Design and Construction
The Landfall 38 is a descendant of the original C&C 38, but the hull was reworked with slightly fuller sections forward and a shape that remains more sleek racer than fat cruiser. With a long bow overhang pulling the waterline to just under 30 feet, the hull trades some volume for performance and ends up slightly smaller inside than a pure cruiser of the same length would be. The keel is a moderate fin with a standard draft of 4 feet 11 inches, while a 5-foot 8-inch deep-draft version existed but found few buyers. A free-standing balanced rudder sits well aft, giving the boat strong steering authority when reaching.
C&C built the hull as a one-piece balsa-cored molding, with the deck and cabin trunk top also balsa-cored, a construction approach the company had long been associated with. The deck and hull meet on an inward-facing flange, bonded chemically and through-bolted with stainless steel on 6-inch centers, and the teak caprail is built into that joint. The keel is an external lead casting bolted to an integral sump, and the mast step bridges two deep floor timbers in the bilge so the spar heel stays clear of bilge water. Bronze seacocks serve all underwater fittings, double-clamped to the hull. The boat is heavier than the old C&C 38 by roughly 2,000 pounds thanks to extra ballast, more joinerwork, and a longer deck, yet her performance barely suffered.
Rig and Handling
The Landfall 38 is a masthead sloop carrying 649 square feet of working sail, with a rig that is a slightly shorter take on the original C&C 38's. The rig is aerodynamically clean, using airfoil spreaders and Navtec rod rigging, and the Navtec shroud chainplates are set inboard for good upwind bite. A 150% genoa covers nearly 580 square feet against a 385-square-foot 100% foretriangle. Main halyard, reefing, and cunningham lines run aft to the cockpit, though headsail halyards terminate at winches atop the cabin trunk just aft of the mast. Only the mainsheet winch was self-tailing as standard.
On the water, test sailors found her able to point high and track well, with a soft motion in a seaway and good offwind acceleration. One account from a gale off Cape Lookout described the hull handling steep seas without pounding and without missing a meal. Owners report she is stiff and well balanced, as fast or faster than similar-size boats, and her PHRF of 120 sits between the Cal 39's 114 and the Tartan 37's 126. Most sail controls fall within arm's reach of the helm, making the boat an easy handful for a cruising couple.
Accommodations
Below, the Landfall 38 squeezes a three-cabin layout into 38 feet. The companionway is offset to starboard with a stout bridgedeck, and the aft owner's cabin drops away immediately to port with a standard double berth and, to starboard, a choice of single bunk or full nav station. Forward, the V-berth is small and narrows sharply, with the only genuinely usable hanging locker being a cedar-lined unit in the bow. The saloon carries straight settees port and starboard around a centerline fold-up table, with the keel-stepped mast rising through the cabin in full view.
The galley to starboard is U-shaped and factory-finished in white Mica, with two deep stainless sinks facing aft and a three-burner stove and oven outboard. A large head opposite includes a separate shower stall, a feature rarely seen on 38-footers of that era. Lighting and ventilation are exceptional for a production boat, with fluorescent and incandescent fixtures throughout and four large dorade cowl vents serving the main cabin, galley, and head. The interior teak is varnished rather than oiled, keeping the woodwork lighter than expected.
Known Issues
Cored decks are the primary structural concern on these boats. While the balsa hulls themselves rarely show coring problems even decades on, the decks can delaminate and should be checked carefully — Practical Sailor's survey found signs of deck delamination are a real risk on almost all boats of this era. Annoying leaks are a common owner complaint; those around the mast partners and portlights are easily fixed, but hull-and-deck joint leaks are far harder to eliminate. The relatively narrow flange means some backup plates under deck hardware do not lie flat, which can produce gelcoat cracks near stanchion bases.
On the systems side, the engine compartment has no soundproofing despite sitting a few feet from the owner's berth, and there is no drip pan, so oil changes demand care. Battery access is poor, requiring a mirror to check electrolyte and near-removal to fill. The anchor locker lacks a positive latch and any means to secure the bitter end of the rode, and the stemhead fitting has no keeper pin provision. The companionway sill has no lip, letting water enter under the drop board, and the aft double berth can flood when a wave comes over the rail on starboard tack. Water tanks vent outside the hull, risking contamination, and some polyethylene tanks were overcooked in manufacture, leaving a bad taste.
The Verdict
The Landfall 38 is a thoughtfully engineered performance cruiser that punches above its modest size, with a stiff, seakindly hull and a bright, well-ventilated three-cabin interior. The tradeoffs are typical of a 1980s C&C: clever use of space paired with a few maddening details in the deck joint, anchor locker, and systems access that demand a buyer's attention.
Pros
- Stiff, well-balanced sailing with performance approaching racer-cruisers
- Balsa hulls notably resistant to coring problems over time
- Separate shower stall and excellent ventilation for the era
- Keel-stepped mast kept out of bilge water by bridging floor timbers
Cons
- Deck delamination and hull-to-deck joint leaks are real risks
- Engine access, soundproofing, and battery access all poor
- Anchor locker and companionway sill allow water intrusion
- Small V-berth and awkward aft-cabin berth exposure to weather
