Seafarer 38

[svfrolic]

I am looking for info about Philip Rhodes design - Seafarer 38:
http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_ID=1027
I wonder if anybody has some experience with this boat or know about any of these boats doing some offshore voyaging.

[Hugh17]

I don't think there is a Seafarer Forum on this web site. I have a Seafarer 29, but am not familiar with the S38. A couple links that will help are:

SEAFARER FORUM at SAILBOAT OWNERS.COM
Seafarer - SailboatOwners.com

SEAFARER FORUM at SAILNET
Seafarer - SailboatOwners.com

SEAFARER ARCHIVED INFO at FLORIDABOATS.NET
Seafarer Yacht

Also, there is a SEAFARER YACHT GROUP on Facebook with over 100 Seafarer owner/members. It is a great resource for networking with other owners or potential owners.
Log In | Facebook

The Seafarer 38 was designed by noted naval architect Phillip Rhodes. She is a classic design boat as are all the Seafarers. The earlier boats were built in Holland, but most were manufactured in Huntington, New York. The boat still enjoys a very loyal group of owners, which says a lot for the quality of manufacturing. I hope this helps.

[engele]

I know this is a late response. I have a Seafarer 38 and I love it. There are few boats out there that are a better value. We have had to upgrade quite a bit to make the boat what we wanted it to be, but now it is the boat we will be cruising on. Our upgrades were generally due to old rigging, old sails, old electronics, and just a lack of maintenance, not anything wrong with the boat itself. I've heard that a few other builders have used the molds for the 38, but I don't want to quote wrong, so look into it. Phillip Rhodes sales one as his personal boat, and his daughter owns it today. It was also sold as a rhodes 38 or 40 (again memory fails, but look into it). I think it's a great boat.

[davidlaing]

I have a 1974 38C ketch (Roundelay) with bowsprit, davits, and standard rig, including a stayless forestaysail.
PROS:
Sails beautifully fully rigged or under jib & jigger; very easy to singlehand, even with no lines led aft; tracks well; reasonably close-winded; easy motion in a seaway; gorgeous lines; palatial interior; nice teak parquet cabin sole; shower with tub; very easy engine access; shoal draft (4.5').
CONS:
A bit tender; very low-budget interior (wood grain vinyl crudely heat-sealed to all surfaces; I've removed most of it); one-piece FG liner with poor access to tankage and plumbing, often requiring cutouts; significant blister issue (sloppily repaired by a former owner; I'm redoing it as we speak, complete with barrier coat, a BIG job!); halyards run through blocks on tangs, not thru masthead fitting; sole of steering quadrant compartment delaminated, affecting steering (fixed with brace); wide coachroof limits passage on side decks; significant windage can interfere with backing up.
Overall, I'm very satisfied, and plan to keep Roundelay (my 6th hole in the water) for the long haul.

[souljour2000]

Phil Rhodes knew a thing or two..sounds like a great boat..the only real drawbacks it sounds like that might be a dealbreaker is the narrow catwalks...that is something i am a stickler about when you get above 34-36 feet..I want to have some room there finally..lol
But like I said..overall that sounds like a gerat boat...and plenty of bang for the buck with those seafarers..i know..I owned a '71 S-24 swing keel traditional deck...they are cool boats

[Allan S]

This an even later reply, but we just bought a Seafarer 38, cutter rigged sloop. Great boat, but I might be a wee bit biased