Island Packet · Sailing yacht

Island Packet 38

The Island Packet 38 is a 12.65 m (41 ft 6 in) cutter with a moulded full keel that company founder Bob Johnson drew when it was the largest Island Packet yet; Island Packet Yachts built 188 of them in Largo, Florida, from 1986 to 1993 and then replaced it with the IP40. The ballast sits inside the keel moulding (no keel bolts), rudder and propeller are protected by the keel, and an optional shoal keel with centreboard cut the draft from 1.52 m to 1.22 m. The 1989 factory list specifies a four-cylinder Yanmar of 44 hp with fresh-water cooling – the 4JHE – while the yard’s model tables give 44 or 50 hp, so late boats may carry the 50 hp 4JH2E; many have been repowered since, so read the engine plate before ordering parts. The chainplates are glassed into the hull and, on boats of this age, made of type 304 stainless steel, which Bill Bolin, 29 years at the factory, now advises replacing. Island Packet Yachts, under new ownership since 2017, still builds boats in Florida; the owner’s manual, drawings and each hull’s build record are sold by Island Packet Ancestry, which the yard names as its source for factory documentation.

Manuals & documents

Island Packet Yachts still builds boats, but its website no longer covers the 38: the brochure, the 1989 specification and option list and the yard’s model tables are linked as archived copies of the old ipy.com. The owner’s manual, drawings and build records come from Island Packet Ancestry, which the yard lists among its owner resources; the other links lead to the owners’ groups, magazine reviews and the makers of engine and fittings. We host no manuals or drawings.

Equipment & its manuals

Standard equipment as the builder’s documents list it. Boats were ordered with options and refitted since — check what is actually aboard.

