The Ericson 38 Fits the Bill for a Variety of Buyers Because it Seems to do Just About Everything Well.

Introduced in 1980, the Ericson 38 was designed by the incomparable Bruce King whose talent for drawing beautiful boats of near perfect proportions ranks him with the likes of Herreshoff, Stevens, Rhodes and Tripp.

The Ericson 38 is certainly a conservative design so it should come as no surprise to anyone that I am fond of this model. The length overall is 37 feet, 8 inches; beam is 12 feet and displacement is 15,500 pounds. Originally the Ericson 38 was built with a low aspect 4-feet, 11-inch fin keel as standard equipment. A highly tapered "competition" fin was offered as an option that drew 6 feet and 6 inches. This was somewhat unusual in that shoal rather than deep draft was the standard equipment.

When Ericson became part of Pacific Seacraft in 1990, several design modifications took place and the original low aspect fin keel was replaced with the option of a wing or bulb keel configuration both drawing 5 feet, 3 inches. Ericson 38s that have been measured under the IMS rule show a stability index of a 5-foot, 3-inch draft model nearly nine degrees greater than for the four-foot, 11-inch draft model. This suggests newer models would be noticeably stiffer than the older shoal draft versions and perhaps a better choice if plans call for some extended offshore sailing. I would opt for the bulb over the wing keel simply because it would be easier to recover from the inevitable grounding in the Chesapeake Bay mud.

For the most part, the hull of the classic Ericson 38 is constructed of a solid composite of fiberglass and resin although some core material is used in flat sections above the waterline to add stiffness without excessive weight. The Ericson 38 utilizes an elaborate system of high strength fiberglass fabric and high-density foam to form a structural grid of transverse floors and longitudinal stringers. The grid is bonded to the hull throughout the bilge. Components such as keel, engine beds, mast step, structural bulkheads and rigging loads are all connected to the grid, resulting in a very rigid and strong structure.

The deck structure is a molded fiberglass composite with core throughout. There is a molded fiberglass toe rail, eliminating the high maintenance and often-leaky teak toe rail found on many cruising boats of this size and quality. The hull and deck are mechanically fastened as well as bonded with fiberglass cloth and resin effectively forming a monocoque structure.

Older model Ericson 38s, usually before 1990, are likely to suffer from some degree of osmotic blistering of the bottoms unless they've received remedial repairs. Other common flaws on the older models include leaky ports, deck fittings and chain plates. Cheap foam engine room insulation will likely have disintegrated, and plastic through hull fittings should be carefully inspected for cracks at the flanges.

The decks are well laid out and feature substantial deck hardware strongly secured with backing plates. There is an anchor locker forward and rigging shrouds are well inboard for easy passage fore and aft. There is a T-shaped cockpit with 36-inch destroyer wheel and, while the cockpit area is suitably sized, the foot well is a bit cramped to make space for the quarter berth cabin below.

The accommodation plan saw several modifications over the years, but all of them featured a V-berth cabin forward and a main salon with a U-shaped dinette to port and a settee to starboard. In early model boats, the head is forward of the main salon along the port side and was later moved aft of the salon along the starboard side. The starboard, aft galley was reconfigured and relocated to the port side on later models and the large port side quarter berth of early models was eventually reconfigured and made even larger for a legitimate enclosed quarter berth cabin. No mater which layout, all are comfortable for long term cruising, offer a nice break from the typical interior arrangement found on many designs of this era and provide plenty of secure storage space.

From its introduction until the time that Pacific Seacraft took over construction, the standard engine for the Ericson was the 4 cylinder, 32 hp, fresh water- cooled, Universal M-40 diesel. I have seen at least one of these early models with the larger 44 Hp, M-50 Universal diesel installed and I would expect this was an optional installation. When Pacific Seacraft took over, the company equipped its first models with the 43 hp Volvo engines, later replaced with the 38 Yanmar engine. All these options provide plenty of horsepower for the 38's displacement o 15,500 pounds and should provide years of service if properly maintained.

Keeping track of more recent Ericson 38 models is tricky. Pacific Seacraft built the 38 in the early 1990s; the company offered Pacific Seacraft Ericson 38 fin and wing models in the middle 1990s and later the Pacific Seacraft Ericson 380.

The Ericson 38 is clearly a cruising boat but her performance is certainly very respectable. With a sail area-displacement ratio of slightly over 18 and a displacement-length ratio of about 240, she has enough power for decent performance in light air yet is not so overpowered to make sailing with a short handed crew impossible or dangerous. However, headsails are large and a good furling system and large self-tailing winches are a must for ease of handling. The narrow shroud base allows for eight degree sheeting angles and, with proper sails and trim, she should be able to sail to within 38 to 40 degrees of the apparent wind without difficulty.

The model is out of production, and Pacific Seacraft changed hands in 2007. Steve Brodie, who bought the company at auction and moved it to the Washington D.C. area on the Pamlico River, says the Ericson assets were not part of the sail and apparently remain in limbo.

Still, the Ericson 38 could fit the bill for a wide variety of buyers looking for a boat in this size range that seems to do just about everything well.

Jack Hornor, NA is the principal surveyor and senior designer for the Annapolis-based Marine Survey & Design Co. Hornor writes for BoatU.S. Magazine and other marine publications.

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