Design and Construction
Van de Stadt gave the 38 a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder beneath a solid fiberglass hull, and the published ratios show where she sits as a cruiser. Her displacement-length figure of 401 earns her the "ultra heavy cruiser" classification, and only 7 percent of comparable designs are heavier. The 42 percent ballast ratio is higher than 62 percent of similar sailboats, while a length-beam ratio of 3.12 makes her roomier than two-thirds of other designs. A motion comfort value of 39.9 means she is more comfortable than 95 percent of similar sailboats, a figure that matters more to a couple cruising than to a weekend racer.
Rig and Handling
The boat carries a masthead sloop rig with a wetted surface of roughly 409 square feet and a draft that runs 6.23 to 6.53 feet depending on load, which limits her to major marinas. Standing sail-handling dimensions are generous: the mainsheet runs about 94.7 feet and the genoa and jib sheets about 37.9 feet, all sized at 14 mm diameter. Under power she may carry a 38 hp inboard diesel on a shaft drive, with a calculated top speed near 5.2 knots against a theoretical hull speed of 7.3 knots. The capsize screening value is 1.70.
Accommodations
Below, the Trintella 38 provides two cabins and six berths, with headroom described as above average for the class. Her length-beam ratio of 3.12, already noted among design figures, translates directly into that interior volume: she is more spacious than 66 percent of similar designs. Tankage supports extended stays — 264 US gallons of fresh water and 92 US gallons of fuel.
The Verdict
The Trintella 38 is a heavily built van de Stadt cruiser with comfort and stability biased toward offshore and long-haul use rather than speed. Her limited production keeps her off the common brokerage radar, but the design numbers argue for a seakindly, roomy hull with serious tankage.
Pros
- Ultra-heavy displacement hull with comfort ratio above 95 percent of peers
- High ballast ratio and limited draft suited to major-marina cruising
- Above-average headroom and six-berth, two-cabin layout
- Large water and fuel capacity for extended cruising
Cons
- Draft of 6.23–6.53 ft restricts anchorage and shallow-port access
- Low sail-area-displacement ratio (13.99) and 5.2 kt calculated speed favor passage-making over performance
