C&C 38-3 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a used C&C 38-3 means looking at a 1985-onward C&C Yachts sloop designed in-house, available in standard-fin, wing-keel, and centreboard configurations, each with its own handicap profile and draft consequence for the waters you intend to sail.
Layouts on the Used Market
The 38-3 carries a masthead sloop rig with three spreaders and no babystay over a 37-foot-7-inch hull on a 31-foot waterline. Below, the main cabin has pilot berths port and starboard; some boats substituted a row of lockers for the port berth, giving a plainer stowage-focused cabin. The standard keel draws 7 feet 6 inches, while the wing keel and centreboard models were offered as alternatives — relevant if you need reduced draft, though the centreboard version carries a higher PHRF average of 117 against the standard keel's 105 anchor.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
In New Zealand listings, air conditioning, spinnaker, hot water, and bimini are commonly fitted — the spinnaker and bimini speaking directly to sail-handling and cockpit shade, while air conditioning and hot water address liveaboard comfort in warmer cruising. Beyond those, the boat's Japanese Yanmar YHM35F diesel is the standard propulsion fitted from the factory, a point worth confirming in any specific hull.
What to Inspect
The C&C 38-3 is part of the fiberglass-with-wood-trim 38 series anchor, so inspect the wood trim and the hull-to-deck junction typical of the era's construction for any compromise. The internally mounted spade-type rudder and its long ventral fin forward of the rudder deserve close look for impact or delamination, given the drawn-out keel fillet geometry. The flat bottom from station.5 to transom should be checked for grounding scars, especially on wing-keel or centreboard boats that may have seen thinner water.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats typically appear in the New Zealand market. For a buyer, the short checklist is: confirm keel type and draft against your cruising grounds, verify the Yanmar YHM35F runs clean, check wood trim and rudder/fin integrity, and decide whether the locker-substituted port berth suits your stowage needs. Commonly fitted comfort gear means many examples need little immediate upgrade for warm-climate use.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the C&C 38-3. 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. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 26 | 1 | $39,451 | — |
| Aug 26 | 1 | $43,312 | +9.8% |
Where they're listed
C&C 38-3 listings appear across 1 country. New Zealand has the most listings with 1.
Country view
1 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | $43,312 | 1 | 1 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C&C 35-3 | 34.67' | $ 28,500 | 38 | 12 |
| C&C Yachts 34 | 33.5' | $ 16,450 | 30 | 15 |
| C&C 37 | 37.58' | $ 35,035 | 16 | 5 |
| C&C 37/40+ | 39.5' | $ 63,608 | 16 | 3 |
| C&C 33-2 | 32.58' | $ 24,500 | 15 | 7 |
| C&C 32 | 31.5' | $ 21,759 | 12 | 4 |
| C&C 40-2 | 39.58' | $ 25,000 | 11 | 6 |
| C&C 38-2 | 37.58' | $ 30,500 | 9 | 4 |
| C&C 44 | 44.17' | $ 61,900 | 9 | 1 |
| C&C Yachts 38-3You are here | — | $ 41,382 | 2 | 1 |