The Offshore 38 sits squarely in the moderate-displacement cruising tradition. It measures 37.93 feet overall, with a 30.68-foot waterline, 12-foot beam, and 5.68-foot draft. Displacement is 18,801 pounds, and the length-displacement ratio is 290.92—a figure that marks it as a heavy, seakindly hull rather than a light racer.
Design and Construction
The Offshore 38 has a solid fiberglass hull, iron ballast, a long keel, and an attached rudder. The model belongs to Cheoy Lee’s post-mid-1960s all-fiberglass era and reflects the yard’s mature fiberglass construction rather than its earlier work in wood.
A capsize screening value of 1.81 and comfort ratio of 32.32 describe a boat designed more for offshore steadiness than speed. Those figures place it among the conservative cruising designs of the mid-1970s. The long keel and attached rudder provide directional stability, though at the cost of the quick turn-in offered by a fin-keel boat.
Rig and Handling
Richards specified a masthead sloop rig, with the mast rising 13.05 meters above the waterline. The foretriangle has an I measurement of 14.63 meters and an E measurement of 4.18 meters. Foretriangle sail area is 36.34 square meters, while the mainsail measures 27.24 square meters, giving a total working sail area of 63.58 square meters.
The sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 15.54 sums up the rig: it provides adequate power for a boat of this weight without being overcanvased. The Offshore 38 will carry its sail plan in a breeze without being driven hard, while the long keel helps it track as the wind builds. Heavy displacement and the modest sail-area ratio, however, limit performance in light air.
Verdict
The Cheoy Lee Offshore 38 is a straightforward mid-1970s fiberglass cruiser from a yard that, by then, had extensive experience with fiberglass production. Raymond Richards paired a conservative masthead sloop rig with a long-keel hull, and the numbers describe a stable, moderately powered offshore cruiser rather than a performance boat.
It’s a sensible used-cruiser candidate for sailors who value steadiness and a traditional layout more than speed.
Pros
- Solid fiberglass construction from an established fiberglass-era yard
- Long-keel hull and attached rudder provide directional stability
- Conservative masthead sloop rig suited to cruising loads
Cons
- Heavy displacement and a modest sail-area ratio limit light-air performance
