Northshore 38 Used Boat Review

The Northshore 38 has been around since 1983 and is still a very popular cruiser/racer to this day.

To last so long in the extremely competitive yachting scene, Northshore Yachts has to be doing something right.

The Northshore 38 was designed by Hank Kaufman in 1982 to a commission by John Buck. The first boat, Siena, was produced at Northshore Yachts' Mona Vale, Sydney factory, as were all subsequent yachts until 1995.

The Northshore 38 won the prestigious Boat of the Year award in 1986.

Characteristics of the Northshore 38 that haven't changed over the years are the slender, easily driven hull and the single-spreader, 3/4-7/8 rig, with deck-stepped mast and skeg-hung rudder on cruising versions.

The keel pattern of the Northshore 38 is shared with the Northshore 33, but while the 33's hollow cast iron keel is filled with iron ballast, the 38 has lead filling.

It's rumoured that the relatively shallow, 1.78m draft of the NS38 matched the low-tide depth at Buck's jetty!

The sporting version, the NSX38, is a rarer beast, with a keel-stepped, double-spreader mast, a slimmer-profile, 2.25m-draft keel, a spade rudder, and tiller steering.

The NSX didn't sell in great numbers, probably because the 'cruising' NS38 was more racer than cruiser, anyway.

Although the NSX38 was built using the same hull moulds as the NS38, the shallow skeg between the keel and the rudder was blanked off during production, reducing wetted surface.

An aft double berth option was available from 1990 until 1995, but only four or five were built.

The early 1990s weren't great times for local boat builders, so few NS38s were sold in this period. Before 1995, most NS38s sold were pre-1990 models.

In 1995 the moulds for the NS38 were bought by long-term Northshore Yachts dealer Sydney Yachting Centre, which had been selling and fitting-out Northshore boats since 1980.

The new NS38 mould owners, Geoff Pearson and Bob Vinks, retained the original NS38 concept, but revised the specifications and considerably expanded the equipment and options list.

The Northshore 380 has been available in two models since 1995: the 380C cruising version and the 380 Sports.

The 380C is actually a detuned version of the original NS38, retaining the deck-stepped, single-spreader rig, but with a slightly shorter mast and a higher boom, giving a sail area of 59sqm.

 It has a displacement of 5455kg, of which 2190kg is ballast.

The 380 Sports retains the NSX38's underwater profile and twin-spreader, keel-stepped mast, but the rig isn't as tall as the NSX38's.

By way of comparison, the 380 Sports has a sail area of 61sqm, a displacement of 5680kg, and ballast of 2430kg.

Vinks said the changes made the 380C more of a cruiser than its predecessor - a boat that's more easily handled by a couple.

The 380 Sports is still an excellent cruiser/racer, according to Vinks, but is less 'tender' than the NSX38.

CONSTRUCTION AND EQUIPMENT
As far as Sydney Yachting Centre can ascertain, all 110 Northshore 38s and 380s that were produced since 1983 are still sailing; testimony to the exacting construction standards employed by Northshore Yachts.

Some have cruised in the South Pacific and every Sydney to Hobart entry list since the early 1980s has had at least one Northshore 38 in it.

Two were entered in the horrific 1998 event, finishing among the 40 surviving boats out of an original list of 140 yachts.

Post-1984 Northshore 38s and 380s are moulded using vinyl ester resin in the first layer, or have a full vinyl ester lay-up, and all Sydney Yachting Centre boats have epoxy primer beneath the original anti-fouling.

NS38s are noted for their resistance to osmosis and post-1995 boats were sold with a five-year warranty against osmotic blistering.

The hull to deck moulding join is FRP strapped, using 12-ounce cloth from stem to stern.

The interior moulds and bulkheads are attached to the hull using eight-ounce cloth. All plywood is marine grade or structural 'A'.

Keel bolts, nuts and washers are 316L stainless steel. Spars come from Yachtspars in Brisbane and are anodised.

Pre-1995 Northshores had a rather restricted equipment list and there wasn't today's degree of imported-yacht competition to be met by the makers.

Since 1995 the equipment and options list has been greatly expanded.

