Review of Fountain 38 Lightning

Basic specs.

The Fountain 38 Lightning is a motorboat. The Fountain 38 Lightning is built by the American yard Fountain.

Here we would have liked to show you nice photos of the Fountain 38 Lightning.
If you have a photo you would like to share: Upload Image

Looking for a new boat? Find a Fountain 38 Lightning or similar boat for sale

Engine

The boat is typically equipped with dual inboard Mercury 525 EFI engines at 525 hp (391 kW). The speed is 83.0 knots.

The transmission is a Z-drive.

The fuel tank has a capacity of 719.0 liters (189 US gallons, 158 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.

Immersion rate

The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level. The immersion rate for Fountain 38 Lightning is about 201 kg/cm, alternatively 1129 lbs/inch.
Meaning: if you load 201 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 1129 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.

L/B (Length Beam Ratio)

What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?

The l/b ratio for Fountain 38 Lightning is 4.45.

Compared with other similar motor boats it is slimmer than 100% of all other designs. It seems that the designer has chosen a significantly more speedy hull design. This type of design is also referred to as 'needle'.

Curiosities

Powerboat?

In Denmark, you are required to have achieved a 'powerboat driving license' in order to sail a powerboat.
In this context a boat is considered a powerboat if:

Danish definition of a powerboat

According to this definition this boat is categorized as a Powerboat.

Maintenance

Boat owner's ideas

This section is reserved boat owner's modifications, improvements, etc. Here you might find (or contribute with) inspiration for your boat.

Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what you have done.

Finally

We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for Fountain 38 Lightning it would be a great help.

If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us. Criticism helps us to improve.

References

[Ref 1]: ISO 8666 Small craft — Principal data.
[Ref 3]: ISO 12215-5 Small craft — Hull construction and scantlings.