Want To Buy: Yankee 38 info

[Transpac 67]

Looking for a Yankee 38 on west coast.

[roverhi]

You probably know this but the Catalina 38 was derived from the hull of the Yankee 38. Catalina bought the molds from Yankee when they closed. Catalina did massage the stern a little using a spade rudder instead of a skeg but modifications supposedly made the boat faster and handle better. Would assume the Catalina deck and interior would be better suited to cruising as well. On the other hand, Yankee had a reputation for better construction standards.

[Transpac 67]

Thanks for the feedback. After 40 years I think I would prefer a more basic boat that was very well built. The exposure of a spade rudder in the Pacific Northwest around the San Juan Islands does not seem like the best idea. In my estimation the quality of the boats was not the same either.

[Paul J. Nolan]

And, of course, the original boat was Lightnin', a S&S one tonner that won the NA one ton championship. Bright red. Ted Turner bought her after she won the championship, if I recall correctly. That was the era in which, if you beat Turner, he'd buy your boat on the dock after the race.

The Catalina 38 is probably the world's longest production run of any IOR boat.

Paul

[Transpac 67]

There is a boat in LA for sale. It is aluminum and it is called "Lightnin". The color is now white and it has a self steering rudder on the back. Obviously someone has been cruising her. There are some other modifications like a dog house with solar panels on top. It may be the boat Ted Turner used in the original one ton races. Sad to see.

[Transpac 67]

Hello to all. We found a Yankee 38 in the Seattle area that was parked for a long time. I will be looking for answers to our questions as we get the boat prepared for the cruising season. I am glad that this source is available.