There are many custom-fitted yachts in the marketplace.

Standard auxiliary power from 1983 to 1986 was a 20hp Bukh with a shaft-mounted folding propeller. In 1987 the engine was upgraded to a Bukh 24hp.

From 1988 until 1994, the standard offering was a Volvo 28hp, with either a shaft or saildrive. Post-1995, NS380s came with Yanmar or Nanni 29hp saildrive engines.

The absence of a port-side quarter berth allows for a huge cockpit locker.

 One of the great advantages of the Northshore 38's and 380's 1983 heritage is that there is a ready supply of parts available, including the possibility of having hull sections especially formed to allow rapid damage repair.

The post-1989 boarding ladder stern can be fitted to any plain-transom NS38 by ordering an infill from the factory, cutting out a section of the plain transom in accordance with a template, and bonding in the new stern.

BELOW DECKS
The interior layout of the NS38 has carried over to the Northshore 380, with the main differences being more modern furnishing materials and a later-model stove and fridge.

The original arrangement of a forward double vee-berth, port dinette, shower/head and galley, starboard navigation station, and aft quarter berth remains.

The original boats had pretty good fit and finish and the 380 continues that tradition.

However, bear in mind that some of these boats are up to 20 years of age and expectations were not as high that long ago as they are today.

A full headliner moulding runs through the cabin, with teak strip joining trims. Natural light filters through a forward deck hatch, a head hatch, and two cabin windows - three are standard on the 380 - plus a hull prism each side on later model boats.

ON THE WATER
Trade-A-Boat editor Geoff Middleton and I spent a couple of seasons racing on an NS38 and we also cruised in the same boat around Sydney's Pittwater, before he moved on to bigger and quicker things out of Sandringham Yacht Club, Victoria.

The NS38 filled the club racing and cruising roles very well, but we appreciated the roller reefing on the main when the breeze piped up over 25 knots.

Since then I've spent some time racing on a late model Northshore 380, finding that the shorter rig is more manageable, and making the newer boats true cruiser/racers, not the other way around.

That said, the Northshore 380 is still a quick boat with a number one slid up the forestay foil in light airs, and it handles 25kt easily with a full main and a number two, without dipping its leeward rail into the briny.

The NS38 hull and keel shapes make it very easy to steer in heavy conditions and getting one to broach isn't easy.

The post-1995 move to a shorter stick on the Northshore 380C - 'C' for cruising - was a good one, I feel, because the taller-rigged boats were somewhat tender in stiff breezes.

The NSX38 is best handled by experienced crew.

There was a 'shoe' fitted to the keel of some boats, which stiffened them up quite a bit and if you're looking to buy one, check if this is fitted or not.

The Northshore 38 and 380 cockpit is large enough to accommodate six people in comfort, and many boats have stern seats on the pushpit that can seat two more people, well away from the sail-handling action.

Most boats have end-boom mainsail sheeting, with the traveler fitted just ahead of the wheel, but 380Cs have cabin-top, mid-boom sheeting that keeps the cockpit hazard-free.

 In cruise mode, the NS38 is an easy boat to sail two-handed and there's plenty of room for a family of four.

Its sea-keeping ability makes it ideal for coastal hops or even longer journey.

A tuck in the main and a few turns of the furling headsail is all you need for a comfortable passage up to 30kt.

Most boats are fitted with hot and cold showers.

WHAT YOU'LL PAY
Many yacht dealers describe Northshore yachts as 'legal tender', emphasising the way these boats hold their value.

An NS38 in average condition and dating back to 1983 is fetching $95,000 to $105,000, depending on what's been replaced throughout its life.

Boats with reconditioned or replacement engines, updated rigging and sails obviously attract a higher price than 'tired' examples.

Boats dating back to 1986 to 1988 are fetching around the $115,000 mark. Check for electronics that didn't come standard, for example plotters, auto pilot, comprehensive wind instruments, and radios.

Post 1989 NS38s with ladder infill sterns are selling for about $127,000.

The NS380 post 1995 boats start at about $150,000, and 1999 examples attract prices of about $175,000. A brand new NS380 with typical options sells for $200,000 upwards.