Columbia 38 Sailboats for Sale & Market Overview

Drawing Diagram

Builder drawing

Hull type

Monohull · full

Rig

Masthead Sloop

LOA

38.92' · 11.86 m

Displ.

14,000 lbs · 6,350 kg

First year

1965

The Columbia 38, designed by renowned naval architect Charles Morgan and introduced in 1966, represents a significant departure from the traditional heavydisplacement cruisers that dominated the early fiberglass era. While the company’s earlier successes, such as the Sparkman & Stephensdesigned Columbia 29, were rooted in conservative lines, the 38 was conceived as a "modern" racercruiser. It featured a highaspect rig, a relatively flatbottomed hull for the time, and a separate fin keel and spade rudder—a configuration that was still gaining acceptance among offshore sailors in the mid1960s. Produced during the peak of Columbia’s production capacity under the Whittaker Corporation, the 38 was built to bridge the gap between the sleek racing machines of the IOR (International Offshore Rule) era and the spacious, "bubbletop" cruisers for which the brand eventually became famous.