Design and Construction
Krogen conceived the 38 as an ideal sailing cruiser for shallow cruising grounds such as Florida and the Caribbean, and the hull reflects that brief. The tandem centerboard configuration draws just 3 feet 2 inches with boards up and 6 feet 8 inches down, while a separate keel version was offered at 5 feet draft anchor. The Taiwanese yard Chien Hwa Boat Builders produced the fleet, and while the earliest hulls were acknowledged as less refined, the shop kept improving its methods so that most later boats left with a quality layup. The builder described the laminate as closed-cell PVC with heavy hand lay-up using mat and roving, and the rudder is a fiberglass skeg-hung unit. Ballast is encapsulated lead at 7,000 pounds in the centerboard model, with iron used in the deep-keel variant. Above the waterline the boat carries a classic clipper bow and a pirate-stern look with trailboards, and she is beamy for her length.
Rig and Handling
The 38 is cutter rigged, and Krogen's own words capture the sailing character better than any spec sheet: writing in the Jordan Yacht Brokerage review, he called her fun to sail, quick to respond, and stiff in a stiff wind, while still able to sneak over roughly three feet of water, handled by two people with no trouble and practically sailing herself with the tandem centerboards anchor. He raced his personal 1987 boat, Pelican, and loved the design. That same owner's yacht was modified into a ketch and had its cockpit lengthened by removing the aft berth, showing the platform could absorb alteration without losing its essential gunkholing nature.
Accommodations
Below, the interior is teak veneer with teak and holly soles, and the joinery reads as a symphony of beautiful teak with warm solid teak hatches overhead. The standard arrangement places a V-berth forward, head and saloon amidships, and the galley aft to starboard, while an unusual athwartship berth sits aft to port anchor. The effect is a warm, traditional cruiser interior rather than a modern open plan, suited to extended shallow-water wandering.
Known Issues
The most documented shortcoming is propulsion. The original 30 HP Pathfinder diesel left the boat underpowered, an odd state for a mainly powerboat-oriented designer's work, and although the yard soon moved to the Perkins 4-108 and later the 4-108 Perkins 50 HP and the Westebeke W46, those too were felt to be a bit underpowered anchor. Early hulls from Chien Hwa also drew the caveat that their construction was not as well built as the later boats, a gap the yard closed through continuous technique improvement rather than a single redesign.
Ownership
Of the eighty-five built, many were still treasured as gunkholing cruisers for Florida and the Caribbean, a sign of enduring affection for a limited-production design. Fuel is carried in stainless steel tanks, and the centerboard machinery plus skeg rudder deserve owner attention, but the teak-rich interior and shallow draft have kept these boats in quiet demand among cruisers who prize thin-water access.
The Verdict
The Kadey-Krogen 38 is a designer's personal statement: a beamy, shallow-draft cutter that trades outright speed for the ability to explore waters closed to deeper keelboats, wrapped in traditional teak warmth. Limited production and an improving build record make later hulls the safer bet, and the underpowered engine lineage is the one persistent caveat.
Pros
- Tandem centerboards enable 3'2" shoal draft yet 6'8" offshore grip
- Traditional teak interior with athwartship aft berth layout
- Designed by Krogen for his own shallow-water cruising
Cons
- Original and later engines regarded as underpowered
- Early hulls from the Taiwanese yard less well built than later boats
