[1][5] The boat was built by Tillotson Pearson in the United States for Freedom Yachts, starting in 1989.

[1][5] The Freedom 38 is a small recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fiberglass, with wood trim.

It has a free-standing fractional sloop rig, an internally-mounted spade-type rudder and a fixed fin wing keel.

[1][2][5] The boat is fitted with a Japanese Yanmar 3GM diesel engine of 27 hp (20 kW).

[1][5] The boat has a PHRF racing average handicap of 144 and a hull speed of 7.41 kn (13.72 km/h).