The Catalina 38 is an American sailboat that was designed by Sparkman & Stephens as a racer-cruiser and first built in 1978.
Frank V. Butler purchased the molds and modified the design for production by his company, Catalina Yachts.
It has a masthead sloop rig with aluminum spars, a raked stem, a raised counter reverse transom, an internally mounted spade-type rudder controlled by a wheel and a fixed fin standard draft or shoal draft keel.
[1] The boat is fitted with a Universal Atomic 4 25 hp (19 kW) gasoline engine for docking and maneuvering.
It includes a two-burner stove, an icebox and a double sink, with a pressurized water supply.
That superior upwind performance comes with a draft that approaches 7 feet, a limiting factor for some cruising sailors.