Design and Construction
The transformation from racer to weekender is written into the deck and hull. Butler replaced the skeg-hung rudder with a balanced spade rudder, and created a high-aspect-ratio rig with a taller mast and shorter boom that still carries a keel-stepped mast abutting the bulkhead forward of the main saloon. The deck and trunk cabin were redrawn to match Catalina aesthetics, which produced long overhangs, generous tumblehome, and a pert little reverse transom — but also left the boat with narrow side decks as a direct result of those changes. Below, the major interior components are incorporated into a molded hull liner, the same one-piece approach Catalina had standardized to reduce finish work across its range.
Rig and Handling
Owners report the Catalina 38 sails to windward like it is on rails and also sails beautifully in light air, a temperament that belies the IOR race origins. The draft that approaches 7 feet and the balanced spade rudder give the boat a sure-footedness in close quarters that the original skeg configuration did not offer. Passage from the cockpit to the foredeck can be tricky, especially if a wide dodger is fitted, a constraint worth weighing against the otherwise clean deck plan.
Accommodations
He redesigned the interior for weekender livability, and the layout reads as a purposeful cruiser rather than a stripped racer. Teak trim and veneer are used for doors, drawer facings, and bulkheads, while early models carried a fiberglass cabin sole later swapped for teak and holly veneer. Forward of the bulkhead are the head to port, lockers to starboard, and a V-berth that easily accommodates two adults. In the saloon a U-shaped dinette to port converts to a double berth, opposite a long settee with stowage behind and beneath; aft of the dinette sits a snug U-shaped galley, and a nav station backs up to a quarter berth extending under the cockpit.
Known Issues
Owners with cruising plans might find the tankage limiting, a real consideration against the 55-gallon water and 20-gallon fuel capacity. Very early boats were fitted with an Atomic 4 gasoline engine, though many have been replaced, and later boats received a 24-horsepower Universal diesel that reportedly lacks the power to push the boat at hull speed in moderate wind and chop. Engine access is adequate regardless of which plant is installed. The narrow side decks and tricky foredeck passage remain the principal ergonomic caveats rather than structural faults.
Refits and Ownership
The builder is still in business and provides design and parts support, a meaningful backstop for an owner sourcing a liner component or deck hardware. Owners praise its design, build quality and performance, and the molded liner simplifies interior refits compared to framed-out competitors. The swap from Atomic 4 to diesel is itself the most common mechanical refit already absorbed by the fleet.
The Verdict
The Catalina 38 is a rare thing: an IOR derivative that kept its sea-kindly manners while gaining a genuinely livable interior. The Sparkman & Stephens hull, with its skeg-hung rudder replaced by a balanced spade rudder and a high-aspect rig, sails with unusual poise both upwind and in light air, and the molded liner keeps the structure honest across 366 boats built. Tankage and the later diesel's modest output are the only persistent complaints, and neither undermines the boat's standing as a capable cruiser with the builder still in business.
Pros
- Descended from a Sparkman & Stephens IOR hull with a Congressional Cup selection in 1980
- Balanced spade rudder and high-aspect rig yield rail-like windward tracking and light-air grace
- Molded hull liner and teak-faced interior make a weekender layout that wears well
- Builder remains in business with design and parts support
Cons
- Tankage limiting for extended cruising
- Later 24-horsepower Universal diesel reportedly lacks power to reach hull speed in wind and chop
- Narrow side decks and tricky cockpit-to-foredeck passage with a wide dodger fitted
