Sabre Yachts 38 MKII

BoatsSabre Yachts 38 MKII

See her sail

The Sabre Yachts 38 MKII, on the water

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

Footage from Practical Sailor

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 27 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 27

CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.93

LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 243

EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 16.8

TenderStiff

39% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 39%

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

What the fleet has seen

The Sabre Yachts 38 MKII, as the fleet has seen it

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

The Sabre Yachts 38 MKII is a masthead sloop designed by Roger Hewson and built by Sabre Yachts from 1988 to 1995, with 115 hulls produced. It measures 11.8 meters LOA, has a 3.8-meter beam, a 2.0-meter draft, and displaces 7665 kg. The hull features a fin with a rudder on a skeg, and shoal draft (wing keel) and keel/centerboard versions were also available. Aboard the Sabre Yachts 34, a similar model, common maintenance concerns include water intrusion at the keel-stepped mast, leaking chain plates, and deck core saturation around fittings.5:33 Engine access for the standard Westerbeke 27A diesel is tight, particularly for stuffing box maintenance.6:03 The design provides a stable platform suitable for coastal cruising and shorthanded sailing.5:08

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen once across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model for sale, and the asking prices that came with it.

1seen for sale

$28,000Median asking

A specific Sabre 34 Mark II in Georgia is for sale for $28,000, used as an example of the models market value
from Practical Sailorseen April 20260:46

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

39.0%

Rig & sail area

Rig

Masthead Sloop

Ratios

SA / displacement

16.8

Displacement / length

243.2

Comfort ratio

27.4

Capsize screening

1.93

Hull speed

7.5 kn

Pounds / inch immersion

1384

Hull

Hull type

Fin with rudder on skeg

Construction

Fiberglass

Ballast type

Lead

Production

Years built

1988–1995

Units built

114

Designer

Roger Hewson

Builder

Sabre 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.

RM Yachts 118011.80 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Marc Lombard-designed performance cruiser featuring a wide beam, dual rudders, and a powerful cutter rig

Why This "Wooden" Sailboat Is Faster, Warmer, and Stronger - the RM 11800:47 from Practical Sailor

C&C Yachts 3911.96 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 1971-1974 production masthead sloop with a moderate displacement-to-length ratio, balanced for coastal cruising

Bris 12 ft dinghy floor board repairs from Epiphany Sailing

Sadler Yachts 3811.79 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Stephen Jones-designed masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, built for performance cruising.

Packing for the winter sail from SEILmagasinet

Morgan Yachts 38211.68 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Ted Brewer-designed masthead sloop built for offshore stability, featuring a skeg-hung rudder and a stiff displacement

Morgan 382 - The $30K Boat Nobody Talks About from Practical Sailor

Cal Boats 4011.99 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA legendary offshore racer with 160 built, featuring a light displacement and a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio

Hank Easom17:41 from LIFE ON THE WATER

Feeling 3911.70 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Philippe Briand-designed masthead sloop with a high sail area-to-displacement ratio built for performance cruising

Spearfishing Bounty of Off-Grid Sailboat Living (Days 83 to 95/100 Water World Challenge)0:45 from Adventureman Dan

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.

Sabre Yachts 38A masthead sloop designed for performance, featuring a fin keel and spade rudder for responsive handling Sabre Yachts 42A short-run production cruiser from the late eighties, featuring a 41% ballast ratio for stability in a 12.7-metre hull Sabre Yachts 36A 1985-1990 production cruiser with a 41% ballast ratio and a 1.93-metre draft for deep-water coastal performance Sabre Yachts 28-1A Roger Hewson-designed masthead sloop featuring a skeg-mounted rudder and a stiff 42% ballast ratio for coastal cruising Sabre Yachts 30-2A short-run masthead sloop from the Sabre design team, featuring a skeg-mounted rudder for stability and control Sabre Yachts 32A masthead sloop with a skeg-mounted rudder, designed for balanced performance and stability in a mid-sized cruiser

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

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