Celtic Safari: 2008 - 2015: Bayliner 3870 " Celtic Myst"

Bayliner 3870

Summary

Model: Bayliner 3870
Year: 1987
Owned: 2008 (June) - 2015 (September)
Hull Material: Fiberglass
Engine/Fuel Type: Twin Diesel
Engine Hours: 1,970
Located in Portland, OR
Length: 38 ft
LOA: 45 ft
Beam: 13 ft 5 in
Displacement: 17,500 lbs
Draft: 38"

Background

Laura's fourteen years and my seventeen years in Sea Scouts and Mariners on power vessels from 34 foot to 63 foot had planted the seed of someday owning our own powerboat. After talking to various members and owners of Bayliner 32's at the Portland Yacht Club, we started looking at boats from the Columbia River to the Puget Sound. Online research educated us on what issues to look out for, and my own keen eye for recognizing the signs of poor maintenance and problems had us pass on several boats we visited. We attended the 2008 Traweler Fest in Anacortes and swung passed Banana Belt Boats to look at their inventory of brokage boats. Banana Belt Boats has a lot of history selling Bayliners, and in fact, the owner is the inventor of "underhulls" mentioned later. His daughter was on duty the day we visited to look at a couple of 32's they had in stock. The boats were clean, but they lacked the aftermarket cockpit hardtop we wanted. As we prepared to leave, the daughter chatted with her dad on the phone and I could hear his voice telling her "... show them the 38's they're nearly the same price...". Vessels at Banana Belt Boats are displayed in a dry storage lot with their transom's butted up to an elevated walkway so you can go from boat to boat. With the dad's guidance, we headed over to the two 38's onsite. Laura wasn't familiar with the layout of the 38, so my most memorial moment occurred when Laura was oohing and aahing from the bed in the guest stateroom, and I called out to her and said: "Laura that isn't the master stateroom". I swear the bed in the master sold Laura. I spent seven hours over the next two days surveying the boat before we made an offer. The professional survey I paid for found nothing I hadn't already noted, and actually found less than my own inspection. For the sea trial, I hired a mechanic from North Harbor Diesel in Anacortes to sit in the engine compartment and monitor the engines. The sea trial when great, and the oil and transmission fluid analysis came back clean, so we bought the boat.

Before trucking the boat to Portland, we cruised the San Juan Islands (Rosario, Roche Harbor, Deer Harbor, Fisherman Bay, and Friday Harbor), spent the fourth of July in Port Townsend, and eventually ended up in Everett. We splashed the boat in the Columbia River at Schooner Creek Boatworks in Portland.

On the Columbia River, we cruised the boat year-round. Beacon Rock State Park in Washington was the furthest east we cruised, and Ilwaco, Washington was the furthest west. Between those points, we enjoyed Cathlamet, WA, Astoria, OR, Longview Yacht Club, WA, Martin Slough, the Portland Yacht Club outstation at Willow Bar on Sauvie Island, Oregon City on the Willamette River, and Camas/Washougal. In 2013, as part of our summer cruise, we spend two months living aboard the boat at Ilwaco as we avoided the summer heat back in Vancouver. We were berthed between two charter fishing boats on the head-walk. Moving the boat to the pumpout station was part of our weekly routine during our two-month stay. What we found from the experience is that we really liked living aboard and that we could make do with a lot less stuff.

Our Bayliner 38 sitting next to our Catalina Capri 22

Why did we sell the boat? As much as we liked cruising the boat, and we cruised it a lot, about 60 days a year, we started to feel like our vacationing was becoming defined by what we could reach by boat. Whereas before big boat ownership we managed to do everything from camping to B&Bs, our recent activities had narrowed to the river. In 2012, I purchased a Catalina Capri 22, so by 2013 Laura and I were sailing and racing our own boat again, and in 2014 we purchased a Safari Sahara motorhome to encourage us to vacation further afield while giving us the opportunity to have more control over our diet when on trips (Laura is very low carb and gluten-free). By September 2015, the Bayliner 38 had new owners who promptly cruised it downriver, across the Columbia River Bar, overnight in Newport, OR and delivered it to its new berth in Winchester Bay on the Oregon coast.

