Alajuela 38
Description
The Alajuela 38 is a classic American bluewater cruising sailboat designed by renowned naval architect William Atkin, with influences from earlier double-ender designs like the Ingrid 38 and Goucho, tracing back to Colin Archer's 19th-century lifeboat concepts. Built by Alajuela Yacht Corp. in Port Townsend, Washington, from 1977 to 1985, it emerged during the cruising boat boom sparked by the Westsail 32, emphasizing seaworthiness, durability, and long-distance voyaging over speed or racing. The hull was hand-laid fiberglass with bronze fittings cast in-house, and the design "evolved" through input from industry experts rather than a traditional drawing-board process. Approximately 72-81 factory-completed boats were produced, plus kits and bare hulls; some molds may have been used in Taiwan for Bently 38 variants. A Mark II version (introduced around 1980) featured a revised rig by Raymond Richards for improved performance. Owners praise its tank-like construction and ability to handle heavy weather, with one early example, Wathena, placing second in the 1976 Newport to Ensenada race despite light winds.
Construction Details
| Designer | William Atkin |
|---|---|
| Length | 38.000 ft |
| LOA | 46.000 ft |
| LWL | 32.580 ft |
| Beam | 11.500 ft |
| Displacement | 27000 lb |
| Max Draft | 5.580 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 47.90 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 19.67 ft |
| p | 41.60 ft |
| e | 17.60 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 47.90 ft | 19.67 ft | 41.60 ft | 17.60 ft | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 41.6 ft - (12680 mm) |
| Foot | * 17.6 ft - (5364 mm) |
| Leech | * 44.32 ft - (13509 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 44.6 ft - (13594 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 375.07 ft² |
| Sail Type | ASYMMETRICAL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 50 ft - (15240 mm) |
| Foot | 33 ft - (10058 mm) |
| Leech | 47 ft - (14326 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 1238 ft² |
| Sail Type | SPINNAKER |
|---|---|
| Stays | * 49.19 ft - (14993 mm) |
| MidGirth | * 35.41 ft - (10793 mm) |
| Foot | * 35.41 ft - (10793 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 1481 ft² |
| Sail Type | YANKEE |
|---|---|
| Luff | 40.37 ft - (12305 mm) |
| Foot | 19.12 ft - (5828 mm) |
| Leech | 28.33 ft - (8635 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 28.38 ° |
| Area | * 245.02 ft² |
| Sail Type | STAYSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 31.22 ft - (9516 mm) |
| Foot | 16.83 ft - (5130 mm) |
| Leech | 27.15 ft - (8275 mm) |
| Length Perpendicular | * 14.62 ft - (4456 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 5 ° |
| Area | * 228.18 ft² |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite.