Dix 38
Description
The Dix 38, also known as the Dix 38 Pilot, is a steel-hulled, bluewater cruising sailboat designed by South African naval architect Dudley Dix in the early 1990s, distinct from his plywood Didi 38. It’s a robust, long-range cruiser intended for serious offshore passages, offering a blend of durability, comfort, and moderate performance for liveaboard couples or small families (2-4 people). With a pilothouse option for sheltered steering, it’s designed for high-latitude or tropical cruising, emphasizing safety and self-sufficiency in challenging conditions. The design prioritizes ease of handling for short-handed crews and is suitable for amateur or professional construction, though steelwork requires more skill than Dix’s plywood designs. As of October 2025, a modest number of plan sets have been sold, with builds (e.g., in South Africa and North America) noted for their tank-like strength and customization potential, often compared to production steel boats like the Amel 36 at a lower cost.
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 53.81 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 13.78 ft |
| p | 47.57 ft |
| e | 14.76 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53.81 ft | 13.78 ft | 47.57 ft | 14.76 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 47.57 ft - (14499 mm) |
| Foot | * 14.76 ft - (4499 mm) |
| Leech | * 49.04 ft - (14947 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 88 ° |
| Diagonal | * 49.31 ft - (15030 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | * 361.2 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 44.43 ft - (13542 mm) |
| Foot | * 17.69 ft - (5392 mm) |
| Leech | * 39.86 ft - (12149 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115.02 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 15.85 ft - (4831 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | * 352.1 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 53 ft - (16154 mm) |
| Foot | 21.489 ft - (6550 mm) |
| Leech | 51.18 ft - (15600 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 149.42 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 20.59 ft - (6276 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 2.25 ° |
| Area | * 545.68 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 52 ft - (15850 mm) |
| Foot | 18.75 ft - (5715 mm) |
| Leech | 49.5 ft - (15088 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 129.32 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 17.82 ft - (5432 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.72 ° |
| Area | * 463.42 ft² |
| Sail Type | ASYMMETRICAL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 53 ft - (16154 mm) |
| Foot | 23.5 ft - (7163 mm) |
| Leech | 50 ft - (15240 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 934 ft² |
| Sail Type | YANKEE |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 44.43 ft - (13542 mm) |
| Foot | * 19.2 ft - (5852 mm) |
| Leech | * 37.15 ft - (11323 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115.02 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 15.85 ft - (4831 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 19.98 ° |
| Area | * 352.17 ft² |
| Sail Type | STAYSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 36.9 ft - (11247 mm) |
| Foot | 9.02 ft - (2749 mm) |
| Leech | 34.28 ft - (10449 mm) |
| Area | * 152.35 ft² |
| Sail Type | STORMJIB |
|---|---|
| Luff | 29.527 ft - (9000 mm) |
| Foot | 12.303 ft - (3750 mm) |
| Leech | 22.145 ft - (6750 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 60.67 % |
| Length Perp | * 8.36 ft - (2548 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 32.8 ° |
| Area | * 123.49 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. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.