Wellcraft Scarab 38 AVS review
01-28-2022, 01:04 PM
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Wellcraft Scarab 38 AVS review
Found this searching the internet and thought I would pass it along ,,,,,Wellcraft 38 Scarab: Shake your groove thing.
As an informed go-fast boater, you've driven most V-bottom boats as well as the latest stepped-hull designs. And from your experience, you don't believe stepped hulls handle as well as conventional V-bottoms. Not for a minute.
Well, Wellcraft's stepped 38 Scarab AVS is about to change your mind. This boat knocks down waves like a champ and handles so smoothly, I almost forgot how fast I was going. I ran the 38 Scarab at 70 mph and cranked the hard right tighter than some waterbikers would even dare try. Wanting to be thorough - and having too much fun to stop - I wound up the twin 470-hp engines and tried to turn on the other side. Same result. When I put the 38 Scarab through a 50-mph slalom, its Latham hydraulic steering handled the twists with style and grace.
That's when the ocean beckoned. But no surprises here, either. The boat sliced through the swells as if they were ripples. With the drives trimmed out to four or five on the indicators, the 38 Scarab flies level and does its best to show you what steps can really do.
Contrary to popular opinion, one thing that steps can do is put more boat in the water, which you want when running in rough conditions. Stepped hulls require less positive drive trim to run fast, so a boat's ride angle remains more level at high speeds. Compare this to a conventional V-bottom, which needs more positive trim to run the same speeds. Having to trim up the drive means you raise the bow, which places less boat in the water. This stepped hull works great for drivers who don't like to bother with trim tabs in cross-winds. Just trimming down the drive on the leeward side levels the boat right out.
Twin fuel-injected 470-hp big blocks deliver a top speed of 77.2 mph.
So what's the 38 Scarab's secret? Aft ventilating steps (AVS). The steps on this boat start at the keel and angle aftward to the chines. In theory, boats with aft ventialting steps turn better than those with forward ventilating ones (steps that angle forward from the keel to the chines). As an aft-vented boat leans into a turn, it squeezes out the air behind the step. This action allows more of the bottom to be in contact with the water, giving the boat a better grip and more responsive handling. With forward ventilation, the steps act like air scoops as the boat leans into a turn. This forces air under the bottom, especially out near the chine. Pack enough air under this area and the increased lift can roll the boat too far to the outside.
Though there are gazillions of stepped go-fast boats on the market, there are only a few that stand out as being both docile and fast. The 37 Apache has a conventional deep-V feel. It also has aft ventilating steps and runs in the high 70-mph range. With twin HP500EFIs, it retails for $225,000. Priced at $210,365 with the same power as out test boat, Fountain's twin-stepped 38' Lightning is about 4 mph faster than the Scarab. Not surprising - it's smaller, with two to three feet of swim platform aft and a foot or two of bow forward. The Fountain runs well in calmer water, but in my experience I'd give the rough-water nod to the Scarab.
THE RIGHT STUFF.
Planted in the driver's bolster, I braced against the angled footrest and had a clear view of all the Auto Meter ProComp gauges, which are grouped by function rather than in separate clusters for each engine. This is perfect. It lets you check the oil pressure or water temperature for both engines at a glance, rather than looking at opposite sides of the panel. I also appreciated the angled panel ahead of the throttles for the trim buttons. The buttons are within the natural reach of my throttling hand, which means I never have to take my other hand off the wheel. My only complaint is that the trim switches are set up "cruiser-style," which means the buttons are designated for the result they give, rather than the trim tab action they initiate. Pushing the port button, for example, moves the starboard tab, which makes the port bow go up or down. This may be good for beginners, but an experienced go-fast driver who owns a boat in this class should already understand how these trim tabs work. I think the starboard button should work the starboard tab-simple as that.
Behind the driver's and copilot's bolsters, backseat riders take comfort in a bench with bolstered backrests. This may limit seat capacity to three, but if you're back there, you'll appreciate that extra support.
A bonus that comes from the 38 Scarab's comparatively short cockpit is that bench-seat riders can use the grab handles and foot braces on the backs of the forward bolsters. Cockpit stowage is limited to under the bench seat and in an inwale tray alongside the copilot. You won't find much stowage in the cabin either. There's a locker in the base of the V-berth, a hanging locker, and one small locker under the forward end of the U-shaped lounge. While most builders put lockers under the side cushions of the lounge, Wellcraft prefers solid plywood there, laying it over the top of the stringers and out to the hullsides to strengthen an area where the boat is susceptible to twisting forces.
