Phantom 38 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the used Phantom 38 means looking at a Streuer-designed German cruiser from Phantom Yachtbau Genzel, built from 1976 as a monohull of solid fiberglass with a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder. These are boats of serious displacement — about 20,900 pounds with 8,600 pounds of lead ballast — and the examples that reach buyers today reflect a marque intended for ocean-distance cruising rather than day sailing.
Layouts on the Used Market
The Phantom 38 carries six berths within a 39-foot hull and an 11.3-foot beam, a volume plan that suits two couples or a family on extended trips. The masthead sloop rig rises 46 feet from the waterline and serves a 662-square-foot sail plan, while the shaft-drive inboard layout remains the standard mechanical arrangement. Draft runs 5.58 to 5.88 feet by load, so any candidate's floating attitude at survey tells you how she was last equipped and stored.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
A bow thruster is commonly fitted on brokerage boats, a consequence of the 38's 20,900-pound displacement and fin-keel turning habits in tight marinas. Beyond that single dominant upgrade, most other gear on these yachts appears as owner-fitted variety rather than standard spec, so buyers should assess each boat's energy, canvas, and navigation setup individually against their own plans.
What to Inspect
The Phantom 38's documented construction is solid fiberglass without core in hull or deck, so survey should focus on the about 419 square feet of wetted surface and the immersion rate of 1,553 pounds per inch that reveals how heavily a given hull was loaded. The shaft-drive transmission is the known mechanical path, and the consistent 14 mm sheet diameters across jib, genoa, mainsheet, and spinnaker let a buyer verify rigging wear against a single standard.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Typical markets for the Phantom 38 are the Netherlands, Germany, and Spain, where Genzel-built cruisers of this era concentrate. For a buyer, the short checklist is: confirm the bow thruster function, check the solid-glass hull for osmotic or impact history, verify shaft-drive alignment, and assess berth and rigging condition against the six-berth, 662-square-foot original brief.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Phantom 38. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 3 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25 | 2 | $52,018 | — |
| Dec 25 | 1 | $33,564 | -35.5% |
| Apr 26 | 1 | $33,564 | 0.0% |
Where they're listed
Phantom 38 listings appear across 3 countries. Netherlands has the most listings with 2 (50.0%), followed by Germany and Spain.
Country view
4 listings · 3 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | $33,564 | 2 | 0 | 50.0% |
| Germany | $51,966 | 1 | 0 | 25.0% |
| Spain | $52,070 | 1 | 0 | 25.0% |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sigma 38 | 38.33' | $ 52,051 | 21 | 2 |
| Caliber 38 | 38' | $ 81,484 | 18 | 4 |
| Nicholson 38 | 37.83' | $ 32,488 | 13 | 4 |
| Dehler Optima 98 | 32.15' | $ 28,497 | 8 | 1 |
| Phantom 38You are here | — | $ 42,740 | 4 | 0 |