there was no skidding or chat-ter, and the vessel did not “wander” oncea course was set.

Water conditions were calm, but wemanaged to find a few wakes createdby other vessels, and the 38 handledthem fine, knifing solidly through.This vessel is designed and built for com-fortable, low-speed cruising, and our testindicated it performs that function verywell. Fuel-consumption figures at dis-placement speeds of about 6 knots indi-cated we were getting about 3.92nmpg, excellent mileage for a vessel ofthis size and type.

The Helmsman 38 is a well-thought-out coastal cruiser. The fit andfinish of the woodwork is excellent, andthe interior is bright and cheery. A sep-arate day head is unusual in a boat ofthis size, but it makes cruising withguests much easier, and the curtainarrangement creating a temporary sec-ond private space is quite clever. Theplacement of two overhead grabrails in

the main salon, as well as other railsstrategically placed throughout theboat, indicates the vessel was designedby people who have actually been to sea.

The modern, computer-controlledengine is well suited to the vessel andits drivetrain, and operates very effi-ciently at displacement speeds, a factorto be considered with the price of fuelbeing what it is. Anyone looking for avessel in this category should put theHelmsman on the must-see list.

SPEC BOXLOA 40 ft., 6 in. LWL 34 ft., 6 in.BEAM 13 ft., 11 in. DRAFT 4 ft.DISPLACEMENT 24,500 lbs.ENGINE Cummins MerCruiser QSB 5.9, 380 hpCRUISING SPEED 8 knots MAX SPEED 15 knotsPRICE $385,024

STANDARD EQUIPMENT Cummins QSB 5.9 liter electronically controlledcommon-rail diesel engine (230 hp), Vetus 7-inchbow thruster, Lewmar V3 windlass, FRP radar mastw/hinge, ladder at swim platform, twin 30-ampshore-power inlets on transom, 45-lb. stainlesssteel Bruce-type anchor, Nova Kool refrigerator,Seaward Princess propane stove w/propane lock-er on bridgedeck, 11-gal. electric water heater,three electric bilge pumps, cockpit shower (hotand cold), Masterflush heads (2), three panto-graphic windshield wipers, pedestal helm seaton flybridge, LED interior lighting, overhead drop-down cabinets in galley, hawse holes on tran-som (2), aft (2) and midships (2), white gelcoatw/gray nonskid, storage cabinet aft of galley,Webasto Air Top 5500 cabin heating system, epoxybarrier coating, bottom paint and more. See deal-er for full list.

OPTIONAL EQUIPMENTA range of engine choices up to 480 hp, includ-ing Yanmar, Lugger and Isuzu, a variety of cabinclimate-control options, washer/dryer, ice-maker,custom cabinetry, custom upholstery, electricalsystem modifications, stern thruster, radar arch(instead of standard radar mast), a variety of wind-lass/ground-tackle configurations, dinghy anddavit systems, navigational electronics and more.See dealer for full list.

WEST COAST DEALERWaterline Boats, Seattle; helmsmantrawlers.com;(206) 282-0110

TESTER’S OPINION:The Helmsman 38 is a well-thought-out coastalcruiser. Anyone looking for a vessel in this cate-gory should put the Helmsman on the must-seelist.

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