Design and Construction
Prout built the 38 with solid fiberglass hulls and decks, iron ballast, and twin fixed keels. The keels are durable and serve as effective grounding plates that protect the rudder when the cat is beached—a genuine advantage for a cruiser likely to be dried out or nudged ashore.
There is a real trade-off. The fixed keels add drag and lack lift when sailing to windward, so the hull form favors security and shoal-water access over windward finesse.
This isn’t a light boat, in part because the accommodation plan fills almost the entire gross dimensional envelope. The brochure lists a dry displacement of 14,330 pounds and a maximum recommended weight of 20,170 pounds. Each hull sinks roughly an inch for every 950 pounds added, making the flotation difference between dry and loaded conditions about 6 inches. That predictable sinkage makes load planning unusually straightforward for a cruising cat.
Above the waterline, the 38 has a large molded foredeck and no forward trampoline, favoring a solid bridgedeck walkway over the open netting found on many performance cats. The result is a secure, sculpted package that one editorial review rated among the better-looking cruising catamarans in this size range.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The mast stands on the aft bulkhead of the cabinhouse, a rig geometry Prout had used for years on this model. This arrangement produces a small, blade-like mainsail paired with a large foretriangle.
The brochure lists no working jib, only a 481-square-foot genoa, and gives a total sail area of 707 square feet. At an averaged displacement of 17,250 pounds, the sail-area-to-displacement ratio is 16.95 using 100 percent of the foretriangle, rising to 18.2 with the genoa factored in. The D/L spans 156 light to 219 loaded.
Together, those figures describe a moderately powered cruiser whose drive sits forward in the rig rather than in the mainsail. The layout is better suited to reaching and downwind sailing than to climbing close-hauled.
Accommodations
The Prout 38 is arranged for three couples, a rare layout that uses the full beam to provide private staterooms without the compromises of a central island berth. One head is in the port hull, while the sunken galley occupies the starboard hull. This keeps cooking out of the main saloon traffic and lowers the center of gravity.
A cool box is fitted in the forward stateroom, an unusual feature that adds cold storage beyond the galley. Overall, the plan suits extended coastal or offshore cruising with guests rather than minimalist voyaging.
Engines, Capacities, and Draft
Twin 20-horsepower diesel sail-drives provide auxiliary propulsion. That redundancy matters on a catamaran, where a single engine failure need not strand the boat.
Fuel capacity is 65 gallons, while water capacity is 90 gallons. Those figures are consistent with the boat’s loaded weight and its three-couple accommodation brief. A draft of 3 feet 3 inches reinforces the shoal-water intent already evident in the fixed keels.
The Verdict
The Prout 38 is a thoughtfully packaged cruising catamaran that trades windward lift for grounding security and remarkable living space. Its predictable flotation, protected rudders, and twin-engine redundancy make it a sensible offshore companion. Meanwhile, the aft-stepped rig and forward-driven sail plan favor relaxed reaching passages over beating to windward.
For a couple—or three pairs—who value room and peace of mind more than racing pedigree, the Prout 38 remains a coherent design.
Pros
- Accommodation uses nearly the whole envelope, with berths for three couples and a separate head and galley
- Fixed keels serve as durable grounding plates and protect the rudder when beached
- Predictable load behavior: each hull sinks about one inch per 950 pounds
- Twin diesel sail-drives provide propulsion redundancy
Cons
- Fixed keels add drag and provide poor lift to windward
- Small mainsail and large foretriangle limit close-hauled drive
- Not light; maximum recommended weight reaches 20,170 pounds
