$129,900
Sarasota, Florida
Category
Sport Fishing Boats
Length
38'
Posted Over 1 Month
2006 Fountain 38 Luxury Edition
The flared beak, a signature feature that you see on all Fountain boats, is significantly more blunt. The company carried the deep entry of the hull farther forward, which lengthened its running surface, but not its overall length. And to help improve lateral stability at slower speeds, such as when you're trolling, the chines were widened by about 6". Finally, to generate more lift, some of the deadrise in the aft running surface was removed. This increased speed, a key benefit, especially when you're talking about a Fountain.To save weight, Fountain replaced the molded structural grid with traditional stringers. The stringers and transom are cored with Coosa composite panels and the hull-to-deck joint is sealed with Plexus adhesive, through-bolted with the rubrail fasteners, then bonded around the perimeter with fiberglass tabbing. The wraparound windshield and secondary acrylic model at the helm were both heightened to improve sightlines, and the headroom belowdecks is better. The new 38 LX is worth a look. Often when you put a 38' boat with a full hardtop into a corner, it feels like the hull leans in one direction while the enclosure flexes the opposite way. Because Fountain builds its own T-tops with stout aluminum stanchions and can customize them to suit each boat model, the 38 LX carved turns like a Fountain sportboat. I was equally impressed with the boat's response to trim inputs. The 380-S K-planes were an excellent choice, offering enough influence to settle the ride or level the load without acting like brakes.
The combination of its strong performance and a smart interior layout make the 38 LX a versatile boat that caters to cruising families and offshore fishermen alike. Aft to port, a transom gate is wide enough for you to pull through a big-eye tuna, and there are 7'-plus fishboxes in the cockpit sole on each side of the helm station. Twin tackle stations in the inwales are sized for removable Plano boxes and there's even a pull-out wastebasket.Across the stern, hinged cushions on the aft lounge raise to reveal battery and genset switches to starboard and the livewell to port. In the sole just ahead of this lounge are hinged hatches to access the genset battery and water heater to port, the Westerbeke genset in the center, and the engine batteries and charger to starboard.Although the stern cleats are perfectly positioned for cross-tying over the tops of the big Verados, I'd prefer a second set of spring cleats and twin bow cleats instead of a single one up front. The bow locker provides a good look at the windlass, but it needs a gas strut to hold it open.At the helm, the two-person leaning post converts into individual seats. Powered by triple 275 hp Mercury Verado's.
