Yankee 38 Buyer's Guide
Shopping the brokerage market for a Yankee 38 means chasing a small slice of early-1970s American yacht history. Built by Yankee Yachts Inc. in California from 1972 to 1975 with only about 30 produced, she is the Sparkman & Stephens racer-cruiser that Catalina later reworked into the Catalina 38. Buyers will find her almost entirely in the United States, where the handful of surviving boats change hands quietly rather than in volume.
Layouts on the Used Market
The Yankee 38 is a 38-foot fin-keel monohull with a skeg-hung rudder and tiller steering, a 28.67-foot waterline, and 11.75-foot beam. Her racer-cruiser pedigree carries a more traditional feel than the Catalina derivative, and the original layout reflects that S&S character rather than the later deck and interior tweaks Catalina introduced. With a 30-gallon diesel tank and 60-gallon water capacity, she was set up for coastal sailing rather than long independent voyaging.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
The authority sources itemize no specific factory-fitted or owner-added equipment tiers for this model, so a buyer should evaluate each boat on its own merits. The most consequential items to confirm are those that affect power, energy, and sail handling: the original 30-horsepower Vire 491 diesel, the masthead-sloop rig with its 115-percent genoa, and any tiller or steering-system refurbishment. Navigation and comfort gear vary by owner, but none of it defines the boat the way the protected skeg rudder and fin keel do.
What to Inspect
With the builder long defunct and only about 30 hulls ever made, verify that any fiberglass repair matches the original higher-quality layup owners prize, and confirm that mechanical spares for the Vire 491 are still obtainable anchor. The skeg-hung rudder should be checked for integrity at the skeg attachment, given its role in protection and tracking.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
These boats are found in the United States. For a shopper, the practical checklist is short:
- Confirm Sparkman & Stephens Yankee 38 identity, not a Catalina 38
- Inspect skeg-rudder attachment and original layup quality
- Verify Vire 491 diesel runs and spares are available
- Expect no factory support; budget for owner-led maintenance
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Yankee 38. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 1 row
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 25 | 1 | $39,000 | — |
Where they're listed
Yankee 38 listings appear across 1 country. United States has the most listings with 1.
Country view
1 listings · 1 country| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $39,000 | 1 | 0 | 100.0% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
7 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swanson 38 S&S | 38.25' | $ 79,480 | 18 | 6 |
| Ohlson 38 | 37.06' | $ 53,139 | 16 | 5 |
| Northshore 38 | 37.99' | $ 52,074 | 11 | 5 |
| Hinckley Yachts 38 | 37.5' | $ 73,750 | 10 | 6 |
| C&C 38-2 | 37.58' | $ 30,500 | 9 | 4 |
| Morgan 38 | 37.67' | $ 69,000 | 5 | 1 |
| Sparkman & Stephens 38You are here | — | $ 39,000 | 1 | 0 |