BoatsIsland Packet 38

Island Packet 38

Cutter · Long Keel · 1986–1993

A 38-foot cutter with a 1.52-meter draft, balancing a heavy 4535-kilogram ballast for offshore stability

Designed by Robert K. Johnson.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Long Keel

See her sail

The Island Packet 38, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Be The Captain

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a moderate beam gives 33 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 33
CoastalBluewater

1.83 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.83
LightHeavy

267 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 267
EasygoingPowered-up

15.3 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 15.3
TenderStiff

47% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 47%

A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.

  • Heavier than ~75% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~84% of boats her size on file

Compared with 412 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

What the fleet has seen

The Island Packet 38, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Island PACKET 38 is a Robert K. Johnson-designed cutter-rigged sailboat built by Island Packet Yachts from 1986 to 1993, known for its full-foil keel and high headroom. This 11.6-meter (38-foot) vessel has a beam of 3.9 meters, a draft of 1.5 meters, and displaces 9752 kg.1:55 Its full-foil keel, a signature design element by Johnson, provides tracking stability and a gentle motion while generating hydrodynamic lift.7:22 The hull is a one-piece, hand-laminated solid fiberglass molding with no keel bolts, using triaxial knitted laminate and a proprietary Polyclad gel coat system.8:09 The Island PACKET 38 is considered a bluewater-capable sailboat, offering a balance of robust offshore capability and interior volume.10:25 When evaluating used Island PACKET 38s, buyers should inspect for signs of water intrusion, such as delaminated cabin soles or rotted bulkheads, and check deck hardware for failed bedding.4:11

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 2 times across 2 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Island Packet 38 on video

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model come up for sale.

1seen for sale
1channel looked into buying

  • An Island Packet 38 listed for sale, which has extensive water damage to its decks, interior, and bulkheads due to leaking chain plates and deck screws

    from Be The Captainseen March 2025watch

From the fleet's own footage — our observed signal, not broker listings.

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
46.5%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Cutter
Ratios
SA / displacement
15.3
Displacement / length
267.1
Comfort ratio
32.7
Capsize screening
1.83
Hull speed
7.7 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1494
Hull
Hull type
Long Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
1986–1993
Units built
188
Designer
Robert K. Johnson
Builder
Island Packet Yachts

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Island Packet 4012.19 mSame hull family0.6 m longerA 12.19-meter cutter featuring a 1.42-meter draft that balances offshore stability with shoal-water accessibility
The Performance Sailboat from Island Packet: Blue Jacket 40 Boat Reviewfrom Practical Sailor
Island Packet 370/37911.53 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA long-running cutter produced from 2003 to 2019, featuring a skeg-hung rudder and a stable 1.3-meter draft
[OFF MARKET] Island Packet 370 (SEADUCTION) - Yacht for Sale6:05from Berthon International
Bayfield 3610.97 mSame hull family0.6 m shorterA Haydn Gozzard-designed cutter with a long keel, built for steady, comfortable passage-making.
Bayfield 36 – A Cheap Bluewater Sailboatfrom Practical Sailor
Tayana 3711.18 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA Robert Perry-designed long-keel cutter with a heavy displacement and a production run of nearly 600 hulls
This $59,900 Sailboat Is READY to Sail Away Today! - Ep 359 - Lady K Sailing0:48from Lady K Sailing
Allied Boat Co. Mistress 3912.09 mSame hull family0.5 m longerA heavy-displacement Arthur Edmunds ketch available in both aft and center cockpit configurations for stable cruising
Allied Boat Company: The Fiberglass Sailboat That Changed Everythingfrom Lady K Sailing
Cabo Rico 3811.58 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthAn aft-cockpit evolution of the Tiburon 36, offering a heavy-displacement cutter platform for stable blue-water sailing
S/V Coralia - Coastal Sailing from Port Canaveral to Stuart FLfrom Hold Fast!

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

Island Packet 380A 12-meter blue-water cruiser featuring a 1.4-meter draft that balances offshore stability with shallow-water accessIsland Packet 35A 10.77-meter cutter featuring a 45% ballast ratio, engineered for heavy-weather stability and extended offshore rangeIsland Packet 37A 37-foot cutter with a 1.37-meter draft, balancing offshore stability with the ability to explore shallow anchoragesIsland Packet 32A 32-foot cruiser with a 1.32-meter draft, optimized for shallow-water access and offshore stabilityIsland Packet 40A 12.19-meter cutter featuring a 1.42-meter draft that balances offshore stability with shoal-water accessibilityIsland Packet 31A 10.46-meter cutter with a shallow 1.22-meter draft, engineered for stable, long-distance cruising in shoal waters

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The fleet has more to say

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