Builder's Description

This long-range motor yacht combines the best of traditional styling with innovative engineering. A unique interior layout provides the rare luxury of spaciousness and privacy: airy salon, two private staterooms, two heads and a bathtub. Standard with twin diesel inboards easily accessible from the cockpit through standing height engine room door.

Standard Equipment

Accommodations: Propane stove w/oven; refrigerator w/freezer; hot/code pressure water system w/double sink; heat/hot water; forward stateroom w/ separate head; aft stateroom w/vanity, sink and shower; tub w/shower, custom acrylic sink; 2 marine heads w/holding tank & macerator; settee converts to king size berth; large L-lounge; liquor cabinet; generous storage throughout; plush loop carpeting; 2 hanging lockers; large fiberglass aft cockpit.

Convenience Feature: Transom platform w/folding ladder; opening transom gate; opening port lights (8 each); bridge component cover; windshield cover; foredeck cushions; colored non-skid decks; walk-in engine room access.

Hardware and Equipment: Bottom paint/ant fouling; trim tabs upper/lower; hydraulic steering; non-glare dash; instrumentation: tach, oil, temp, volt and fuel gauges; anchor winch, 12 volt; bow platform w/anchor roller; dockside power w/cord, charger; 110 volt breaker panel; 11 gallon hot water tank; foredeck anchor well w/cover; freshwater cooling; 3 windshield wipers; 3 opening bow hatches, metal frame; stainless steel bow rail; double rail command bridge ladder; double lifeline/stainless steel; 2 cockpit hatches w/engine access; international lighting; dual horn; automatic bilge pumps; bilge blowers.

Construction Features: Marine Core construction, hand laid fiberglass; neopentyl glycol gelcoat; teak transom cap; tinted glass (except forward windows); marine hardware w/stainless steel fasteners; color-coded electrical system; heavy-duty marine grade upholstery; meets or exceeds all U.S. Coast Guard Safety Standards.

Factory Options

Air cond/heat 16000 BTU; bumper racks; slant cockpit cover; dual dockside power/50 amp; electric stove w/oven; 7.5 kw diesel generator; entertainment center w/ice maker and blender; carpet runner; radar wing; stereo am/fm cassette; spotlight.

Upgrade Highlights

The boat has benefited from numerous aftermarket upgrades.

Underhulls

Converts the original round / soft chines to hard chines. This makes the boat more stable and less susceptible to rolling from wakes at anchor.
They provide more lift. The boat gets on the plane sooner, and the bow comes down so that you can comfortably pilot the boat from the lower helm.
See video of a sistership with underhulls: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pi1cmYzcFtA

Bow "Spray Rails"

This keeps the boat dryer by pushing the water away from the boat

Hardtop Over Cockpit with side grab bars

Helps convert the cockpit into another room
Custom built by Boater’s Discount Center in La Conner, WA

Engine vent covers

The original plastic versions are famous for cracking and falling apart
These aftermarket covers are made out of Starboard by Boater’s Discount Center in La Conner, WA

Stainless Steel Toprail on the stanchions

Replaces the original vinyl wire with rigid stainless steel tubing

Dripless shaft logs
Updated upholstery

Propulsion & Steering Controls

This is a very economical boat to run. Both engines and transmissions are routinely serviced. The Hinos have been the most trouble-free easy starting diesel engines I’ve experienced. All running gear on this yacht is in order and the boat is being actively cruised.

Twin 175 HP Hino (EH700) Diesels (Hino is a subsidiary of Toyota)
Full Hino instrumentation at upper and lower helms
Fuel Tanks: (304 Gallons)
2 Racor 500-FG Fuel Filters/Water Separators
Sea Water Strainers
Dripless shaft logs
4 Blade Props
Hynautic hydraulic steering
Halon fire suppression system in engine compartment
Bennett Trim Tabs, controls at upper and lower helms

Electrical Systems

The generator and batteries are routinely serviced and fully functional. Having the generator has been wonderful when anchored or at those docks without city power.

