Design Lineage and Hull Form
The Mk II remains a conventional double-ender, but its parentage is specific: the hull lines were taken from the Ingrid 38, which itself descended from Archer’s century-earlier lifeboat concept. The Alajuela project was initiated by Mike Riding and Rod Jermain, and the name came from Riding’s intent to cruise with a partner he had met in the Costa Rican town of Alajuela. Against the Ingrid, the 38 gained a sharper entry that helps her in light winds and a flatter run aft, while greater buoyancy was added forward above the waterline to combat the Ingrid’s habit of burying her bow. The rig carries 8% more canvas than the Ingrid’s, pulling the sail-area-to-displacement ratio close to performance cruisers such as the Valiant 40.
Construction
The hand-laid fibreglass hull is moulded in one piece, with thickness from 3/4 inch near the bilges to 1/2 inch at the topsides, and no interior liners — everything inside is wood adhered to the hull. The hull-to-deck junction is reinforced with plywood and is among the better ones in the trade. Bronze fixtures were made in Alajuela and deserve notice. Tooling was slow: three years to build the plug and pull moulds, then nearly two more for deck tooling. The Mk II’s changes answered the difficulty of sourcing high-quality wood for bowsprits and combings by switching those parts to aluminium and fibreglass. Factory-built boats have aged remarkably well thanks to sturdy construction and sound engineering.
Rig and Handling
The Mk II’s bowsprit was cut shorter and the J measurement lowered by 12 inches, trading the lengthy wooden spar for the compact aluminium wishbone. John Kretschmer characterized the 38 as a different beast even among double-enders — slim and graceful rather than strong and combative — yet still out-sailing the Westsail 32. The sharper entry and flatter aft sections give her an edge in light air, proven when the hull Wathena took second in the notoriously fickle 1976 Newport to Ensenada race and finished far first among cruising boats of comparable size and displacement.
Accommodations
The Mk II added three inches of cabin height over the Mark I, yielding 6 feet 4 inches of headroom below. The aft propane locker and aluminium watertight doors are practical cruising modifications, and the absence of moulded liners means the interior is largely bespoke woodwork adhered to the shell. The boat was also offered as hull-and-deck kits for owner completion, so fit and finish below can vary widely between factory and amateur builds.
Ownership Notes
Production of the Alajuela 38 ran from 1974 to 1985, with 81 hulls produced and 30 finished by 1978; the Mk II appeared as a later variant. The marque developed a cult following, owners drawn to the sweeping lines, immaculate engineering, and unexpectedly strong performance. Most issues that surface are typically simple to resolve.
The Verdict
The Alajuela 38 Mk II is a thoughtfully evolved double-ender that keeps Archer’s seaworthy profile while sailing markedly better than its Westsail-era peers. Its one-piece hull, plywood-reinforced deck joint, and raised cabin make it a durable, livable bluewater cruiser with real light-air pace.
Pros
- Sharper entry and flatter run give genuine light-wind performance
- One-piece hand-laid hull with no liners and reinforced deck joint
- Mk II gains headroom, watertight doors, and a shorter practical bowsprit
Cons
- Long tooling and kit-built option mean uneven owner-finished interiors
