Design and Construction
Bern's design carries a length overall of just over 38 feet on a 31-foot waterline, with an 11.5-foot beam that yields a length-to-beam ratio of 3.33 — beamy enough for interior volume, yet restrained enough to keep the hull from feeling like a barge. The solid fiberglass hull and deck are laminate rather than a cored sandwich, and the fin keel is cast in lead, carrying 4,850 pounds of ballast against a 14,991-pound displacement for a 35 percent ballast ratio. That lead on a fin gives her a capsize screening value of 1.88 and a motion comfort ratio in the 26.0 to 26.8 band, figures that place her firmly in the territory of a stable, predictable offshore-capable cruiser rather than a twitchy dayboat. The displacement-length ratio of 218 earns her the classification of a "moderate racer," and the wetted surface of about 39 square meters keeps her slippery enough to make the theoretical displacement-hull maximum of 7.5 knots a realistic target in the right conditions.
Rig and Handling
The Comfortina 38 is rigged as a fractional sloop, and her sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 18.3 with the ISO reference sail, rising to 21.2 with a 135 percent genoa — a clear signal that she is built to move in a breeze without being overcanvased. The standing and running rigging dimensions are generous for the size: halyards run 37.5 meters at 12 mm diameter, the mainsheet is a 29.1-meter, 14 mm line, and jib and genoa sheets are 11.7 meters of 14 mm. Those lengths and diameters suggest a rig tuned for control and endurance rather than weight-shaving. Under power, the calculated maximum is about 5.7 knots, and the boat is driven through a Volvo Penta diesel of 28 horsepower turning a saildrive — a configuration that keeps the propeller close to the keel for reasonable tracking, though the 6.4-foot draft means she is confined to major marinas. The immersion rate of about 222 kg per centimeter (1,247 pounds per inch) means she sits heavily and predictably as load comes aboard.
Accommodations
No direct account exists of the interior arrangement beyond the structural and hydrostatic facts, but the 11.5-foot beam and 35 percent ballast ratio in a 38-foot hull argue for a saloon and berths laid out with volume to spare rather than squeezed. The 48-gallon water and 26-gallon fuel capacities are modest for extended cruising, consistent with a boat whose racing pedigree still shapes her tankage philosophy. What can be said with confidence is that the solid fiberglass deck and hull, lead fin keel, and comfort ratio in the mid-20s describe a platform whose liveaboard feel is anchored in predictable motion rather than lavish space.
The Verdict
The Comfortina 38 is a Bern-designed Swedish cruiser-racer that balances a moderate-racer displacement profile with a comfort-oriented motion index, built in small numbers by Comfortbåtar AB. Her fractional rig, lead fin keel, and solid laminate construction make her a credible coastal and offshore cruiser for a sailor who values a known, limited-production hull with race-bred proportions.
Pros
- Thomas Bern design with fewer than 200 built, a limited-production Scandinavian cruiser-racer
- Solid fiberglass hull and deck with lead fin keel and 35 percent ballast ratio
- Motion Comfort Ratio of 26.0–26.8 and capsize screening of 1.88 indicate stable, seaworthy behavior
- Fractional sloop with SA/D up to 21.2 under genoa; theoretical hull speed 7.5 knots
Cons
- 6.4-foot draft restricts her to major marinas
- Modest 26-gallon fuel and 48-gallon water capacity for long-range cruising
- Saildrive transmission invites the usual underwater-gear service considerations