To starboard aft, the head covers the basics with a pumpout MSD, sink, and rubberized flooring on the sole. I like the absence of any carpet, but the sole lacks a drain because the cabin has no shower. I'd put in a drain to make cleanup easier. Across from the head, the galley is also pretty basic, equipped with only a stainless-steel sink and a refrigerator.
RAZZLE-DAZZLE.
Wellcraft jazzed up the engine compartment, too: The sides of the boat and the sole outboard of the motors are lined with high-gloss diamond plating, color-matched to the hull graphics. The white gel coat beneath the engines, which were installed on twin L-angle mounts, is so clean it sparkles. Ditto for the underside of the engine hatch. I especially like that the engine vents on the front of the hatch have blockers and drains built in. Water that comes in through the vents drops straight down, ahead of the motors, and doesn't threaten the fuel supply or electronics. Transverse supports are added in the engine room to help reinforce the bottom in this high-stress area.
The boat is laid up with solid fiberglass rather than cored materials. Neither method is better or worse, although an all fiberglass hull is easier to repair. Microballoon putty fills air voids in the strakes to resist impacts, and balsa coring is used to reinforce the deck, which bonds to the hull shoebox-lid style with hand-applied fiberglass.
Mounting the trim pumps, steering reservoir, and fire suppression system on the engine compartment bulkhead is a smart move that puts all these accessories within easy reach. Using cushioned stainless-steel clamps is also a wise decision. In addition, since both batteries are in stainless-steel boxes in the engine compartment and can't be reached by jumper cables if they go dead, there is a flip-up handle on the hatch so you can raise it manually.
LAST WORD. The 38 Scarab delivers the speed of a stepped hull, with the controlled feel of a conventional deep-V.
As an informed go-fast boater, you've driven most V-bottom boats as well as the latest stepped-hull designs. And from your experience, you don't believe stepped hulls handle as well as conventional V-bottoms. Not for a minute.
Well, Wellcraft's stepped 38 Scarab AVS is about to change your mind. This boat knocks down waves like a champ and handles so smoothly, I almost forgot how fast I was going. I ran the 38 Scarab at 70 mph and cranked the hard right tighter than some waterbikers would even dare try. Wanting to be thorough - and having too much fun to stop - I wound up the twin 470-hp engines and tried to turn on the other side. Same result. When I put the 38 Scarab through a 50-mph slalom, its Latham hydraulic steering handled the twists with style and grace.
That's when the ocean beckoned. But no surprises here, either. The boat sliced through the swells as if they were ripples. With the drives trimmed out to four or five on the indicators, the 38 Scarab flies level and does its best to show you what steps can really do.
Contrary to popular opinion, one thing that steps can do is put more boat in the water, which you want when running in rough conditions. Stepped hulls require less positive drive trim to run fast, so a boat's ride angle remains more level at high speeds. Compare this to a conventional V-bottom, which needs more positive trim to run the same speeds. Having to trim up the drive means you raise the bow, which places less boat in the water. This stepped hull works great for drivers who don't like to bother with trim tabs in cross-winds. Just trimming down the drive on the leeward side levels the boat right out.
Twin fuel-injected 470-hp big blocks deliver a top speed of 77.2 mph.
So what's the 38 Scarab's secret? Aft ventilating steps (AVS). The steps on this boat start at the keel and angle aftward to the chines. In theory, boats with aft ventialting steps turn better than those with forward ventilating ones (steps that angle forward from the keel to the chines). As an aft-vented boat leans into a turn, it squeezes out the air behind the step. This action allows more of the bottom to be in contact with the water, giving the boat a better grip and more responsive handling. With forward ventilation, the steps act like air scoops as the boat leans into a turn. This forces air under the bottom, especially out near the chine. Pack enough air under this area and the increased lift can roll the boat too far to the outside.
Though there are gazillions of stepped go-fast boats on the market, there are only a few that stand out as being both docile and fast. The 37 Apache has a conventional deep-V feel. It also has aft ventilating steps and runs in the high 70-mph range. With twin HP500EFIs, it retails for $225,000. Priced at $210,365 with the same power as out test boat, Fountain's twin-stepped 38' Lightning is about 4 mph faster than the Scarab. Not surprising - it's smaller, with two to three feet of swim platform aft and a foot or two of bow forward. The Fountain runs well in calmer water, but in my experience I'd give the rough-water nod to the Scarab.
THE RIGHT STUFF.
