Design and Construction
The hull is a monohull with a keel and centerboard paired to a spade rudder, built in solid fiberglass with lead ballast of 6,500 pounds set against a displacement of 15,400 pounds. That 42.21 percent ballast-to-displacement ratio, combined with the 330.58 displacement-to-length figure, marks her as a heavy, volume-oriented cruiser rather than a lightweight racer. The centerboard plan gives a board-up draft of 3.75 feet for shallow gunkholing and a board-down draft of 9.58 feet for offshore stability, a flexibility that defines the design's bluewater-and-harbor brief.
Rig and Handling
Above the waterline she carries a masthead sloop rig with a 100 percent sail area of 610 square feet, split between a 270-square-foot main and a 339.38-square-foot fore sail, on an I of 45.25 feet and a J of 15 feet. With a sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 15.83, the review record describes her as a heavy sailboat that is slightly under powered, a consequence of the 15,400-pound displacement carried on a 27.5-foot waterline toward a 7.03-knot hull speed. What she lacks in light-air acceleration she recovers in composure: the same assessment rates her as very stable and stiff with an excellent righting capability if capsized, and a capsize screening value of 1.69 places her among conservative offshore profiles. The 33.97 comfort ratio reinforces the picture of a steady, accommodating sea boat best suited as a bluewater cruising boat.
Accommodations and Systems
Her 10.5-foot beam and 80-gallon water capacity support extended living aboard, yet the original specification shows a short water supply range as a known limitation. The single engine and 30-gallon fuel capacity are likewise originally small, a trait consistent with a cruiser engineered around sail propulsion rather than motoring.
Known Issues
The shortcomings are systemic to the original tankage philosophy rather than structural defects. The fuel capacity is originally small at 30 gallons, and the water supply range is short despite the 80-gallon stated volume, both reflecting period cruising assumptions that owners would rarely run the auxiliary or linger at anchor without resupply. A shopper or owner should read these as design-era constraints, not as evidence of failure.
The Verdict
The Irwin 38-1 is a Ted Irwin cruiser of unambiguous conservative intent: heavy, stiff, and forgiving if knocked down, with a centerboard hull that widens her cruising ground from thin coastal shelves to open ocean. She is no lightweight performer and the original tankage was never generous, but the righting ability and ballast discipline make her a credible passage-maker for the sailor who values steadiness over speed.
Pros
- Excellent righting capability and very stiff, stable hull behavior
- Centerboard keel gives 3.75 ft shallow draft and 9.58 ft deep draft
- Conservative capsize screening and comfort ratios for bluewater use
Cons
- Slightly under powered for her displacement
- Originally small fuel capacity (30 gallons)
- Short water supply range from the factory specification
