Downeaster 38
Description
The Downeaster 38 is a heavy displacement blue water cruising sailboat designed by Henry Mohrschladt and built by Down East Yachts in Santa Ana, California, from 1974 to 1981. Positioned as the flagship of the Downeaster lineup until the rare Downeaster 41 emerged, it was the most popular model with 251 units produced, reflecting its reputation for rugged seaworthiness, traditional Down East aesthetics, and affordability compared to premium competitors like Pacific Seacraft. Inspired by Maine lobster boats, its full-keel design and cutter rig make it ideal for offshore passages, appealing to couples or small families seeking a stiff, capable cruiser for coastal or global adventures.
Construction Details
| Designer | Henry Mohrschladt |
|---|---|
| Builder | Down East Yachts |
| Length | 38.000 ft |
| LOA | 38.000 ft |
| LWL | 29.000 ft |
| Beam | 11.830 ft |
| Displacement | 19500 lb |
| Max Draft | 4.920 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 44.80 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 18.92 ft |
| p | 38 ft |
| e | 16.38 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44.80 ft | 18.92 ft | 38 ft | 16.38 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 38 ft - (11582 mm) |
| Foot | * 16.38 ft - (4993 mm) |
| Leech | * 40.57 ft - (12366 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 40.85 ft - (12451 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 319.46 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 38.91 ft - (11860 mm) |
| Foot | * 26.52 ft - (8083 mm) |
| Leech | * 32.26 ft - (9833 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115.17 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 21.79 ft - (6642 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 11.86 ° |
| Area | * 423.88 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 44.5 ft - (13564 mm) |
| Foot | 29 ft - (8839 mm) |
| Leech | 40 ft - (12192 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 135.04 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 25.55 ft - (7788 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 5.34 ° |
| Area | * 568.45 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 45.5 ft - (13868 mm) |
| Foot | 31.92 ft - (9729 mm) |
| Leech | 42 ft - (12802 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150.11 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 28.4 ft - (8656 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4.25 ° |
| Area | * 646.21 ft² |
| Sail Type | ASYMMETRICAL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 48 ft - (14630 mm) |
| Foot | 32 ft - (9754 mm) |
| Leech | 46 ft - (14021 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 1152 ft² |
| Sail Type | YANKEE |
|---|---|
| Luff | 43 ft - (13106 mm) |
| Foot | 26 ft - (7925 mm) |
| Leech | 33 ft - (10058 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 105.34 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 19.93 ft - (6075 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 17.06 ° |
| Area | * 428.49 ft² |
| Sail Type | STAYSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 34 ft - (10363 mm) |
| Foot | 13 ft - (3962 mm) |
| Leech | 29.25 ft - (8915 mm) |
| Length Perpendicular | * 11.02 ft - (3359 mm) |
| Area | * 187.26 ft² |
| Sail Type | STORMTRYSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 16 ft - (4877 mm) |
| Foot | 13 ft - (3962 mm) |
| Leech | 20 ft - (6096 mm) |
| Length Perp | * 13.45 ft - (4100 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * -5.09 ° |
| Area | * 104 ft² |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.