Planted in the driver's bolster, I braced against the angled footrest and had a clear view of all the Auto Meter ProComp gauges, which are grouped by function rather than in separate clusters for each engine. This is perfect. It lets you check the oil pressure or water temperature for both engines at a glance, rather than looking at opposite sides of the panel. I also appreciated the angled panel ahead of the throttles for the trim buttons. The buttons are within the natural reach of my throttling hand, which means I never have to take my other hand off the wheel. My only complaint is that the trim switches are set up "cruiser-style," which means the buttons are designated for the result they give, rather than the trim tab action they initiate. Pushing the port button, for example, moves the starboard tab, which makes the port bow go up or down. This may be good for beginners, but an experienced go-fast driver who owns a boat in this class should already understand how these trim tabs work. I think the starboard button should work the starboard tab-simple as that.
Behind the driver's and copilot's bolsters, backseat riders take comfort in a bench with bolstered backrests. This may limit seat capacity to three, but if you're back there, you'll appreciate that extra support.
A bonus that comes from the 38 Scarab's comparatively short cockpit is that bench-seat riders can use the grab handles and foot braces on the backs of the forward bolsters. Cockpit stowage is limited to under the bench seat and in an inwale tray alongside the copilot. You won't find much stowage in the cabin either. There's a locker in the base of the V-berth, a hanging locker, and one small locker under the forward end of the U-shaped lounge. While most builders put lockers under the side cushions of the lounge, Wellcraft prefers solid plywood there, laying it over the top of the stringers and out to the hullsides to strengthen an area where the boat is susceptible to twisting forces.
To starboard aft, the head covers the basics with a pumpout MSD, sink, and rubberized flooring on the sole. I like the absence of any carpet, but the sole lacks a drain because the cabin has no shower. I'd put in a drain to make cleanup easier. Across from the head, the galley is also pretty basic, equipped with only a stainless-steel sink and a refrigerator.
RAZZLE-DAZZLE.
Wellcraft jazzed up the engine compartment, too: The sides of the boat and the sole outboard of the motors are lined with high-gloss diamond plating, color-matched to the hull graphics. The white gel coat beneath the engines, which were installed on twin L-angle mounts, is so clean it sparkles. Ditto for the underside of the engine hatch. I especially like that the engine vents on the front of the hatch have blockers and drains built in. Water that comes in through the vents drops straight down, ahead of the motors, and doesn't threaten the fuel supply or electronics. Transverse supports are added in the engine room to help reinforce the bottom in this high-stress area.
The boat is laid up with solid fiberglass rather than cored materials. Neither method is better or worse, although an all fiberglass hull is easier to repair. Microballoon putty fills air voids in the strakes to resist impacts, and balsa coring is used to reinforce the deck, which bonds to the hull shoebox-lid style with hand-applied fiberglass.
Mounting the trim pumps, steering reservoir, and fire suppression system on the engine compartment bulkhead is a smart move that puts all these accessories within easy reach. Using cushioned stainless-steel clamps is also a wise decision. In addition, since both batteries are in stainless-steel boxes in the engine compartment and can't be reached by jumper cables if they go dead, there is a flip-up handle on the hatch so you can raise it manually.
LAST WORD. The 38 Scarab delivers the speed of a stepped hull, with the controlled feel of a conventional deep-V.
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hblair (02-02-2022)
01-28-2022, 08:18 PM
#2
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I'm as big of a Scarab enthusiast as they come. I searched for a bare 38' AVS hull prior to buying my 37' AT (I still keep my eyes open for one), but... "I ran the 38 Scarab at 70 mph and cranked the hard right tighter than some waterbikers would even dare try." is a little much. Even straight bottom boats have hooked or barrel rolled with that maneuver.
02-02-2022, 04:23 PM
#4
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I'm as big of a Scarab enthusiast as they come. I searched for a bare 38' AVS hull prior to buying my 37' AT (I still keep my eyes open for one), but... "I ran the 38 Scarab at 70 mph and cranked the hard right tighter than some waterbikers would even dare try." is a little much. Even straight bottom boats have hooked or barrel rolled with that maneuver.
I never would have the nerve to make that move on purpose myself.
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larslindroth (02-06-2022), resurrected (02-03-2022)
02-04-2022, 09:01 AM
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Also, great writeup.
02-06-2022, 04:53 AM
#6
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Thanks, great article. Eric Colby is an excellent writer and knows a lot about Larry Smith's Team Scarab designs especially.
Article link: Boating Magazine
Article link: Boating Magazine
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JetJock (02-15-2022)
02-09-2022, 04:16 PM
#7
Offshore Cowboy
Platinum Member
I bought that exact boat new in 1999. Only problem was the deck cracking just forward of the windscreen. Great boat. Smoked quite a few larger, bigger powered boats on quite a few FPC runs. However, my 2003 38 TG was still a much more solid boat, all the way around.
03-31-2022, 06:03 PM
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larslindroth (03-31-2022)
