MG 38 Buyer's Guide
The MG 38 is a scarce British-built Humphreys design from MG Yachts, a 37.8-foot fractional sloop conceived as a club racer with real cruising ability. With only 49 produced from 1985, she is an uncommon find on the brokerage market, and any shopper should understand both her race-leaning character and the specifics of what a used example carries.
Layouts on the Used Market
Every MG 38 shares the same Humphreys hull: a 12-foot beam on a 28.3-foot waterline, solid fiberglass construction, and a fin keel with spade rudder. The accommodation plan is the same one that let the commissioning owner's family cruise from the Shetlands to Brittany, and the boat is roomier than 62 percent of comparable designs. What varies between used boats is mostly equipment and engine fit rather than the core layout, since the design was built to a single commissioning brief rather than a sprawling model range.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
The single most consequential factory option is the inboard Volvo Penta diesel, which some boats carry and others may not. Beyond propulsion, the rig is fully specified by original control-line dimensions: halyards of 119.8 feet at half-inch diameter and sheets of 14 mm, with the mainsheet at 94.5 feet. A buyer should check that any used boat's running rigging matches these lengths and diameters, as mismatched replacements are common on race-cruisers that have changed hands. The deep draft — about 6.56 to 6.86 feet under load — is fixed by the fin keel and is not a variable upgrade.
What to Inspect
Inspection should center on the specifics that are known. Verify the draft under load matches the expected 6.56 to 6.86 feet, since a hull sitting deeper signals accumulated weight or ballast issues. Confirm the Volvo Penta diesel installation where fitted, and check all halyards and sheets against the original 12 mm and 14 mm diameters. The capsize screening value of 2.03 is a design limit rather than a fault, but it confirms the boat was never intended for ocean-race certification.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Regional availability is not characterized in the available material, so shoppers should treat the MG 38 as a boat to seek through specialist brokers rather than a common listing. For a buyer, the checklist is short and specific:
- Confirm fin-keel draft of 6.56–6.86 ft under load
- Verify Volvo Penta diesel where equipped
- Match all halyards/sheets to original diameters
- Expect a roomy-but-lively hull, not an offshore passagemaker
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
5 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dehler 38 | 38.71' | $ 243,243 | 50 | 16 |
| Sabre 38 | 37.83' | $ 49,999 | 45 | 14 |
| Sigma 38 | 38.33' | $ 52,124 | 21 | 1 |
| Northshore 38 | 37.99' | $ 51,953 | 11 | 5 |
| Morgan 38 | 37.67' | $ 69,000 | 5 | 1 |