Island Packet 38 Sailboat Review, Specs, and Listings

Design and Construction

The 38 is a safe, heavy, solidly built, full-keel yacht whose hull was molded in one piece with strong triaxial glass unified with a molded interior grid structure hand-laid fiberglass construction. The deck was cored with a synthetic material nearly impervious to rot, and all deck hardware was through-bolted with aluminum backing plates, while the deck itself was attached to the hull flange with bolts, lock nuts and adhesives. The builder claimed the core of its sandwich construction does not take in moisture like balsa or other fillers. Chainplates are embedded in the fiberglass hull rather than mounted externally, and the keel is lead encapsulated in fiberglass, providing stability, directional control, and protection for the propeller and rudder. A skeg-hung rudder with stainless steel stock and a balanced shape completes the steering arrangement.

Rig and Handling

She is a long-keeled aft-cockpit cutter with a keel-stepped anodized aluminum mast carrying two sets of spreaders and supporting a mainsail, staysail, and genoa on twin backstays. The cutter-style standing rigging uses stainless steel wire with swaged terminals and turnbuckles, and the boat is fitted with self-tailing Lewmar winches, a mainsheet traveler, a boom vang with preventer package, and a single-line reefing system. In-mast furling for the mainsail and roller furling for the headsails were specified for convenience. The full keel hull is relatively slow and the boat is not particularly responsive in light or moderate air, but easy to handle and maintain is how she is regarded by owners and reviewers alike.

Accommodations

Below, the 38 can accommodate up to seven people in three separate cabins, with headroom topping out at 6 feet 4 inches. The forward cabin has a large Pullman berth with ample storage and an ensuite head with shower. The main saloon holds a U-shaped dinette that converts to a double berth, a settee that converts to a single berth, and a fold-down table, while the navigation station sits to starboard forward of the galley. The U-shaped galley is equipped with an LPG range with oven, double deep sinks, a 14-cubic-foot icebox, teak dish rack, and cutlery drawers, and hot and cold water pressure serves the galley and both heads. The aft cabin has a large double berth, a hanging locker, and access to the second head with shower. Four dorade vents assist ventilation.

Cockpit and Deck

The roomy cockpit features a shower, folding swim ladder, and cavernous lockers, with high coamings, long seats, and a folding table. A single wheel mounted on a pedestal with instruments and engine controls steers the boat. Wide side decks, high bulwarks, sturdy handrails, and numerous opening ports and hatches bring light and ventilation, and a molded-in nonskid surface adds safety underfoot.

Power and Capacity

A 44-horsepower freshwater-cooled Yanmar diesel drives a direct shaft, with a 57-gallon fuel tank and provision for a supplemental flexible tank. The boat carries 157 gallons of water and 30 gallons of holding capacity. A vinylester resin barrier coat on the fiberglass hull was intended to prevent osmosis.

The Verdict

The Island Packet 38 is a deliberately comfort-oriented offshore cruiser whose solid hand-laid construction, encapsulated lead keel, and embedded chainplates speak to a builder focused on durable, low-maintenance bluewater capability rather than pace. Her three-cabin layout and generous tankage suit extended cruising, though the full keel and heavy displacement make her sluggish off the wind.

Pros