Hull Design and the Centerboard Concept
The defining feature of the Hood 38 is its swing centerboard, which transforms the boat's draft from a shoal-friendly 1.20 meters to a working depth of 3.30 meters — a range almost unheard of in a vessel of this displacement. This is not a compromised shoal-draft cruiser with a modest board tacked on; it is a thoroughbred centerboarder with genuine windward capability when the board is fully deployed, while retaining the ability to explore thin water and dry out on a beach that a fixed-keel yacht of equivalent size simply cannot. The ballast-to-displacement ratio sits above 47 percent, so the boat carries meaningful righting moment at all board positions. The hull form is long and lean — eleven point six meters of deck stretching ahead of the helmsman — and Hood gave it the kind of elegance and breed that makes it a pleasure to look at as well as sail.
Rig and Offshore Handling
The Hood 38 carries a masthead sloop rig sized to push that hull efficiently across a wide range of conditions. Close-hauled performance reaches within 30 degrees of apparent wind, which is exceptional for a cruising centerboarder of this weight class. Downwind, with the board raised to reduce wetted surface and drag, the boat achieves averages that surprised its original reviewers. The helm is a wheel rather than a tiller, appropriate for a boat where the cockpit is the command center for extended passages. Owners who have taken the Hood 38 offshore consistently find the hull tracks well under autopilot — one vessel logged roughly 8,000 miles offshore under electronic self-steering without significant complaint, the main autopilot issue being an undersized in-line fuse that was easily corrected by consulting the instruction manual.
Accommodations and Interior
Wauquiez built the Hood 38 as a genuine liveaboard cruiser, and the interior reflects that priority without apology. Teak was used extensively throughout, giving the accommodations a refined warmth that was considered luxurious even by the standards of European production boatbuilding. The volume below is, by the yard's own account, among the most generous of any comparable vessel, a claim that holds up when you consider the beam and the way the centerboard trunk is managed to preserve usable floor space. The Mk I and Mk II interior variants allow buyers to choose the layout that best suits their cruising style while sharing the same proven hull, which means the structural integrity of either version is identical.
Known Issues and Aging Considerations
Like any fiberglass cruiser approaching or past four decades old, the Hood 38 demands systematic inspection before going offshore. The areas that warrant the most attention on boats of this era are standing rigging and chainplates, through-hulls, and — specific to the centerboard design — the board trunk and pivot hardware. On the rigging question, experienced offshore sailors advise that standing rigging on a boat this age should be replaced as a matter of course, as no inspection method can fully assess internal wire fatigue or chainplate corrosion behind a liner. Through-hulls in bronze are generally more forgiving than later plastic-bodied fittings, but they still deserve thorough inspection and replacement if provenance is unknown. The centerboard mechanism itself — the pendant, the pivot pin, and the trunk seal — adds a maintenance variable that fixed-keel owners never face, and buyers should budget time and money for this system accordingly.
Refit Potential
The Hood 38 has proven itself a rewarding refit subject. The hull's proven offshore capability and the scarcity of centerboard cruisers at this displacement make it worth investing in. One example completed multiple ocean passages to and from the Caribbean after a thorough bluewater refit, validating the design's fundamental soundness. Common upgrade priorities include replacing aged electrical systems, upgrading autopilot installations with a larger drive unit matched to the boat's offshore loads, and addressing any osmotic blistering in the underbody — a risk across most fiberglass boats built in this era. The centerboard trunk should be inspected for delamination or weeping, as this is the structural element most likely to have suffered from decades of movement and exposure. Because the Mk I/Mk II division affects only the interior, a well-preserved hull of either mark is equally suitable as a starting point.
The Verdict
The Wauquiez Hood 38 is a rare thing: a shoal-draft cruiser that does not ask you to sacrifice windward performance for the privilege of anchoring in thin water. Ted Hood's design gives the boat genuine speed, a handsome sheer, and a comfortable interior in a package that 179 owners over eleven years found compelling enough to buy new. It remains a niche choice, partly because the centerboard demands respect and maintenance, and partly because hulls of this quality and pedigree are not surrendered cheaply. For the sailor who understands what the boat offers and is willing to meet its maintenance requirements, it is one of the most capable and characterful offshore cruisers that French production boatbuilding ever produced.
Pros
- Centerboard swings from genuinely shoal draft to deep offshore draft in the same hull
- Close-winded performance (within 30 degrees apparent) exceptional for a cruiser of this type
- High ballast-to-displacement ratio delivers real stability under all board positions
- Generous, teak-finished interior volume
- Proven on transatlantic and Caribbean passages
- 179-hull production run provides reasonable parts and knowledge community
Cons
- Centerboard trunk and pivot hardware add a maintenance variable fixed-keel owners avoid
- Age of surviving hulls demands systematic inspection of rigging, chainplates, and through-hulls before offshore use
- Limited production numbers mean parts and specialist knowledge are harder to source than for mainstream cruisers
- Mk I/Mk II interior differences can complicate direct comparisons between examples
