Nantucket Island 38 Buyer's Guide
Shopping a used Nantucket Island 38 means evaluating a Taiwan-built, early-1980s Peter Cole & Associates design whose paper trail is strong on dimensions and weak on condition history. The buyer's work centers on what the specification and known facts establish and what to physically verify at the dock.
Layouts on the Used Market
The constant across every hull is the systemic background: 37-foot-7-inch length overall, 12-foot-1-inch beam, 80 gallons of diesel, 110 gallons of water, and a single 42-horsepower diesel. Any specific interior arrangement must be confirmed in person rather than assumed from a listing.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
Nothing can be stated about commonly fitted generators, watermakers, canvas, or navigation suites beyond the original masthead sloop rig. The as-built rigging is fully specified — 108-foot, 1/2-inch halyards for main, jib/genoa, and spinnaker; 0.55-inch sheets including a 93.9-foot mainsheet; and 1/2-inch cunningham, kicking strap, and clew outhaul lines — so a buyer can measure existing gear against original sizes to judge whether upgrades or replacements have been made. A 135 percent genoa brings sail-area-to-displacement to 17.7, a useful reference when assessing a re-rigged sail plan.
What to Inspect
The Island 38 presents no structural defects, osmotic blistering, deck-coring failures, or rigging breakages in the available record. The viewing should focus on verifying the as-built facts: confirm the solid fiberglass hull and deck, check that the fin keel is intact, and measure loaded draft against the 5.51-to-5.81-foot range. Verify the original rigging diameters and lengths against what is presently installed, since no known-issue pattern tells you where to expect wear.
Buyer's Takeaway
- Confirm hull and deck are solid fiberglass
- Check fin keel for damage
- Measure loaded draft between 5.51 and 5.81 feet
- Compare installed rigging to original 1/2-inch and 0.55-inch sizes
- Verify single 42-horsepower diesel and 80/110-gallon tank figures
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Nantucket Island 38. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 1 row
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 25 | 1 | $69,500 | — |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
7 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Island Packet 38 | 38' | $ 99,000 | 56 | 22 |
| Sabre 38 | 37.83' | $ 49,999 | 46 | 17 |
| Beneteau First 38 | 40.2' | $ 34,846 | 34 | 7 |
| Ohlson 38 | 37.06' | $ 53,135 | 16 | 5 |
| Northshore 38 | 37.99' | $ 52,072 | 11 | 5 |
| Hinckley Yachts 38 | 37.5' | $ 73,750 | 10 | 6 |
| Morgan 38 | 37.67' | $ 69,000 | 5 | 1 |