Columbia 38

Description

The Columbia 38 is an American-built fin-keel racer-cruiser designed by the renowned Bill Tripp Jr. and introduced in 1965 by Columbia Yachts (California), with roughly 200 hulls produced until production ended in the mid-1970s. At 37 feet 9 inches LOA with a 10-foot 6-inch beam, moderate displacement of 15,800 lbs. (6,800 lbs. ballast), and a fairly deep 5-foot 4-inch standard keel (deep 6-foot 10-inch and later shoal 4-foot 6-inch options existed), it was one of the pioneering fiberglass IOR-influenced designs that helped shift production boats toward better performance. The masthead sloop rig carries about 685 sq ft of sail, giving it respectable speed and notably good light-air manners for its era, while the separated spade rudder and long fin provided agile handling that was considered advanced in the 1960s. Below decks it offers a then-spacious layout with a V-berth forward, large saloon with drop-leaf table, U-shaped galley, proper nav station, enclosed head with shower, and a generous aft quarter berth—sleeping six comfortably. Well-regarded for its stiff, seaworthy nature and attractive sheer, the Columbia 38 won many races on the West Coast and Great Lakes in its day and remains a fast, good-looking classic cruiser. After Columbia folded, the molds moved to Hughes Boat Works in Canada, where the essentially identical boat was improved (raised coachroof, better interior finish, etc.) and sold as the Hughes 38 from 1978–1987, making the two names often interchangeable among owners today.