Design and Construction
The Voyager 38's hull is solid fiberglass, and she rides a fin keel with a draft that varies between roughly 5 and 5.3 feet depending on load anchor. At 13 feet of beam against her 38-foot length, the 2.92 length-to-beam ratio describes a moderately beamy hull, while the 39 percent ballast ratio and 38.81 displacement-to-ballast figure reflect a vessel weighted for steadiness rather than sprint. Her displacement of 16,800 pounds carries 6,520 pounds of iron ballast. The Motion Comfort Ratio of 25.4 and a capsize screening value of 2.03 place her among predictable, seakindly cruisers of her size.
Rig and Handling
The Voyager 38 is built with a ketch rig, a configuration that splits the sail plan for easier single-handed management and balanced downwind performance. Standing rigging and sheet dimensions are well documented: the jib and genoa sheets each run 11.6 meters at 14 mm diameter, the mainsheet stretches 28.9 meters at the same diameter, and the spinnaker sheet measures 25.5 meters anchor. The wetted surface of the hull bottom is about 419 square feet, and the immersion rate of 1,418 pounds per inch tells the story of a hull that settles deliberately as load increases. Her calculated maximum speed is about 6.6 knots, beneath the theoretical 7.5-knot ceiling for a displacement hull of her length.
Accommodations and Intended Use
The underlying ratios argue for a vessel conceived as a liveaboard-capable cruiser. The 100-gallon water capacity and 60-gallon fuel capacity, paired with the 42-horsepower Mercedes 363 diesel, support extended coastal and offshore passages rather than weekend racing. The ketch rig and moderate draft keep her accessible to most marina basins.
The Verdict
The Trident Voyager 38 is a Primrose-designed cruiser of sober, documented character. The numbers describe a boat built for comfort and range rather than speed, with a ketch rig that rewards short-handed sailing and a draft that invites exploration of shallow anchorages. She is a straightforward fiberglass cruiser whose strengths are steadiness and practicality.
Pros
- Documented solid fiberglass hull and fin keel with moderate, load-dependent draft
- Ketch rig with published sheet dimensions for easy rigging replacement
- Comfort-oriented ratios (Motion Comfort 25.4, capsize screening 2.03)
Cons
- Calculated top speed (6.6 knots) sits well below theoretical hull-speed ceiling