ItemModelManual / pageNote
EngineYanmar 4JHE (44 hp)1,2,3,4Standard from the start: the brochure and the 1989 factory list give a four-cylinder Yanmar of 44 hp with fresh-water cooling; in Yanmar’s range that is the 4JHE (1.644 l, 44 hp at 3600 rpm)Yanmar operation manual JH(2) series 49961-201372, covers the 4JHE (archived)Factory installation: rubber mounts on a reinforced GRP bed with oil pan, mechanical and electric fuel pumps, twin fuel filters, bronze raw-water strainer, insulated engine room with light and blower; access from both sides and behind the companionway ladder. The 4JHE has a smaller bore than the later 4JH2E (78 against 82 mm), so pistons and rings differ.
EngineYanmar 4JH2E (50 hp)5,6,7,3Later boats: the yard’s model tables give 44 or 50 hp; Yanmar’s naturally aspirated 50 hp four-cylinder of those years is the 4JH2E, and a 1992 boat in the IPYOA classifieds has oneYanmar 4JH2E Parts & service pageYanmar’s JH(2) operation manual covers both engines. The yard never said from which hull or year the 50 hp engine was fitted, so check the plate on the engine.
Propeller2-blade fixed (3-blade: option)1,2,41989 factory list: 2-blade propeller as standard, a 3-blade one for USD 70 extra—A 3-blade propeller in place of the stock 2-blade one is one of the usual upgrades (SAILING). Propeller and rudder sit protected behind the keel.
SteeringEdson rack and pinion, destroyer wheel1,2,81989 factory list: Edson rack-and-pinion wheel steering with moulded helm seat, teak cover, stainless destroyer wheel and locking wheel brake—Island Packet had used Edson rack-and-pinion steering since the IP26 Mk II and calls it failsafe: the wheel drives the rudder through gears, not cables. Single-lever engine control beside the helm.
WinchesLewmar 46C ST × 2, 30C ST, 16C ST, 24C1,41989 factory list: two 46C two-speed self-tailers for the jib sheets; main halyard and mainsheet led aft through stoppers to a 30C self-tailer; single-line reefing to a 16C self-tailer; 24C two-speed jib halyard winch on the mast; 10 in lock-in handleLewmar Ocean & EVO winches Parts & service pageThese winches are older than Lewmar’s Ocean range of 1992; our Lewmar page links Lewmar’s 1982 and 1986 service booklets for older winches. Electric winches are a common later upgrade (SAILING).
WindlassAnchorman 700 (option)1,4Electric windlass, a factory option in 1989 for USD 2950; not standard—An electric windlass is one of the usual later additions (SAILING). The factory list does not name the maker of the Anchorman.
Anchor2 bow rollers on the bowsprit platform1,2,8Two stainless tilt-type rollers with bronze sheaves and deck pipes to the forepeak, where a centre divider keeps the two rodes apart—The brochure counts anchors ready on their rollers among the seven standard features of every Island Packet. The bowsprit platform is tied to the bow at the waterline by a ‘dolphin striker’, which Island Packet only dropped with the later IP380.
Mast & riggingKeel-stepped, anodised aluminium; twin backstays1,9,41989 factory list: keel-stepped mast and anodised spars, twin backstays for stern boarding, mid-boom sheeting with a 4:1 traveller, adjustable topping lift, boom vang and preventer, foredeck light at the spreaders, masthead anchor light—IP Home Port gives 3/8 in (9.5 mm) wire for the uppers and 5/16 in (8 mm) for the forward and aft lowers and the backstays, with maximum Loos PT-3 readings of 38–41 for the uppers, 23–26 for the lowers and 26–29 for the backstays, depending on temperature.
Mast & riggingRunning rigging (factory sizes)10,9From Island Packet’s customer service: main halyard 7/16 in × 121 ft, jib halyard 7/16 in × 100 ft, mainsheet 1/2 in × 74 ft and jib sheets 1/2 in × 160 ft, all Samson LS; staysail halyard 3/8 in × 85 ft, staysail sheet 7/16 in × 84 ft, staysail clew line 3/8 in × 65 ft, traveller control 3/8 in × 29 ft; main topping lift a 5/16 in × 30 ft tail on 1/8 in × 38 ft 7×7 wire—The yard published the sizes so owners could buy replacements locally; in metric terms 7/16, 1/2 and 3/8 in are about 11, 12 and 10 mm. Colours: main halyard green, jib halyard red, sheets white with a coloured fleck.
SailsMain (2 reefs) + 110 % jib; staysail optional1,2,41989: triple-stitched mainsail with two reefs and a 110 % jib as standard; the staysail package (sail, hardware, rigging, club boom, cover, traveller) cost USD 2950 extra, a 130 % genoa USD 895 and a fully battened main USD 675—The 870 sq ft of the brochure include the staysail. Many owners have since fitted a full-batten main with a Dutchman flaking system and a bigger genoa (SAILING).
FurlerChosen per boat (no factory system)1,4The 1989 option list offers a sun panel and luff tape on the jib for roller furling, with the system to be specified by the buyer—So the make varies from boat to boat; SAILING notes that boats of this age may be due for new roller furling.
Hatches & ports6 Lewmar hatches · 13 opening ports1,6,11,121989: six Lewmar deck hatches (Lexan and aluminium) and 13 opening ports with screens in polished stainless steel; the first boats had plastic ports, changed to aluminium in the 1986 model year and to stainless in 1987—Island Packet still sells port gaskets, screens and knobs; an IP38 needs 13 gaskets and 13 screens.
InstrumentsRitchie SP-5 compass; engine panel1,131989: Ritchie SP-5 compass with nav grid on the pedestal guard; recessed cockpit engine panel with tachometer, fuel gauge and alarms under an acrylic cover—No log, depth sounder, VHF or autopilot came from the factory, only a pre-wired antenna cable and a nav-station cabinet for owner-installed electronics. For self-steering, Hydrovane lists the IP38 with an M, L or X shaft and HE brackets.
ToiletMarine head × 21,2Two heads with hot and cold pressure water and showers draining to an automatic sump; 30 US gal (114 l) holding tank with overboard bypass—The factory list does not name the toilet maker.
FridgeIce box, 14 cu ft (about 400 l)1,2,4Top-loading, heavily insulated galley ice box draining to the sump, plus a cockpit ice box; no refrigeration as standard—Refrigeration is the first item on SAILING’s list of usual upgrades.
StoveLPG, 3 burners + oven1,21989: gimballed stainless three-burner stove with oven, teak cutting-board cover and guard rail with harness hooks—The factory list does not name the stove maker.
Gas systemLPG, 10 lb (4.5 kg) aluminium tank1Tank in a draining deck well, remote solenoid shut-off and gauge—
Water heater11 US gal (42 l), engine + 115 V1Marine water heater heated by the engine through a heat exchanger and by 115 V AC—
Water pumpPressure water + manual galley pump1,2Hot and cold pressure water to galley, both heads and a cold cockpit shower; manual pump at the galley sink—
Bilge pumpElectric (automatic) + manual at the helm1Electric bilge pump with automatic switch at the master panel and a heavy-duty manual pump with 1.5 in hose in the cockpit near the helm; a separate electric sump pump drains the ice box and the showers—
Batteries2 × 12 V Prevailer DF-180 gel1Two maintenance-free gel batteries with a four-way battery switch on the aluminium master panel—
Charger30 A converter/charger1,2Marine converter and battery charger, controlled from the master panel—
Shore power115 V AC, 30 A1,2Dockside power with polarity protection, 50 ft shore cord and eight outlets—
Fuel systemAluminium tank 57 US gal (216 l) · Dahl separator1,4Welded marine aluminium tank with deck fill and gauge in the cockpit; Dahl water separator and filter, jacketed fuel line with swaged ends—SAILING mentions that a flexible extra tank can be added.
Lights18 teak cabin lights; navigation lights1Eighteen 12 V teak swivel lights below; high-intensity running lights, foredeck light at the spreaders and masthead anchor light—

