Review of Dehler 38 (2013)
Basic specs.
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The hull is made of fibreglass. Generally, a hull made of fibreglass requires only a minimum of maintenance during the sailing season.
The boat is equipped with 295.0 liter fresh water capacity.
The boat has more than one rig.
One option is a fractional rig. A fractional rig has smaller headsails which make tacking easier, which is an advantage for cruisers and racers, of course. The downside is that having the wind from behind often requires a gennaker or a spinnaker for optimal speed.
The Dehler 38 (2013) has been built with different keel alternatives.
Torpedo keel
But be aware that even though a T keel is very good for speed racing, a fishing nets and the like in the water can easily make you into a troublesome situation.
The keel is made of iron. Many people prefer lead keel in favour of iron. The main argument is that lead is much heavier than iron and a lead keel can therefore be made smaller which again result in less wet surface, i.e. less drag. In fact iron is quite heavy, just 30% less heavy than lead, so the advantage of a lead keel is often overstated.
Dehler 38 (2013) can only enter major marinas as the draft is about 2.00 - 2.10 meter (6.56 - 6.86 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.
Torpedo keel
But be aware that even though a T keel is very good for speed racing, a fishing nets and the like in the water can easily make you into a troublesome situation.
The boat can only enter major marinas as the draft is about 2.20 - 2.30 meter (7.22 - 7.52 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.
L-shape fin keel
One option is a L keel. An L-shape keel is a bulb keel with the shape as an L. This keel is less exposed to seaweed, fishing nets and lines.
This keel is also made of iron.
The boat can enter most marinas as the draft is just about 1.60 - 1.70 meter (5.25 - 5.55 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.
The Dehler 38 (2013) has been equipped with different engine alternatives.
Alternative 1:
Dehler 38 (2013) may be equipped with an inboard Volvo Penta D2-40 diesel engine at 38 hp (28 kW). Calculated max speed is about 6.8 knots
The transmission is a saildrive.
Alternative 2:
The boat may be equipped with an inboard Volvo Penta D1-30 diesel engine at 27 hp (20 kW). Calculated max speed is about 5.7 knots
The transmission is a saildrive.
The fuel tank has a capacity of 160.0 liters (42 US gallons, 35 imperial gallons).
Sailing characteristics
This section covers widely used rules of thumb to describe the sailing characteristics. Please note that even though the calculations are correct, the interpretation of the results might not be valid for extreme boats.
What is Capsize Screening Formula (CSF)?
The capsize screening value for Dehler 38 (2013) is 1.98, indicating that this boat could - if evaluated by this formula alone - be accepted to participate in ocean races.
Dehler 38 (2013) holds a CE certification:
The boat is by European Union certified as Class A. OCEAN:What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?
The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 7.8 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.
The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level.
The immersion rate for Dehler 38 (2013) is about 261 kg/cm, alternatively 1463 lbs/inch.
Meaning: if you load 261 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm.
Alternatively, if you load 1463 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.
Sailing statistics
This section is statistical comparison with similar boats of the same category. The basis of the following statistical computations is our unique database with more than 26,000 different boat types and 350,000 data points.
What is Motion Comfort Ratio (MCR)?
The Motion Comfort Ratio for Dehler 38 (2013) is 23.9.
What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?
The l/b ratio for Dehler 38 (2013) is 3.01.
The ballast ratio for Dehler 38 (2013) is 31%.
What is Displacement Length Ratio?
The DL-ratio for Dehler 38 (2013) is 173 which categorizes this boat among 'light racers'.
What is SA/D (Sail Area Displacement ratio)?
The SA/D for Dehler 38 (2013) with ISO 8666 reference sail is 19.6, with a 135% genua the SA/D is 22.8.
Maintenance
When buying anti-fouling bottom paint, it's nice to know how much to buy.
The surface of the wet bottom is about 45m2 (484 ft2).
Based on this, your favourite maritime shop can tell you the quantity you need.
Note: If you use a paint roller you will need more paint than if you use a paintbrush.
Dimensions of sail for fractional rig.
Are your sails worn out? You might find your next sail here: Sails for Sale
If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.
| Fractional rig | ||||
| Usage | Length | Diameter | ||
| Mainsail halyard | 37.5 m | (123.2 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Jib/genoa halyard | 37.5 m | (123.2 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Spinnaker halyard | 37.5 m | (123.2 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Jib sheet | 11.3 m | (37.1 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Genoa sheet | 11.3 m | (37.1 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Mainsheet | 28.2 m | (92.7 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Spinnaker sheet | 24.9 m | (81.6 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Cunningham | 5.2 m | (17.1 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Kickingstrap | 10.4 m | (34.1 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Clew-outhaul | 10.4 m | (34.1 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Fractional rig | ||||
| Usage | Length | Diameter | ||
| Mainsail halyard | 39.5 m | (129.8 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Jib/genoa halyard | 39.5 m | (129.8 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Spinnaker halyard | 39.5 m | (129.8 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Jib sheet | 11.3 m | (37.1 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Genoa sheet | 11.3 m | (37.1 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Mainsheet | 28.2 m | (92.7 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Spinnaker sheet | 24.9 m | (81.6 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Cunningham | 5.3 m | (17.6 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Kickingstrap | 10.7 m | (35.1 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Clew-outhaul | 10.7 m | (35.1 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
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