Design and Construction
The Offshore 38 is a solid fiberglass yacht with an iron ballast and a long-keel configuration. Cheoy Lee's own background places this model inside the builder's post-mid-1960s all-fiberglass era, and the Offshore 38 reflects that mature glass construction rather than the yard's earlier wood period. The capsize screening value of 1.81 and a comfort ratio of 32.32 describe a vessel tuned for offshore steadiness over speed; those numbers place her among conservative cruising designs of the mid-1970s. The long keel and attached rudder give her directional stability at the cost of the quick turn-in of a fin-keeled boat.
Rig and Handling
Richards specified a masthead sloop rig with a mast height of 13.05 meters above the waterline. The foretriangle carries an I measurement of 14.63 meters and an E of 4.18 meters, producing a foretriangle sail area of 36.34 square meters against a mainsail of 27.24 square meters, for a total of 63.58 square meters of working sail. A sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 15.54 tells the central story of her rig: adequately powered for a boat of her weight, but not overcanvased. She will carry her sail plan in a breeze without being driven hard, and the long keel keeps her tracking when the wind builds.
The Verdict
The Cheoy Lee Offshore 38 is a straightforward mid-1970s fiberglass cruiser from a yard with deep glass-production experience by that point. Raymond Richards gave her a conservative masthead sloop rig on a long keel, and the numbers describe a stable, moderately powered offshore hull rather than a performance boat. She is a sensible used-cruiser candidate for a sailor who values steadiness and traditional layout over speed.
Pros
- Solid fiberglass construction from an established fiberglass-era yard
- Long-keel hull with attached rudder for directional stability
- Conservative masthead sloop rig suited to cruising loads
Cons
- Heavy displacement and modest sail-area ratio limit light-air performance
