Hunter 38 Buyer's Guide
The Hunter 38 has been a familiar name on the used market since Hunter Marine first built the design in 2004 with Glenn Henderson as designer, and used Hunter 38s turn up across several regions as a comfort-oriented 38-foot cruiser. Shoppers will find two interior layouts and a pool of factory and owner-added equipment that shapes the right boat for a given budget and cruising style.
Layouts on the Used Market
Owner three-cabin arrangements are the more common on the used market, but both the Owner’s Version with a single large aft stateroom and the tri-cabin version with two aft cabins are available, and ex-charter examples are common. The Owner’s Version shows a 78-by-60-inch berth aft and a single head serving saloon and stateroom, while the tri-cabin splits the stern for separate sleeping. Either layout carries the same 6-foot-6 saloon headroom, L-shaped galley, and port nav station.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Most boats will already carry the systems that define modern cruising comfort. Commonly fitted items include a furling main, chartplotter, bimini, autopilot, dodger, air conditioning, inverter, hot water, and heating, so a buyer can expect climate control and basic navigation without immediate expense. Often-seen additions are a cockpit shower, swim platform, and solar, the latter a useful trickle-charge for house loads. Less common owner upgrades run to electric winches, radar, simplified short-handed sail handling, dinghy davits, lithium batteries, and a freezer; these appear on some boats and signal a seller who invested in extended independence ashore and afloat.
What to Inspect
The cockpit’s documented weak point is a lack of storage space, so check whether the small port locker and propane locker meet your gear stowage needs and confirm the emergency hatch under the starboard seat is intact anchor. Below decks, the chart table extends so far aft that the navigator’s seat cannot be fully elevated; verify this limits your use of the nav station if you plan to navigate from inside. Neither item is structural, but both bear on liveability.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats are typically found in the United States, Canada, Spain, United Kingdom, Italy, and Australia. When viewing a Hunter 38, confirm the layout fits your crew, check the cockpit stowage and nav seat ergonomics, and verify which of the common comfort systems are present versus owner upgrades. A short checklist: layout type and ex-charter history; furling main and arch traveler condition; cockpit and nav-station storage limits; climate and power systems fitted.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Hunter 38. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 15 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 25 | 4 | $66,950 | — |
| Feb 25 | 1 | $35,000 | -47.7% |
| May 25 | 3 | $89,000 | +154.3% |
| Jul 25 | 2 | $76,900 | -13.6% |
| Aug 25 | 5 | $109,000 | +41.7% |
| Sep 25 | 19 | $97,900 | -10.2% |
| Oct 25 | 4 | $81,200 | -17.1% |
| Jan 26 | 19 | $110,000 | +35.5% |
| Feb 26 | 1 | $97,212 | -11.6% |
| Mar 26 | 11 | $103,715 | +6.7% |
| Apr 26 | 29 | $109,000 | +5.1% |
| May 26 | 11 | $95,000 | -12.8% |
| Jun 26 | 13 | $107,500 | +13.2% |
| Jul 26 | 10 | $107,450 | -0.0% |
| Aug 26 | 4 | $109,316 | +1.7% |
Where they're listed
Hunter 38 listings appear across 6 countries. United States has the most listings with 106 (86.2%), followed by Canada and Spain.
Country view
123 listings · 6 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $105,000 | 106 | 25 | 86.2% |
| Canada | $103,553 | 6 | 0 | 4.9% |
| Spain | $103,715 | 5 | 0 | 4.1% |
| United Kingdom | $95,175 | 4 | 1 | 3.3% |
| Australia | $104,007 | 1 | 0 | 0.8% |
| Denmark | $106,397 | 1 | 0 | 0.8% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunter Marine 38You are here | — | $ 104,078 | 124 | 27 |
| Hunter 33 | 32.67' | $ 64,229 | 100 | 24 |
| Hunter Marine 36 | 35.92' | $ 75,000 | 91 | 26 |
| Hunter Marine 380 | 37.25' | $ 75,000 | 75 | 17 |
| Beneteau Oceanis 38 | 37.73' | $ 163,491 | 72 | 20 |
| Hunter Marine 336 | 33.5' | $ 37,900 | 67 | 11 |
| Hunter 386 | 38.25' | $ 85,900 | 37 | 4 |
| Hunter Marine 39 | 39.42' | $ 129,000 | 22 | 5 |
| Marlow-Hunter 33 | 33.5' | $ 79,900 | 13 | 5 |
| Marlow-Hunter 36 Legend | 35.73' | $ 78,777 | 13 | 6 |
| Marlow-Hunter 37 | 39.08' | $ 187,500 | 8 | 5 |