BoatsCheoy Lee Shipyard Ltd. Offshore 38

Cheoy Lee Shipyard Ltd. Offshore 38

Masthead Sloop · Long Keel · First built 1975

A Ray Richards-designed masthead sloop with a long keel, built since 1975 for stable, traditional offshore cruising

Designed by Ray Richards & Raymond Richards.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Hull type
Long Keel

See her sail

The Cheoy Lee Shipyard Ltd. Offshore 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 heavy displacement on a moderate beam gives 32 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 32
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.81
LightHeavy

291 — heavy for her waterline, built to carry stores and ride steadily.

Displacement / length 291
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 15.6

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

  • Draws more than ~81% of boats her size on file
  • Beamier than ~75% 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 Cheoy Lee Shipyard Ltd. Offshore 38, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Cheoy Lee Shipyard Ltd. Offshore 38 is a Masthead Sloop designed by Ray Richards, built from 1975 to the present, with an LOA of 11.6 m, a beam of 3.7 m, a draft of 1.7 m, and a displacement of 8527 kg. It features a long keel hull. A review by Be The Captain notes that the Cheoy Lee Offshore 38, while potentially suitable for offshore cruising, demands excessive maintenance, specifically citing issues with teak deck rot.9:04

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
15.6
Displacement / length
290.9
Comfort ratio
32.3
Capsize screening
1.81
Hull speed
7.4 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
1315
Hull
Hull type
Long Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1975
Designer
Ray Richards, Raymond Richards
Builder
Cheoy Lee Shipyard Ltd

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.

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
Shannon Yachts 3811.51 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthThe inaugural model from Shannon Yachts, this long-keeled cutter was produced with optional pilot house configurations
My Pick for the BEST Offshore Boat at $80K4:44from Be The Captain
Shannon Yachts 38 PH11.51 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA long-keeled cutter designed by Stadel for offshore stability, offering a comfortable motion and steady passage-making
A Sailboat With No Keel? Shannon Shoalsailer 351:37from Lady K Sailing
Island Packet 3811.58 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 38-foot cutter with a 1.52-meter draft, balancing a heavy 4535-kilogram ballast for offshore stability
The WORST Listings I’ve Ever Seen (15 MASSIVE Sailboat Red Flags)15:39from Be The Captain
Downeaster 3811.58 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 1974-era cutter with a 35.4 comfort ratio, built for stable, long-distance voyaging on a heavy-displacement hull
Why Sailors Still Want This Slow Old Cruiser – Down East 38from Practical Sailor
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

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.

Cheoy Lee 38A 1968 masthead ketch with a fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder, balanced for offshore stabilityCheoy Lee Shipyard Ltd. Offshore 33A masthead ketch with a long keel, designed for stable cruising and shoal-water accessCheoy Lee Shipyard Ltd. Offshore 39A rare production run of only eight hulls, this Ray Richards-designed masthead sloop features a fin keel and transom-hung rudderCheoy Lee Shipyard Ltd. Offshore 53 MSA heavy-displacement John Alden masthead ketch designed for stable, long-range cruising with a traditional long keelCheoy Lee Shipyard Ltd. Cruisaire 36A masthead ketch with a long keel, designed by Jules Fleder for stable, comfortable cruising

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