Ta Chiao CT-38 Sailboats for Sale & Market Overview

The Ta Chiao CT38 is a quintessential example of the "Taiwan Turkey" era of boatbuilding, characterized by heavy displacement, traditional aesthetics, and an abundance of handcarved teak. Designed by the prolific William Garden, the CT38 was produced by the Ta Chiao Shipbuilding Co. in Taiwan during the 1970s and early 1980s. It was built during a period when Western designers sought out Eastern yards to capitalize on low labor costs and highquality timber reserves. The CT38 reflects Garden’s signature style: a graceful, clipperesque bow, a traditional full keel, and often a ketch or cutter rig that prioritizes seakindliness over raw speed. While the yard is perhaps most famous for the larger CT41—a vessel that helped ignite the fiberglass cruising revolution—the CT38 offered a more manageable footprint for couples or solo sailors seeking a rugged, bluewater capable hull with classic lines.