The resulting 37-foot-9-inch boat has a length-to-beam ratio of 3.17. It combines that generous beam with a fine entry, minimal overhangs, and pronounced rocker that lifts the canoe body at the stern. The hull was conceived for racing under the IRC rule.
Design and Construction
Below the waterline, the Salona 38 has a hand-laid FRP hull of monolithic and sandwich construction, with a sandwich deck above. Clear gelcoat below the waterline allows the laminate to be inspected visually.
A stainless steel lattice runs the length of the saloon and spans the shroud base. It ties the keel, mast step, and shrouds into the hull’s inner moulding, while massive keel bolts secure the appendage. The builder also added carbon-fibre panels at hull stress points and claimed that the layup exceeds Germanise-Lloyd specifications—in some criteria by twice the required margin.
The single-skin slamming zone below the bow avoids core shear under heavy loads. Integrated watertight collision bulkheads are fitted forward and aft.
Rig and Handling
The Salona 38 carries a triple-spreader fractional rig with spreaders swept 20 degrees. It preserves the proportions of the 37’s rig, but with slightly greater mast height and sail area. A narrow shroud base allows tight headsail sheeting and a free choice of overlap.
The German mainsheet system runs beneath the sidedecks and emerges just forward of the coaming winches. On the test boat, this angle indicated that the arrangement should prevent winch-drum overrides. The traveler spans the cockpit sole, though the builder’s brochure says it can be moved to the cabintop. A below-deck jib-furling drum keeps the foredeck clean.
Under power, the test boat’s 30 hp Yanmar saildrive delivered better than 7 knots with little noise and almost no vibration. The boat maneuvered responsively without prop walk. Its deep rudder responded instantly to two-finger wheel inputs.
Sailing to windward, the Salona 38 settled happily at 28 to 30 degrees apparent while making more than 5 knots. On a tight reach, it accelerated briskly past 7 knots.
Deck and Cockpit
The deck has a relatively narrow coach house, wide sidedecks, and strip windows along each side. The more vertical stern adds cockpit length and width, improving the twin-wheel layout.
The twin wheels are notched into the coamings, allowing the helmsperson to sit on the sidedeck seats and steer without stretching. Fold-down wedges in the sole provide foot braces, and the helmsman’s chocks fold flush.
The large, open-transom cockpit has a teak cover panel over the sole-mounted traveler. Its teak-faced transom beam can be removed for racing or anchor access. Farther forward, teak toerails on sections of the deck help the crew stay aboard.
Accommodations
Three interior arrangements were offered:
- Three staterooms with one forward head
- Two staterooms with heads forward and aft
- Two staterooms with one aft head
The short cabintrunk reduces headroom forward and at the saloon beam ends. Otherwise, the light interior, finished in horizontal-grain wood, is carried over virtually unchanged from the Salona 37.
The port-side galley has a gimballed three-burner stove with an oven and a foldaway panel that extends the counter. An 80-litre top-loading freezer and a 50-litre day fridge sit beneath the double sink.
Opposite the galley is a full navigation station with a chart table and electronics center. The saloon seats six around a drop-side table, and the settee backs lift Pullman-style to form crew bunks.
In the forward cabin, the vee-berth lifts on gas struts to provide sail storage beneath a large deck hatch. An optional forward head sits beneath a second port hatch. The main head, aft of the navigation station, includes a shower and wet locker.
Verdict
The Salona 38 is a thoughtfully developed performance cruiser. It trades some forward headroom for a strong, well-braced hull and a cockpit designed for both short-handed cruising and IRC competition. Its structural grid, watertight bulkheads, and clean deck plan make it a serious offshore candidate, while the choice of layouts allows a buyer to favor cruising comfort or charter-style capacity.
Pros
- Stainless steel lattice running the length of the saloon ties together the keel, mast, and shrouds, with massive keel bolts
- Watertight collision bulkheads forward and aft
- German mainsheet routing that should prevent winch overrides
- Responsive deep rudder, light helm, and minimal prop walk with the test boat’s 30 hp Yanmar
- Three interchangeable cabin layouts, including a three-cabin charter option
Cons
- Short cabintrunk reduces headroom forward and at the saloon beam ends
- Variable panel fit was noted on the test boat despite oversized hardware
