Down East Yachts Inc. of Santa Ana, California, built the Downeaster 38 from 1974 to 1981, producing 251 boats. The company also built the DE 32, DE 45, and pilothouse DE 41, but the Downeaster 38 stands on its own as a traditional cruiser executed in fiberglass.
Design and Construction
The Downeaster 38 bears a strong family resemblance to the rest of the Down East range. Her clipper bow carries a heavy bowsprit, trailboards, bobstay, whisker stays, and dolphin striker. A graceful sheer sweeps aft to a wineglass stern.
The coachroof follows the sheer to just aft of the mast, where it steps up. This taller section of the cabin trunk has four large windows that bring plenty of daylight below.
The hull is a hand-laid fiberglass-and-polyester laminate built to Lloyd's requirements. The deck is largely cored with Airex but is solid around its perimeter. The hull-to-deck joint sits on an inward flange, bedded and screwed from below into a heavy ironwood caprail, with further reinforcement from fiberglass tabbing inside. That caprail also forms a substantial bulwark and stanchion base.
Below the waterline, the Downeaster 38 has a full keel and attached rudder. Its 8,000 pounds of lead ballast is sealed into the keel molding, while a steel backbone reinforces the rudder. With a 29-foot waterline, nearly 12-foot beam, and shoal draft of just under five feet, the boat displaces 19,500 pounds and has a 41-percent ballast ratio. These proportions give her the steady profile of a traditional cruiser rather than a racing boat.
Rig and Sailing
Down East offered three rigs: cutter, ketch, and schooner. Most owners chose the cutter, which carries a roller-furling jib and club-boom staysail, along with a jiffy-reefed mainsail on deck-stepped aluminum spars. Its comparative simplicity suited the boat's cruising purpose.
The schooner could be fitted with a 498-square-foot gollywobbler between the masts or a 727-square-foot balloon jib set from the main masthead.
Test sailors found the Downeaster 38 carried very little weather helm on all points of sail. Although she has a reputation for sluggishness in light winds, she performs well off-soundings when heavily loaded with fuel and stores.
The cockpit is less successful, particularly for short-handed sailing. Its wide seats make good lounging spaces in port, but they put the sheet winches beyond easy reach. The footwell provides no useful footing for serious winch work, and the wheel is so close to the seats that it's nearly impossible to pass behind the helmsman. Period observers suggested that a tiller might work better.
Accommodations and Deck Layout
Below, the broad beam and 6-foot 4-inch headroom create an open cabin, helped by the daylight coming through the four large trunk windows. The forward cabin contains a double berth, with a 35-gallon holding tank beneath the berth.
The original main-cabin arrangement had settee berths with pilot berths outboard on both sides. A later layout replaced the port-side arrangement with a convertible double and shelf. A hinged drop-leaf table stands between the settees.
The galley has a double sink near the centerline. Opposite are a fixed chart table and a quarter berth beneath the cockpit. Three separate iceboxes were specified from the beginning, while the teak-and-holly sole covers stainless steel water tanks in the keel cavity.
On deck, the substantial bulwarks provide security when moving forward, and the sidedecks remain clear of rigging.
Machinery and Electrical Systems
The original engine was a 24-horsepower, raw-water-cooled Farymann diesel with provision for hand cranking. As the boats aged, owners often replaced it with a larger, freshwater-cooled engine.
Wheel steering and the hand-starting provision were standard from the builder. The standard electrical system used two independent batteries, providing a practical baseline alongside the emergency hand start.
Downeaster 38 owners are also known for adapting their boats to suit individual cruising plans, with modifications ranging from rig changes to systems upgrades.
Known Issues
Age commonly shows at the hull-to-deck joint. Owners report leaks as the bedding fails, and the concealed fasteners make the source difficult to trace and repair.
The large cockpit needs to drain readily if the boat takes green water, and the cabin windows require storm shutters at sea. The original mainsheet ran from the end of the boom to a stern block abaft the helm. On at least one boat, this arrangement was described as awkward and unsafe.
More generally, the wide seats, poor footing for winch work, and closely placed wheel make the cockpit layout the boat's central handling criticism, especially for singlehanding.
The Verdict
The Downeaster 38 is a traditionally styled, heavily built cruiser for an owner who values Down East character and is prepared to deal with an aging hull-to-deck joint and a cockpit poorly suited to singlehanding. She is stable, carries little weather helm, and offers generous space below, but offshore crews must pay close attention to cockpit drainage and window security.
Pros
- Hand-laid hull built to Lloyd's requirements
- Encapsulated lead ballast and full keel
- Traditional clipper-bow profile
- Bright, beamy interior with 6-foot 4-inch headroom
- Very little weather helm
- Good offshore performance when heavily loaded
- Emergency hand-starting provision
- Two independent batteries
Cons
- Hull-to-deck leaks can develop as the bedding ages
- Concealed fasteners make those leaks difficult to trace and repair
- Cockpit layout hampers singlehanding and winch work
- Cabin windows need storm shutters at sea
- The cockpit must drain readily offshore
