Alajuela 38 Mk II Buyer's Guide
The Alajuela 38 Mk II on the used market is the later, improved version of a Southern California double-ender descended from William Atkin’s Ingrid 38 and Colin Archer’s lifeboat lineage. Built by Alajuela Yacht Corp. between 1974 and 1985, the Mk II trades the original’s long wooden bowsprit for a compact aluminium wishbone, raises the cabin three inches, and adds aluminium watertight doors and an aft propane locker. It remains a 38-foot cutter of 27,000 pounds with 10,000 pounds of lead ballast — a serious bluewater hull that has aged well in factory form.
Layouts on the Used Market
Because the 38 was offered as hull-and-deck kits for owner completion, buyers will encounter both factory-finished boats and amateur-completed interiors where woodwork was adhered directly to a linerless shell. The Mk II’s three-inch-higher cabin brings 6 feet 4 inches of headroom, and the aluminium watertight doors plus aft propane locker are standard on the later variant. Expect the classic double-ender profile with a flatter run aft and sharper entry than the Ingrid parent.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
The Alajuela 38 Mk II commonly carries a circumnavigation-grade inventory: heating, air conditioning, solar, lithium batteries, and an inverter form the power-and-energy cluster that lets a buyer live aboard off-grid. Navigation and safety gear typically include a chartplotter, radar, AIS, autopilot, and EPIRB. Canvas is usually represented by a bimini and dodger for cockpit shelter. These are commonly fitted rather than rare additions, so a boat lacking them is the exception.
What to Inspect
The known structural story is reassuring: the hand-laid fibreglass hull is moulded in one piece and the hull-to-deck junction is plywood-reinforced, with factory boats reported to have aged remarkably well. Most problems that appear on these boats are typically simple to resolve. Pay attention to whether a candidate is factory-built or an owner-completed kit, since the latter can show inconsistent joinery adhesion to the bare hull.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
The Alajuela 38 Mk II typically appears in the United States and Australia. For a shopper, the short checklist is: confirm Mk II status by the aluminium wishbone bowsprit and raised cabin; verify factory versus kit completion; check the deck joint and bronze fixtures; and expect a commonly fitted off-grid and navigation suite. It is a cult-followed, well-engineered double-ender worth a close look.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Alajuela 38 Mk II. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 2 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 25 | 2 | $74,950 | — |
| Apr 26 | 1 | $56,607 | -24.5% |
Where they're listed
Alajuela 38 Mk II listings appear across 1 country. Australia has the most listings with 1.
Country view
1 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | $56,607 | 1 | 0 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
10 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cabo Rico 38 | 38' | $ 89,000 | 25 | 7 |
| Sabre 38 Mk II | 38.67' | $ 60,000 | 17 | 1 |
| Alajuela 38 | 46' | $ 57,500 | 12 | 4 |
| Shannon 38 | 37.75' | $ 73,674 | 12 | 1 |
| Hans Christian 38 Mk II | 46' | $ 79,900 | 11 | 3 |
| Laurent Giles 38 | 38.83' | $ 51,122 | 11 | 4 |
| Kadey-Krogen 38 | 38.16' | $ 74,900 | 9 | 1 |
| Morgan 38 | 37.67' | $ 69,000 | 5 | 1 |
| Endurance 38 | 37' | $ 87,338 | 4 | 0 |
| Alajuela 38 Mk IIYou are here | — | $ 56,607 | 1 | 0 |