Entry from the dock is through a walkway on the Port side with one step down into the cockpit. The flow-through effect between the cockpit and the saloon areas is as important as ever on a Spirited design with large door and windows across this bulkhead.
Another design priority brought up by cruisers is shade, and not only shade, for many it was a deal-breaker if they couldn’t close off the cockpit area completely with screens to keep out the weather and insects. Since most cruising boats head for the tropics this is vitally important.
Extended Cabintop The Synergy 38 has an extended cabintop which allows screens to be fitted all the way around the cockpit. To make this more efficient, the design incorporates a mainsheet and traveller system on the cabintop so there is no interference to the screens or other ergonomics in the cockpit space. This makes the cockpit more suitable to socialising with a large outdoor seating/table area set to Starboard.
Helm Area The helm area is central and is designed with a large 2 seater helm seat. The cabintop design incorporates a ‘valley’ area which creates the visibility from the helm. The ‘valley’ feature also makes it possible to fit opening portlights which lead into the saloon. Above the helm is a large sliding pilot hatch which provides airflow to the cockpit as well as view of the sails.
Budget Focus The Synergy 38 design addresses a major factor when deciding on a design to build which is cost. This point was at the heart of the Synergy 38 design philosophy and as such this design can be built from varying materials to suit different budgets and needs. This boat can be built from plywood/strip-plank at the entry-level end right through to the more advanced Foam cored Duflex epoxy panel. There is also an intermediate option in Vinyl Ester products for anyone sensitized to epoxy or prefers this material.
Ease of Build Building on the highly successful SAS system (Spirited Assembly System), this design’s build process has been simplified even further with the design focussing on simple form and ease of build. Of course the fact that this boat was never intended to be a sleek high performer but rather an ultra-practical capable cruising platform aids in the form that it takes on.
Materials As most people would be aware, there is material and there is material. We only recommend the best quality to be used in our packages. Although top of the line products such as Duflex will undoubtedly offer the best/lightest/strongest result, there is still a lot to be said for some of the modest almost forgotten materials like plywood and strip-cedar. It also struck me that seasoned cruisers were not that interested in the ‘cutting edge’ building materials/products or how ‘fancy’ the boat will look, they are after a ‘no frills’ boat that will do the job and not cost the earth.
There are plenty of good honest plywood/epoxy boats out there and there is no question about their strength or seaworthiness. It all comes down to build quality; a well-built plywood boat will last just as well as a more high-tech boat. The combination of various materials will combat the issue that plywood boats have in regards to resale value. It is common knowledge that plywood boats can have less resale value than boats constructed from more modern materials. I believe that the design also contributes to them being categorized in this way and often makes them look very dated.
The Synergy 38 is of modern design and will set it apart from the stereo-typical ‘ply’ boats. The plywood option for this design will still have strip-planked hulls which give the hull a ‘soft’ look and add a good backbone of strength to the hull.
In terms of ease of build, the hull bottoms are the only compound curved part of the boat, the rest is flat panel.
Practical Because of the design of the cabintop, the recessed ‘valley’ panel leading back to the helm is an ideal run for halyards, reefing and other lines. This is perfectly situated to be handled by the helmsperson with full view of the sails.
With cruising the main driving force for this design, the rig and sail area have been kept to a manageable size. The mast height off the deck is 14.6m with 83sqm of combined working sail. There is a small compact composite prodder for downwind sails. This is neatly incorporated into the composite forebeam arrangement.
Forebeam The forebeam is set-up high and becomes part of the wrap-around bulwarks across the foredeck adding protection.
Mini-Keels or Daggerboards This design comes standard with mini-keels to remain with the cruising theme but daggerboards are an option for better upwind sailing performance.
