Catalina Yachts introduced this popular mid-sized cruiser as part of their renowned production sailboat lineup, building on decades of experience creating accessible boats for recreational sailors. With its moderate beam and traditional proportions, the Catalina 38 strikes a balance between comfortable cruising accommodations and respectable sailing performance. This boat appeals primarily to coastal cruisers and weekend sailors who value reliability and straightforward systems over cutting-edge racing technology. The design emphasizes ease of handling, making it well-suited for couples or small crews exploring protected waters and nearby coastal destinations. While capable of longer passages, the boat's strengths lie in comfortable daysailing and short-term cruising adventures. Catalina's reputation for building solid, affordable cruisers shines through in this model's practical layout and dependable construction methods. The company's focus on production efficiency typically translates to good value for buyers seeking a well-appointed cruiser without exotic materials or complex systems. Like most Catalina designs, the 38 prioritizes interior volume and comfort over pure performance, featuring the kind of livable accommodations that make extended time aboard genuinely pleasant. This approach has made it popular among sailors transitioning from smaller boats or those seeking their first serious cruising vessel.
About this estimate ▾
- Based on asking prices — not actual sale prices, which are typically lower.
- Condition, year, location, and included equipment are not factored in.
- Outliers are automatically excluded using statistical filtering.
- See our full analysis: What Thousands of Sailboat Listings Tell Us About Used Boat Prices.
No owner reviews yet — be the first to share your experience with this boat.
How many Catalina 38s were built and when did production end?
Catalina Yachts produced approximately 400 Catalina 38 hulls over a ten-year run from 1978 to 1988. That's a relatively modest production number compared to Catalina's blockbuster models like the Catalina 30 or 36, which helps explain why the 38 is less commonly seen on the used market today. Production ended in 1988, likely displaced by evolving buyer preferences and Catalina's own expanding lineup of larger cruising designs. The limited build count also means finding a clean, well-maintained example can take patience, but it also suggests owners tended to invest more per hull in upkeep — a characteristic worth noting when evaluating surveyed examples.
What is the Catalina 38's ballast-to-displacement ratio and what does it mean for stability?
The Catalina 38 carries 6,850 lb of ballast against a 16,000 lb displacement, yielding a ballast-to-displacement ratio of roughly 42.8%. That's a respectable figure for a production cruiser of its era, indicating a meaningful commitment to initial and secondary stability. Combined with the boat's 6.08 ft fin keel draft, the righting moment is well-suited to coastal and offshore coastal passages. The capsize screening formula of 1.94 falls just under the commonly cited 2.0 threshold that offshore rating authorities flag as a caution point, meaning the Catalina 38 sits right at the boundary — competent in most offshore conditions but not a purpose-built bluewater passage maker. Buyers targeting extended offshore work should weigh that number alongside the comfort ratio of 26.31, which reflects a moderately heavy, seakindly motion.
Why does the Catalina 38 have a Sparkman & Stephens design pedigree rather than a Catalina in-house design?
The Catalina 38 is one of the relatively few models in Catalina Yachts' lineup to carry a Sparkman & Stephens design credit rather than originating from Catalina's own drafting team. S&S was the preeminent American offshore racing and cruising design firm of the mid-twentieth century, responsible for multiple Admiral's Cup and Bermuda Race winners. Catalina's decision to commission S&S for the 38 — introduced in 1978 — reflected the market expectation at that time that a serious 38-footer aimed at experienced coastal cruisers should carry credentialed design DNA. The result is a hull with more traditional S&S proportions: moderate beam of 12.17 ft, a clean fin keel and spade rudder underbody, and a waterline-to-LOA ratio that prioritizes seakeeping over interior volume. Buyers often cite the S&S heritage as one reason the Catalina 38 sails more crisply than later, beamier Catalina designs.
What are the known osmotic blistering and keel-to-hull joint issues on the Catalina 38?
Like most fiberglass production boats built in the late 1970s, the Catalina 38 is susceptible to osmotic blistering in the hull below the waterline, a consequence of the pre-vinylester gelcoat and laminate schedules common at the time. Surveyors regularly recommend moisture metering the entire underbody, particularly around the leading edge of the fin keel where water intrusion tends to concentrate. The keel-to-hull joint deserves close inspection on any Catalina 38: the fin keel attachment relies on a bolted flange arrangement, and older examples can show hairline gelcoat cracking at the hull-to-keel fillet, weeping rust staining from keel bolt corrosion, or — in neglected cases — softness in the surrounding laminate. Keel bolt replacement or re-bedding is not unusual on hulls that have sailed hard for 30-plus years. A qualified marine surveyor should probe the bilge sump area and request keel bolt inspection as a standard part of any pre-purchase survey on this model.
Can a Catalina 38 handle offshore passages, or is it strictly a coastal cruiser?
The Catalina 38 occupies a middle ground that makes this question genuinely interesting. Its capsize screening value of 1.94 just clears the 2.0 threshold that many offshore rating systems use as a red line, and its 42.8% ballast ratio and 6.08 ft draft provide solid initial stability for a production cruiser. The S&S-designed hull form, with its moderate 12.17 ft beam and proven fin-keel underbody, is more seaworthy than many contemporary beamy production designs. Documented examples of Catalina 38s completing Bermuda Race legs and Pacific coastal passages exist, and the boat's displacement of 16,000 lb gives it a comfortable, deliberate motion in a seaway. That said, at a comfort ratio of 26.31, it falls short of the 30+ figure associated with genuinely offshore-capable heavy cruisers. For Bahamas crossings, offshore racing on established courses, or coastal bluewater hops, the Catalina 38 is a credible choice with an experienced crew; for extended trade-wind voyaging, a heavier, higher-ballast design would be more appropriate.