Clipper 38 Sedan

I'll bet some of you have skippered a Clipper before. The fetching cruisers were once one of the most popular charterboats for weekending away. Virtual homes-away-from-home, Clippers introduced countless clans to the joys of liveaboard boating.

In fact, Clippers were such a big hit in the 1970s and early-'80s that they became a household name, alongside such esteemed hireboat brands as Halvorsen. Sadly, the arrival of glitzy houseboats drew away the non-boaties' bookings.

Such was the Australian market shift that imports of Clippers ground to a halt in the late-'80s. But they never stopped selling into America's booming trawler-style market, where the Clippers' builder - Chungwha Boats - has remained afloat for 35 years.

Enter Queensland boatbroker Darren Berry. About two years ago he noticed an increasing enquiry rate for displacement boats. Many prospective owners were ex-yachties who had grown weary of setting sail. He researched the market before settling on the familiar Clipper brand.

Chunghwa Boats in Taiwan presently builds 35-40ft cruisers, largely for the US market. But keen to re-establish the brand here, Berry took a year to set up his business before importing the first model. He soon sold three 40-footers, two 38s and three 34s into Queensland and NSW waters. Then the Sydney Boat Show came along and, quick as that, he sold another five Clippers.

BUILD QUALITY
The new Clippers are much better than the old ones ever were. There are no longer marine-ply bulkheads, for example; and hull construction is solid GRP with balsa-cored decks and superstructure. They are built to CE standards and by the time you read this, they should have 1F survey for hire-drive fleets.

Presently the range goes from a 34 Sedan to a 40 Sedan - the latter proving the hot seller in recent months. The 38 Sedan featured here is the same boat, minus a few feet of cockpit space. All models have a solid keel and International Paints epoxy barrier below the waterline, and antique white clinker-sided fibreglass above with varnished teak coamings.

Among the improvements over the old Clippers are aluminium-framed windows, stainless-steel portholes and dipped 316-grade stainless steel side and bowrails. No longer made from daggy timber, the samson post is a big lump of polished stainless steel.

Engine access under the saloon floor is nothing new, but inside I noted some pretty fine engineering. There was access to all sides of the generator, Racor fuel filters for the single Cummins motor and generator, 12/240V lighting, bronze sea strainers and loads of lead-backed sound insulation.

You can't stand in the engine room, but there is plenty of space. In fact, the single motor looked lonely. Wiring is labelled, colour coded and hooked to circuit breakers. Plumbing is also colour coded, and the skin fittings have ball valves and bronze hardware.

The boat has a holding tank and macerators for the TMC electric toilets. The 40lt hot water service runs off 240V and a heat exchanger. Fuel capacity is 1200lt in GRP tanks with sight gauges, and 800lt of water in a separate stainless-steel tank. You could stay away for weeks if you're careful.

READY TO ROLL
The Clipper 38 Sedan has a swooping deck to its forecastle, with lots of freeboard and some flare to keep the water out during passages. Founded on a high volume, hard chine, semi-displacement hull, the 12,500kg boat gets a head of steam (8.3–9.1kt cruise) with the 220hp Cummins diesel engine.

The motor is linked to an Aqualift wet exhaust, which is renowned for its quietness and is the preferred muffler of builders like Riviera. The diesel is located on soft mounts and matched to a four-blade wheel to reduce vibration. Hydraulic steering, dual Morse controls on the single motor, automatic and manual bilge pumps and emergency tiller are all good stuff.

A 55kg/force Vetus bowthruster and 5kVa Northern Lights generator with gas/water separator come with the base boat. Though there are options like twin 220hp Cummins engines - which give a sprightly 14.5kt on the pegs - the standard 38 has everything you'll need to get away for the week or weekend. A spotlight, VHF radio and TV aerial all come with the turnkey package.

The test boat also carried $13,000 worth of options inluding leather upholstery, an LG Flatron LCD television and twin 16,000BTU air-conditioning units. As standard, you get a choice of gas or electric stoves, a microwave and extractor fans in the galley and head.

DECKED OUT
A real little trawler, the 38 Sedan will appeal to retirees who want an all-over accessible boat. The full walkaround side decks are covered in part for protection. They certainly make life easier for the crew who tend the mooring lines or swing a fender or two.

There is a collision bulkhead and watertight compartment forward, but the lazarette isn't sealed off from the engine room. The lid to the lazarette lifts on gas struts, providing access to the steering gear, genset pong box, rubber ducky, outboard, fishing and dive gear. Or you can carry a tender on a Davco davit off the hardtop.

The 38 may be short on cockpit space, which is why the 40 is more popular, but it's not short on safety. Stainless steel rails guard the deep bulwarks, the horn cleats and fairleads are nice and big, and there is shade and headroom under the fibreglass hardtop.

Outdoor amenities include a handheld hot/cold shower, swim platform, shorepower connection and two quarter seats big enough for two couples. You'll have to take care when leaning back, as the aft mooring cleats can hit your spine. Optional side gates make accessing the boat from a marina a lot easier. I would also add a rail-mounted barbie and leave the cockpit carpet at home.

There are fuel and water fillers down each side and two steps leading to the foredeck, which has room for a couple of passengers. The heavy duty Muir windlass has foot and dash controls, and a saltwater washdown for the supplied anchor and chain.

FLIGHT OF FANCY
An eight-step ladder leads up the portside of the cockpit to the full length flybridge, which is akin to a flight deck. While oldies mightn't like climbing ladders, the 38 Sedan also has an internal helm station. But for views, you can beat the top station.

