BoatsIsland Packet 38

Island Packet 38

Cutter · Long Keel · 1986–1993

A 38-foot cutter with a 1.52-metre 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 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 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 1986–1993 cutter-rigged sailboat designed by Robert K. Johnson and built by Island Packet Yachts, featuring a long keel, 11.6 m LOA, 3.9 m beam, 1.5 m draft, and 9752 kg displacement. Robert K. Johnson, a mechanical engineer with an MIT master's in naval architecture, founded Island Packet Yachts in 1979, developing a full-foil keel using NACA airfoil sections for tracking stability and gentle motion with less than five feet of draft.7:22 Island Packet hulls are one-piece, hand-laminated solid fiberglass with no keel bolts, triaxial knitted laminate, and a proprietary Polyclad gel coat.7:53 The Island PACKET 38's design reflects Johnson's approach to offshore cruising, prioritizing stability and robust construction.3:18

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Island Packet 38 on video

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
From Sicily to the Balearics by way of Sardinia ⛵ 460 miles by sailboat with Maurizio EP. 11:34from Alfredo Contaldo
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
Tashiba 3610.97 mSame hull family0.6 m shorterA 1986 cutter with a 43% ballast ratio, engineered for heavy-displacement stability and offshore passage-ready motion
Guy deBoer’s 4,000 Mile GGR Qualifier onboard his 1986 Tashiba 36 Spirit 🌊⛵️4:10from Golden Globe Race Official
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
Cape George 3610.97 mSame hull family0.6 m shorterA heavy-displacement cutter with a long keel, designed by Atkin and Monk for offshore stability and steady passage-making
Kirsten Neuschäfer: The Golden Globe Story.2:14from Sailing Magic Carpet
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
Sailing S/V Coralia - Winter Passage to Cape Hatterasfrom Hold Fast!

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

Island Packet 380A 12-metre blue-water cruiser featuring a 1.4-metre draft that balances offshore stability with shallow-water accessIsland Packet 35A 10.77-metre 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-metre 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-metre cutter with a shallow 1.22-metre draft, engineered for stable, long-distance cruising in shoal waters

Keep asking

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