|
|
|
Still a Bargain
by Peter Bohr
Bayliner's 3888 Motor Yacht was -- and is -- a lot of boat for the money
Print This Article
|
Email This Article
Two years ago, when Sea's editors asked prominent West Coast yacht brokers to name the large power boats most eagerly sought by used boat buyers, their list was headed by Bayliner's 3888 Motor Yacht. That was back in 1994, but it's safe to say the 3888 is still almost as popular as fireworks on the Fourth of July.
The reason is no mystery: value. What else but this Bayliner offers two cabins, two heads and two diesels for around 100 grand? You can find 38 or 39-footers with similar specifications from other builders for $200,000 or even $300,000 more, but you sure won't find one priced less.
Bayliner is, of course, a Goliath among the world's power boat builders. The Washington-based company has the resources to hire the best designers, as well as to buy materials and components in vast quantities at discounted prices.
Though they are well-made and nicely equipped, Bayliners are also cookie-cutter boats. The company doesn't indulge its customers in custom features or special orders that add to production costs. And with four big-boat production plants around the country, Bayliner can keep freight costs to a minimum.
For all these reasons, the 3888 was something of a bargain when it was new -- and it remains one today, as a used boat.
It's What's Inside That Counts
The 3888 Motor Yacht made its debut in 1983 (but was christened the 3870 at the time, and carried that moniker until 1989). It enjoyed a long life and was a perennial bestseller for Bayliner until production ended early last year.
There were no extensive revisions to the model over its dozen-year production run, and the company ended up selling nearly 1,000 editions of this 38-footer.
The boat's upright and somewhat boxy profile is no head-turner. On the other hand, the 3888's timeless, conservative styling is likely to age gracefully.
But it's what's inside that counts, in the case of this boat. Bayliner's designers outdid themselves on the 3888, providing an unusually roomy and comfortable layout for a boat of its size.
The key feature is an innovative midcabin with a double berth that extends under the saloon sole. The forward part of the midcabin has standing headroom, plus a hanging locker.
The cabin is adjoined by a generous-size head compartment with a vanity and even a bathtub (though the boat's limited 80 gallon water capacity precludes much bathing while hanging off the hook in some secluded anchorage).
Up forward, there's a surprisingly large master stateroom that features a popular island double berth. This stateroom also has a hanging locker and is adjoined by its own head compartment -- one without a tub.
Although the galley is down a few steps from the saloon, there are enough windows to prevent the cook from feeling sentenced to solitary confinement. There's ample working room in the U-shaped galley, as well.
The saloon is surrounded by large windows and contains a settee that converts into a king-size berth. There's also an inside helm station -- no surprise, considering the boat hails from the often-rainy Pacific Northwest.
And because of Bayliner's national -- indeed, international -- market, company decorators never went berserk with high-style or faddish interior decor that can look so enticing one year and so hideous the next. Instead, by and large, they stuck with traditional wood joinery and neutral color schemes that are easy to update when the time comes for refurbishing.
Despite its name, the 3888 is not a motoryacht in the usual sense. Instead, it's more accurately a flybridge sedan.
Even outside, living areas are surprisingly generous. The bridge itself is roomy enough for a party.
While nobody will mistake the 3888 for a Gold Cup tournament rig, the cockpit is adequate for the casual sport angler -- the fellow who, on occasion, goes out with a bunch of anchovies in search of say, barracuda or sand bass.
Altogether, this Bayliner is a versatile craft capable of handling most any task that a family might ask of a 38 foot power boat -- from cruising to dockside entertaining to sportfishing.
Built Right
Though the boat's price is low, its construction quality isn't. "We're both real high on the boat," said yacht surveyor Gary Stevens, who together with his partner Bunker Hill, operate Maritime Consultants in Newport Beach, California.
"We see a lot of guys who are selling 3888s and stepping up to large Bayliner motoryachts because they've had so few problems with the 38-footers," Stevens said. "The boats don't come undone from general use."
The 3888's hand-laid fiberglass hull is fully cored to reduce weight and to increase operating efficiency. The stringer grid is encapsulated and securely bonded to the hull. There's easy access to the engines, shafts, rudders and generator for maintenance.
With one major exception, Bayliner outfitted the boat with the usual respected brand-name components found on other high-quality vessels, from its Westerbeke auxiliary generator to its Rule bilge pumps.
The exception? The 3888's engines. Bayliner had an exclusive arrangement in this country to use U.S. Marine diesels. Despite the name, U.S. Marine diesels are based on Japanese-built Hino blocks.
Though these engines have earned a sterling reputation for reliability, they aren't as common as Caterpillars, Cummins and Detroit Diesels. That can mean delays in finding parts and service, said Stevens and Hill, especially outside the Pacific Northwest.
The U.S. Marine/Hino engines give modest performance in the 3888. Early 3888s used 135 hp Hinos; later editions had either 175 hp or 210 hp Hinos.
The extra power boosted cruising speeds for the 3888's modified-V hull from around 15 knots to a still-leisurely speed of around 18 knots. Fuel economy, however, is outstanding, at 14 to 15 gallons per hour fuel consumption.
This year, Bayliner discontinued using Hinos for its new models and has switched over to Cummins for all its diesel-powered motoryachts.
Bayliner's venerable 3888 has now been superseded by the 3988 Motor Yacht -- and for those who can make do without a second midcabin, the company introduced the 3788 model.
Given the 3888's large production run, prospective buyers should have no trouble finding fine examples of older 3888s in brokerage, should they want to discover for themselves what has made this original low-priced cruiser so popular.
|
This article first appeared in the April 1996 issue of Sea Magazine. All or parts of the information contained in this article might be outdated. |
|
|
|
|