There is enough room up top to unfurl towels or casual seating, stage a cocktail party or watch the fireworks. The permanent seating includes two three-person transverse lounges (without backrests) and two two-person lounges beside a central helm chair on a pedestal base. There is storage inside and a bimini top above for partial shade.

In keeping with the trawler theme, there is a fully-stayed mast with which you could rig a tender lift or fly a staysail, though it's more for looks and as a home for the radar, anchor light, spreader lights and television aerial.

Courtesy lights lead back to the dash, which has a panel to keep the weather off the Cummins engine gauges. The boat comes with a Navman Tridata unit, windlass remote, VHF repeater, Vetus bowthruster control and compass. The helm seat has no fore-and-aft adjustment, but a good view forward over the plexus windbreak. However, there is no sight of the transom for parking.

Close-quarters manoeuvring is best staged from the internal helm on the starboard side, which has a handy leather bench seat with drop-down bolster and footrest. Behind is a pull-out bottle holder. The sliding pilothouse-style door lets you keep an eye on the boat's starboard side for marina parking.

All the boat's controls fall comfortably to hand, but there isn't much room for large-screen electronics. I noted the thruster, windlass, wiper switches, fuel gauges, VHF radio, CD player and AC/DC circuit breakers alongside - and a cute timber ship's wheel, of course. A teak chart table with a hinged lid and light is close by.

SALOON BAR
A central sliding teak door leads inside to a satin-coated Taiwanese teak-lined saloon, reminiscent of the boats we knew and loved. Cream leather lounges, cream curtains and teal carpet create a timeless look.

Surrounding windows offer views, while flyscreens on the portholes, opening windows and air conditioning ensure comfort in any climate. Adjust the centre-opening panel in the windscreen and you'll get a gale through the boat - farewell cooking odours!

The Clippers have a fair bit of boat above the waterline, with almost 2.2m of headroom in the saloon. There's a big handrail down the centre of the lined vinyl ceiling to help your passage on the teak and holly flooring.

The leather lounge on the starboard side seats four and converts with a pull-out slat base to a three-quarter double berth. There is storage under the lounge and a wetbar forward with a 12/240V 120lt fridge/freezer in a teak cabinet, with 240V outlets for the kettle. Bottle storage is under the helm seat.

The portside of the saloon has a big storage cabinet with three drawers and a flatscreen 12V television mounted alongside. An L-shaped leather lounge can seat four people around the teak dinette, which slides on a bracket and converts into a double bed.

Being U-shaped and not so big, the portside galley opposite the helm can be used when cruising. There are marble counters, fiddle rails, an extractor fan, dedicated glass holders and a single sink that will be changed to a double in future. Storage exists behind louvred doors in cupboards overhead and under the counter for crockery, pots and appliances, and in drawers for cutlery.

You can cook the lot in the LG combo microwave convection oven/grill with auto roast function. There is also a four-burner gas stove linked to two 4.5kg bottles in the bridge, which might be better located on deck so you don't need to lug them up the ladder. The fridge/freezer is opposite the food-prep area, which has okay bench space.

SLEEPING BEAUTY
Four steps containing storage and access to the manual bilge pump lead down from the saloon into the hull's high-volume forward sections. Accommodation comes in the form of two cabins, and there is a shared head. (The 38 is also available in an aft cabin model with twin WCs.)

Guests have a portside cabin with twin adult-sized bunks, a dresser with drawer, a big drawer under the lower bunk for bedding, a hanging locker with light, reading light, air-con outlet and opening porthole, and a good amount of floor space for dressing. The bulkhead cuts into the top bunk, reducing legroom and making the teal-and-white damask bedding hard to pull up - or that's my excuse, in any case.

With white moulded surfaces, green marble counters, and gold-and-silver Italian fittings, the head looks inviting. There is an electric loo and a shower compartment with moulded seat and sliding curtain, but no permanent screen. More of a worry was the hatch alongside the shower, leading back into the wiring behind the dash - too much humidity for my liking.

The master cabin in the bow is fit for a king and queen. There are steps up either side of the giant island double bed, which looked great with a damask cover over the 12cm-thick foam mattress. Teak panelling and bookshelves added ambience. There is clothes storage in a hanging locker, plus a vanity with mirror. All very homey, cosy and cute.

CRUISING FOR VIEWS
We pulled out of Raby Bay Marina, down the narrows, past an Island Gypsy called Queenslander, and into the wilds of Moreton Bay. The winter wind was blowing, yet the Clipper 38 Sedan did what it has always done. It provided a fetching sanctuary and a nice little ride in the choppy passage.

Although you get a bow thruster, the single-screw boat will take a little getting used to in close quarters. But the Cummins 220hp motor delivers comfy displacement cruising speeds of 8–9kt, and fuel consumption bordering on the oily-rag stuff.

According to Cummins, at 2000rpm the motor will use 28.2lt/hr. At 8.3kt you can enjoy more than 38 hours of running for a theoretical cruise range of beyond 315nm, leaving 10 per cent of fuel in reserve. In other words, it will cost you about $30 per hour to run around.

Hard chines, a 3.92m beam and, moreover, a 1.20m draft all contribute to the boat's stability. While there were no waves to lay it alongside, I didn't perceive the wild rocking motion I've felt on some other chuggers as wake passed us by.

The return of the Clippers is exciting stuff for Berry and the army of retiring boaters who haven't forgotten the good old days. As the brochure says, the golden age of the Clipper hasn't ended.

Think long summers on the teak decks, the rail-mounted barbie sending smoke signals into the surrounding bush, and liquid nights playing poker parked at the back of some eel-infested bay.

These Clipper 38 Sedans are real weekenders for getting away from it all.

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