The design belongs firmly to Cheoy Lee’s fiberglass era, after the yard had moved away from its earlier teak-hull tradition and begun producing solid-GRP pleasure yachts in volume. With a displacement of 17,500 pounds, 7,500 pounds of iron ballast, a 12-foot beam, and a 30-foot-7-inch waterline, the 38 is a moderate-to-heavy cruiser rather than a lightweight racer.
Design and Construction
Cheoy Lee gave the 38 heavy-duty fiberglass construction, with a solid GRP hull and deck and no core. Teak trim and interior woodwork run throughout the accommodations.
The hull has a maximum draft of 5 feet 8 inches. Cheoy Lee offered the boat in a long-keel configuration and, in some variants, with a fin and skeg-hung rudder. On the latter, the skeg places the steering blade in protected water behind the keel—a sensible offshore arrangement for a boat of this displacement and beam.
Cheoy Lee’s fiberglass development during the 1960s places the 38 among the yard’s fully molded cruisers rather than its earlier planked boats. The solid laminate also provides a straightforward structure without the hidden delamination risks associated with later foam-core production.
Rig and Handling
The Cheoy Lee 38 carries a traditional masthead sloop rig as standard, while related discussions also note a ketch option.
The sloop has a 38.5-foot foretriangle hoist and an 18.75-foot base. Its 257.6-square-foot mainsail sets on a 34.5-foot luff. The working jib measures 369.4 square feet, while a 150-percent genoa provides 571.9 square feet; a second, slightly smaller genoa measures 510.5 square feet. An asymmetrical spinnaker of 944 square feet completes the light-air inventory.
With a sail-area-to-displacement ratio near 17.9 and a comfort ratio above 30, the 38 is a sturdy, moderate-to-heavy, bluewater-capable cruiser with good motion comfort and offshore potential. It’s better suited to extended coastal or ocean passages than to windward sprints.
Accommodations
Within its 37-foot-11-inch length, the Cheoy Lee 38 provides a spacious layout for its size. Teak interior woodwork gives the saloon and quarters the warm, traditional character expected of a cruiser from this period.
The 12-foot beam and solid-GRP construction allowed Richards to devote volume to living space rather than structural contingency. The boat’s reputation as a bluewater-capable cruiser rests as much on this roomy, settled interior as it does on the hull form.
Maintenance and Known Issues
The main service demands on an aging Cheoy Lee 38 concern the materials that give the boat much of its character. Older exterior teak trim and interior woodwork—now decades old on surviving boats—need continuing attention to prevent weathering and degradation.
The rig also requires scrutiny. On a boat of this age, original standing and running rigging has seen many seasons and must be inspected and renewed as needed. Neither teak maintenance nor aging rigging is a structural defect in the hull, but both are recurring ownership obligations on a design whose appeal is closely tied to its wood trim and traditional rig.
The Verdict
The Cheoy Lee 38 is a straightforward, solidly built fiberglass cruiser from Cheoy Lee’s Hong Kong production of the late 1960s through the early 1980s. Reymond H. Richards gave it a moderate-to-heavy hull, good motion comfort, and a roomy, teak-trimmed interior. Both the long-keel layout and the available fin-with-skeg arrangement suit extended cruising.
This isn’t a performance boat. As a sturdy, offshore-capable sloop or ketch, however, it remains a sensible platform for coastal and ocean passage-making, provided the buyer budgets for teak and rigging upkeep.
Pros
- Solid construction with no core to delaminate
- Roomy, traditional teak-trimmed interior for its length
- Good motion comfort and genuine bluewater capability
- Offered in long-keel and fin-with-skeg-rudder variants
Cons
- Older teak requires continual maintenance
- Original rigging needs regular inspection and renewal
- Moderate-to-heavy hull is not quick to windward
