At just under 38 feet overall, with a waterline length of 27 feet and change, she is a traditional moderate-displacement cruiser rather than a lithe racer. She displaces 16,500 pounds, carries 5,500 pounds of lead ballast, and has a beam of 10 feet 6 inches. Those figures place her firmly at the comfortable, load-carrying end of the cruising spectrum.
Design and Construction
The Seafarer 38 is a fiberglass monohull with wood trim. Her fixed modified long keel, cutaway forefoot, and keel-mounted rudder are paired with wheel steering. She draws 4 feet 6 inches, which keeps her manageable in shallow anchorages without sacrificing the directional stability a long-keel cruiser is expected to deliver.
A clipper bow, raised counter, and angled transom give the boat a profile that signals her designer’s pedigree more clearly than any specification sheet. Her ballast-to-displacement ratio is 33 percent, and her capsize screening value is 1.65. Both figures place her in the steady, seakindly class of coastal and offshore cruisers.
Rig and Handling
Despite the Seafarer 38 Ketch name, the design came with a masthead sloop rig as standard, while cutter and ketch rigs were optional. Short and tall masts were available, and the cutter could be fitted with a bowsprit.
The sloop sail plan totals about 489 square feet: a 218-square-foot mainsail and a 270-square-foot jib or genoa. Its foretriangle measures 36.8 feet in hoist and 14.7 feet at the base. A hull speed of 7 knots frames the Seafarer 38 as a boat that finds her stride under moderate canvas rather than one that screams offwind.
The wheel-steered, keel-rudder arrangement and cutaway forefoot give her a predictable, forgiving helm during the close-quarters maneuvering of day-to-day cruising.
Accommodations
The Seafarer 38 sleeps six, with clear separation between the sleeping spaces. A double V-berth fills the bow cabin, and the main cabin has a U-shaped settee arranged around a drop-down table for meals and lounging. Two single berths occupy the aft cabin, suiting a cruising family or a couple sailing with guests.
The galley is to starboard, just forward of the companionway ladder, and includes a three-burner stove, an ice box, and a double sink. Opposite it, also described as being on the starboard side, is the navigation station. The head lies on the port side, just aft of the bow cabin, and includes a shower. This arrangement keeps wet gear and daytime traffic away from the forepeak sleeping area.
Tankage and Power
The boat carries 60 U.S. gallons of fuel and 150 U.S. gallons of fresh water. That generous capacity supports extended stays away from shore.
Auxiliary power comes from a Perkins Engines 108 diesel, a robust unit suited to the boat’s displacement and tankage for long passages or extended gunkholing.
Verdict
The Seafarer 38 is a thoughtfully arranged cruiser that combines traditional long-keel manners with practical accommodation for six and serious tankage for her size. The range of available rigs means that no two boats are necessarily equipped alike, but the core design remains a steady, comfortable passagemaker.
Pros
- Distinctive clipper bow and raised-counter profile
- Sleeps six in separate bow, main-cabin, and aft berths
- Large fresh-water and fuel capacities for a 38-foot cruiser
- Forgiving keel-and-wheel steering arrangement with a cutaway forefoot
Cons
- The fixed modified long keel limits shallow-water access compared with fin-keel rivals
- Rig configurations vary widely between individual boats, complicating comparisons
