Downeaster 38 Buyer's Guide
Shopping a used Downeaster 38 on the brokerage market means taking on a traditional Down East cruiser built by Down East Yachts between 1974 and 1981, with 251 produced, the same yard also turning out the DE 32, DE 45, and pilothouse DE 41. These are boats conceived by Bob Poole and designed with Henry Morschladt, offered originally as cutter, ketch, or schooner but most often found as cutters, and known for extensive owner modification over the years. A buyer should expect a full-keel fiberglass hull with attached rudder, a clipper bow, and a wineglass stern rather than a modern production boat.
Layouts on the Used Market
The standard used Downeaster 38 carries the cutter rig with roller-furling jib and club-boom staysail, jiffy-reefed main on deck-stepped aluminum spars, and a raised cabin trunk with large windows giving 6-foot 4-inch headroom. Below, the broad near-12-foot beam opens a forward double berth, main-cabin settees with pilot berths or a convertible double to port, a centerline double sink galley, opposite chart table and quarter berth, and three iceboxes. Cockpit seats run wide to the hull sides for lounging, with lazarette hatches either side of the helm and a vented propane locker to starboard. The original Farymann 24-horsepower raw-water-cooled diesel with hand-cranking is frequently replaced by a larger freshwater-cooled engine.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Used boats often carry heating, solar panels, and a wind generator, signaling a shift toward autonomous power that matters for off-grid cruising, while a frequent short-handed setup and autopilot speak to the cockpit's known singlehanding difficulty. Navigation is commonly modernized with radar and chartplotter, and sail handling often includes a spinnaker plus canvas in the form of bimini and dodger. Dinghy davits appear often, reflecting tender stowage for anchoring cruising. Buyers should view such clusters as evidence of how each owner compensated for the boat's traditional layout.
What to Inspect
Owners report leaks at the hull-to-deck connection as bedding fails with age, and the concealed fasteners make the sources hard to find and remedy. The large cockpit should be verified to drain readily if she takes green water, and cabin windows must have storm shutter provision for sea use. The original mainsheet led to a stern block abaft the helm, an awkward and unsafe arrangement worth checking for retrofit. Wide cockpit seats and a wheel close to the seats impede movement, so assess whether a tiller conversion or winch relocation has been done.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Downeaster 38s typically appear in the United States and United Kingdom. For a buyer, the checklist is straightforward: confirm hull-to-deck joint condition and any leak repair history; verify cockpit drainage and window shutters; check engine swap and freshwater cooling; review rig and canvas for short-handed suitability; and inspect the traditional cockpit for singlehanding modifications.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Downeaster 38. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 2 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 26 | 1 | $40,085 | — |
| Aug 26 | 1 | $38,000 | -5.2% |
Where they're listed
Downeaster 38 listings appear across 1 country. United Kingdom has the most listings with 1.
Country view
1 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $40,085 | 1 | 0 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
8 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Island Packet 38 | 38' | $ 99,000 | 56 | 22 |
| Caliber 38 | 38' | $ 81,758 | 18 | 4 |
| Downeast 38 | 38' | $ 30,000 | 15 | 1 |
| Shannon 38 | 37.75' | $ 73,674 | 12 | 1 |
| Downeast 38 Cutter | 38' | $ 35,000 | 7 | 0 |
| Endurance 38 | 37' | $ 87,338 | 4 | 0 |
| LeComte 38-1 | 38.25' | $ 42,900 | 3 | 0 |
| Downeaster 38You are here | — | $ 39,042 | 2 | 1 |