Beneteau First 38 Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

The three-cabin configuration is the more prevalent arrangement found on the used market, and it remains one of the boat's defining selling points. The layout places a forward V-berth cabin, a main saloon with settees and narrow pilot berths outboard, and two aft double staterooms, one on each side, with a shared centerline heads tucked between them behind the companionway ladder. A second heads forward rounds out the arrangement. For a family or a couple who cruise with occasional guests, the division of private space is genuinely useful.

The pilot berths flanking the saloon settees often tell the story of how a boat has been lived in. On boats used primarily for cruising rather than racing, owners commonly convert these narrow berths into dedicated storage shelves or enclosed cupboard space, a practical adaptation that improves liveability without altering the structural fabric of the boat. On boats with a more active racing history, the pilot berths may remain in their original configuration. Note that the closely related First 405 — a successor model that reused much of the First 38 tooling — has a two-stateroom interior; confirm you are viewing a genuine First 38 before proceeding.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

Solar panels and an autopilot are commonly fitted across used examples, reflecting the practical demands of owners who have taken these boats on extended passages or live aboard for portions of the season. Life rafts, spinnakers — both traditional symmetrical and asymmetric variants — biminis, AIS transponders, chartplotters, inverters, and pressurized hot water systems appear with enough regularity that buyers should treat their presence as expected on a well-equipped example rather than as a premium.

Owner upgrades worth noting include dodgers, which suit the boat's relatively low coachroof and make offshore passages considerably more comfortable, and radar installations, often mounted on a stainless-steel stern gantry that owners fabricate to support electronics and sometimes a wind generator or solar panel array. More recently, lithium battery banks and Starlink terminals appear on boats that have been actively maintained and modernized, reflecting the kind of ongoing investment that a dedicated owner puts into a hull they intend to keep sailing seriously. Electronics suites vary widely: earlier boats may carry dated instruments while more recent owners have refreshed the navigation station with current chartplotters and VHF radios.

The nav station itself is a genuine asset. The forward-facing chart table is large, well-fiddled, and offers ample mounting space for instruments — a layout that rewards the electronics upgrades owners commonly make. The galley, with its top-loading fridge box and gimballed stove, is workmanlike rather than generous, but it functions well at sea.

What to Inspect

Osmotic blistering is the single most important condition item on any First 38 survey. Like many fiberglass boats of the era, the First 38 has had more than its fair share of osmotic blisters, and while many repairs were carried out under warranty, in some cases multiple repairs have been needed. A professional osmotic survey below the waterline is non-negotiable. Ask for documentation of any prior blister remediation and, where possible, establish whether the hull was properly dried and epoxy-barrier-coated before antifouling was reapplied.

The headliner deserves close attention throughout the boat. In the main saloon, the liner consists of vinyl-covered plywood panels that are relatively easy to remove and replace; throughout the rest of the boat the liner is a foam-backed vinyl fabric glued directly to the deck and hull, and eventually the foam oxidizes and crumbles, the adhesive fails, and the vinyl comes loose. The lazy fix of gluing the existing fabric back in place inevitably looks bumpy; the proper solution is full removal and replacement, which is a significant job. Inspect every overhead surface carefully and factor remediation costs into any offer. Overhead hatches commonly suffer severe crazing over time and often need replacing.

The Perkins 4108 diesel that came standard is a legendarily robust engine, capable of accumulating very high hours when properly maintained, but the engine is no longer manufactured. Parts remain widely available and rebuilds are common, so the presence of a high-hours engine is not automatically disqualifying — a well-documented rebuild or recent overhaul is a positive sign. Be particularly wary of any boat that has been in charter service, as engines on these vessels will have idled in neutral for extended periods to charge batteries and may be worn out. Gain access to the engine from multiple angles: the First 38 allows entry from the aft heads, both aft cabins, and via the removable cockpit sole, so a thorough inspection is practical and should be expected of any surveyor.

The deck is balsa-cored, with solid laminate underneath hardware fittings and raised bosses under key fixtures such as chainplate covers and genoa sheet turning blocks. Probe around any deck hardware for signs of water intrusion into the core, paying particular attention to chainplate areas and primary winch bases. The chainplates are exposed in the saloon, which makes visual inspection of the plates themselves straightforward — look for rust staining, sealant failure at the deck penetration, and any movement under load. The keel is cast iron on stainless-steel bolts; inspect the keel-to-hull joint for cracking or weeping rust and confirm the bolts have been surveyed or replaced within a reasonable interval.

The spade rudder, which gives excellent control particularly downwind, is fully exposed without a protective skeg — grounding or debris strikes can damage the blade or the rudder stock bearings. Check for play in the rudder, inspect the stock seal, and ask whether the boat has any grounding history.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

The First 38 surfaces with reasonable regularity on both sides of the Atlantic. North American listings appear on the US East and West Coasts, with activity in the Caribbean as well. European availability tends to concentrate in France, the Iberian peninsula, and the broader Mediterranean basin, reflecting the model's origins and the cruising grounds where these boats have most actively been sailed. The model's active owners' association provides a useful community resource for identifying known-good examples and tracking down parts for the Perkins engine.

For a buyer willing to conduct a thorough survey and factor in any cosmetic or systems work, this remains one of the more rewarding offshore-capable boats available in its size range at accessible pricing.

Pre-purchase checklist:

• Osmotic blister survey below the waterline; request prior repair documentation
• Headliner condition throughout — foam-backed sections prone to delamination
• Hatch crazing — inspect all overhead hatches for replacement need
• Engine hours, service history, and charter-service history
• Deck core moisture readings, especially around chainplates and hardware
• Chainplate inspection — visually accessible from the saloon
• Rudder bearing play and grounding history
• Keel-to-hull joint and keel bolt condition
• Pilot berth and aft cabin conversion status — reflects how the boat has been used
• Confirm you are viewing a First 38, not the closely related First 405 (two-stateroom successor)