Kadey-Krogen 38 Buyer's Guide
Shopping a used Kadey-Krogen 38 on the brokerage market means chasing a small, purposeful cohort: only eighty-five were built between 1981 and 1991, and most survivors still serve as shallow-water cruisers rather than floating condos. The centerboard gunkholer premise shapes everything a buyer should weigh, from the board trunks to the modest engine choices that define the ownership experience.
Layouts on the Used Market
The standard 38 carries a V-berth forward, head and saloon amidships, and a starboard aft galley, with an unusual athwartship berth port aft and teak veneer surfaces over teak-and-holly soles. A few owner-modified boats exist, such as the designer's own 1987 ketch Pelican with its aft berth removed for cockpit length, but most follow the cutter-rig factory plan. The deep-keel version at 5 feet draft appears alongside the tandem-centerboard boat, and the two should not be confused at survey.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Well-found examples commonly carry solar, autopilot, chartplotter, watermaker, inverter, furling main, hot water, radar, air conditioning, heating, lithium batteries, bow thruster, freezer, and AIS — a power-and-comfort cluster that lets a couple live aboard off-grid. Often-seen canvas and energy additions include a wind generator, bimini, and dodger. Less common owner upgrades run to spinnaker or asymmetric spinnaker, cockpit shower, transatlantic completed, or a short-handed setup; treat those as individual-boat extras rather than standard fit.
What to Inspect
The engine lineage is the first check. Original boats left with a 30 HP Pathfinder diesel that was underpowered, and later units mostly moved to the Perkins 4-108 or the 4-108 Perkins 50 HP and the Westebeke W46, still felt slightly weak, as the Jordan Yacht Brokerage review recorded anchor. Confirm which plant is installed and budget for modest thrust rather than brisk passages. Early hulls from Chien Hwa Boat Builders were not as well built as later ones, so inspect the layup for quality and look for the closed-cell PVC with mat-and-rovings hand work the builder described in that same review anchor. Exercise the tandem centerboards through their full 3'2" to 6'8" travel and check trunk seals for leakage, since shoal draft depends on that machinery. Verify the skeg-hung fiberglass rudder for play or crazing, and test the stainless steel fuel tanks for corrosion at seams.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats turn up in the United States and Greece. For a viewer weighing a specific hull, the practical list is short:
- Confirm the engine model and accept modest power
- Inspect layup quality; prefer later hulls
- Cycle the centerboards and check trunk seals
- Test rudder for free play
- Verify stainless fuel tank integrity
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Kadey-Krogen 38. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 4 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 25 | 1 | $79,900 | — |
| Mar 26 | 4 | $74,900 | -6.3% |
| Apr 26 | 4 | $79,900 | +6.7% |
| Jul 26 | 1 | $61,162 | -23.5% |
Where they're listed
Kadey-Krogen 38 listings appear across 2 countries. United States has the most listings with 8 (88.9%), followed by Greece.
Country view
9 listings · 2 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $74,900 | 8 | 0 | 88.9% |
| Greece | $61,162 | 1 | 1 | 11.1% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
9 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Siltala 38 | 37.5' | $ 110,729 | 59 | 17 |
| Island Packet 38 | 38' | $ 99,000 | 56 | 22 |
| Cabo Rico 38 | 38' | $ 89,000 | 25 | 7 |
| Caliber 38 | 38' | $ 81,795 | 18 | 4 |
| Downeast 38 | 38' | $ 30,000 | 15 | 1 |
| Shannon 38 | 37.75' | $ 73,674 | 12 | 1 |
| Kadey-Krogen 38You are here | — | $ 74,900 | 9 | 1 |
| Morgan 38 | 37.67' | $ 69,000 | 5 | 1 |
| Endurance 38 | 37' | $ 87,418 | 4 | 0 |