(110 VAC System)

8 KW Westerbeke Generator
Generator start and gauges located at the lower helm
AC distribution panel and circuit breakers at lower helm
2 - 30A shore power receptacles
Marinco 50’ 30 Amp Shore Power Cord
Marinco “Y” Adapter with two 30A 125V locking w/ sealing collar system female connectors and a 30 A 125V locking w/ sealing collar male plug
ProTech 4 multistage battery charger / Power Supply (Upgraded from original)
3 built-in electric cabin heaters (salon and two staterooms)
110 volt AC electrical outlets in the salon, galley, both heads, and both staterooms
Galvanic Isolator

(12 VDC System)

2 8D Deep Cycle Batteries (one house and one main engine starting)
2 Group 24 Batteries for Generator starting
DC distribution panel and circuit breakers at lower helm
Battery Condition Meter at lower helm
Battery On-Off switches in the engine compartment
Fluorescent lighting in salon, galley, and both heads
LED lighting in the salon, galley, both heads, and both staterooms
Incandescent accent lighting in both staterooms
12 volt DC electrical outlet in the salon and on the flybridge

Plumbing System

Hot and Cold Pressurized System with service to the galley, both heads, shower/tub, and wet bar
Fresh Water Tank, 80 gallons
Holding Tank, 40 gallons
Seward 11 gallon Water Heater, both 110 volt AC and Engine heat exchanger
2 Jabsco Marine Toilets
Fresh Water Level Monitor
Holding Tank Monitor
Electric Bilge Pumps on Automatic Float Switches
U-Line Ice Maker in salon
2 Heads w/Sinks
Shower & Tub

Interior Accommodations

Comfortable two stateroom layout that sleeps up to six (6) adults in the two staterooms and the convertible settee. Each stateroom has its own head.

Master stateroom w/ island double berth
Private master head
Guest stateroom w/ double berth
Private guest head
Tub/Shower accessible from both master stateroom and guest head
Updated upholstery
2 Hanging Closets (one in each stateroom)
Drawer Storage
Large Upgraded U-Shaped Dinette (converts to bed)
Wet Bar w/built in Blender

Galley

The galley features expansive counter space, ample cabinet storage, several drawers, and a beautiful teak & holly sole.

Two Deep Stainless Steel Sinks
Whirlpool Microwave Oven with exhaust fan for cooktop venting outside
Seaward Princess 3-burner 110 Volt stove with oven & broiler
Dometic Tundra dual voltage AC/DC Refrigerator/Freezer (Upgraded from original)

Electronics & Instruments

Situational awareness is enhanced by the boat’s navigation computer which is interfaced into an array of sensors. Featuring Rose Point Navigation’s Coastal Explorer software, the system provides chart plotter, radar, radar overlays of the chart plotter, and vessel tracking via AIS. The 4Kw radar is incredible, particularly at picking out small targets like 12’ fishing boats and small buoys in the fog.

Coastal Explorer Chartplotter, GPS, AIS, Radar software running on Windows PC Nav computer
Compass: one each at the upper and lower helms
VHF Radio: one each at the upper and lower helms
Depth Sounder/Fish Finder: one each at the upper and lower helms
Radar: Koden 4Kw 48 nm interfaced into the boat’s Nav computer (New in 2010)
GPS: Garmin GPSMAP 182 at the upper helm
AIS Receiver
Stereo: Sony CD/AM/FM
Stereo Speakers (Master stateroom, Salon, Cockpit, Fly Bridge)
12 Volt Stereo w/AMP
Clock

Topside & Deck Equipment

The hardtop over the cockpit with its full enclosure adds an all-seasons extra room. The transom door makes this vessel very accessible by all. The cockpit has snap in carpet, teak-capped rails and a full aft teak bulkhead with lots of glass so that all salon seats have a great view. There is seating for 5 to 6 folks on the flybridge. The flybridge has a full enclosure.