Hallberg-Rassy 38 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a Hallberg-Rassy 38 means considering a discrete Enderlein-designed generation built from 1977 to 1986, with 202 hulls produced. Known also as the HR 38, this Swedish-built cruiser pairs a solid fiberglass hull with an encapsulated iron keel and a traditional mahogany-and-teak interior. For a buyer, the appeal is a well-documented volume carrier with two cabins and seven berths rather than a modern performance platform.
Layouts on the Used Market
Every example follows the same essential plan: two cabins and seven berths, a galley, and a toilet facility, with saloon headroom of 6' 1". The high freeboard and low superstructure give good volume below and a large deck, while the well-laid-out interior centers on stowage for stores and personal belongings. A large 400-litre fresh-water capacity and 350-litre diesel tank support passage-making without modification. The encapsulated iron keel in a deep bilge removes external keel bolts from the inspection picture, and the solid hull is structurally simple to assess.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Teak decks, autopilot, heating, dinghy davits, chartplotter, solar, radar, life raft, and bow thruster are commonly fitted to boats on the market. Often-seen additions include hot water, bimini, spinnaker or asymmetric spinnaker, and a swim platform. Less commonly, buyers will find inverter, electric winches, dodger, wind generator, gennaker, or AIS as owner upgrades. For a cruising buyer, the meaningful clusters are power and energy — solar and sometimes a wind generator or inverter backing the Volvo Penta MD 21 — and canvas and sail handling, where a bimini or spinnaker reflects how the prior owner used the boat. Navigation commonly centers on chartplotter and radar, with AIS a rarer addition.
What to Inspect
A buyer should confirm the condition of the encapsulated iron keel's glass skin, the solid fiberglass hull, and the traditional interior joinery through standard age-related survey practice.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These yachts typically appear in Spain, the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, the United States, and Curaçao. For a shopper, the practical checklist is: verify hull and keel-skin integrity on the solid glass and encapsulated iron; confirm the Volvo Penta MD 21 and 55 HP drivetrain service history; assess teak deck and mahogany interior condition; check for commonly fitted cruising gear — autopilot, heating, solar, bow thruster; and confirm the two-cabin, seven-berth layout meets your liveaboard or passage plan.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Hallberg-Rassy 38. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 11 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25 | 3 | $77,236 | — |
| Oct 25 | 2 | $67,162 | -13.0% |
| Nov 25 | 4 | $100,000 | +48.9% |
| Dec 25 | 1 | $59,215 | -40.8% |
| Jan 26 | 3 | $100,000 | +68.9% |
| Mar 26 | 3 | $71,130 | -28.9% |
| Apr 26 | 7 | $67,162 | -5.6% |
| Jun 26 | 3 | $106,340 | +58.3% |
| Jul 26 | 1 | $100,743 | -5.3% |
| Aug 26 | 4 | $100,183 | -0.6% |
| Sep 26 | 1 | $110,817 | +10.6% |
Where they're listed
Hallberg-Rassy 38 listings appear across 10 countries. France has the most listings with 6 (21.4%), followed by Spain and United Kingdom.
Country view
28 listings · 10 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | $108,579 | 6 | 2 | 21.4% |
| Spain | $67,162 | 5 | 0 | 17.9% |
| United Kingdom | $46,369 | 4 | 0 | 14.3% |
| Denmark | $94,191 | 3 | 0 | 10.7% |
| United States | $100,000 | 3 | 0 | 10.7% |
| Greece | $100,743 | 2 | 2 | 7.1% |
| Croatia | $99,624 | 2 | 0 | 7.1% |
| Australia | $111,732 | 1 | 0 | 3.6% |
| Germany | $99,624 | 1 | 1 | 3.6% |
| Italy | $91,788 | 1 | 0 | 3.6% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
11 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hallberg-Rassy 352 | 34.75' | $ 81,933 | 91 | 25 |
| Hallberg-Rassy 36 | 35.66' | $ 111,377 | 65 | 19 |
| HALLBERG-RASSY 42 | 42.42' | $ 145,406 | 35 | 16 |
| Hallberg-Rassy 38You are here | — | $ 94,191 | 29 | 6 |
| Hallberg-Rassy 39 | 38.88' | $ 179,863 | 28 | 8 |
| Hallberg-Rassy 37 | 37.14' | $ 237,491 | 28 | 6 |
| Passport 40 | 39.42' | $ 99,000 | 27 | 6 |
| Hallberg-Rassy 41 | 41' | $ 84,108 | 20 | 3 |
| Swanson 38 S&S | 38.25' | $ 72,152 | 16 | 4 |
| Hallberg-Rassy 382 | 38.12' | $ 128,727 | 11 | 5 |
| Baltic 39 | 38.76' | $ 74,348 | 8 | 1 |