Specifications

Years built1986 to 1993 (model years) in Largo, Florida; the largest Island Packet yet when it came out, assembled in the second building of the yard’s Wild Acres Road site6,5,8,4
Hulls built1886,5,4
DesignerBob Johnson, N.A., founder of Island Packet Yachts; an MIT-trained naval architect who had designed for Irwin and Endeavour before starting his own company2,4,8
BuilderIsland Packet Yachts (Traditional Watercraft, Inc.), 1979 Wild Acres Road, Largo, Florida; under new ownership since January 2017 and still building boats8,2,14
VersionsStandard full keel (1.52 m) or, as an option (USD 2995 in 1989), a shoal keel with centreboard (1.22 m board up, 2.31 m down); designed as a cutter, but in 1989 the staysail with its hardware, rigging, club boom and traveller was a USD 2950 option, the standard sails being a main and a 110 % jib; ports plastic, then aluminium (1986), stainless from 1987; base price USD 109950 (1986) to 169950 (1993)1,6,2
Length overall12.65 m (41 ft 6 in) including the bowsprit6,2,15
Hull length11.58 m (38 ft 0 in)6,2,15
Waterline length10.06 m (33 ft 0 in)6,2,15
Beam3.86 m (12 ft 8 in)6,2,15
Draft1.52 m (5 ft 0 in); shoal keel with centreboard 1.22 m (4 ft 0 in) board up, 2.31 m (7 ft 7 in) board down6,2,15
DisplacementAbout 9.75 t (21500 lb); displacement/length ratio 267. Bob Perry’s design review, written when the boat was new, gives 8.62 t (19000 lb)2,16,17
Ballast4.54 t (10000 lb) inside the keel moulding; ballast ratio 47.6 % (Perry’s early review: 3.45 t, 7600 lb)2,16,17,4
KeelFull Foil Keel moulded in one with the hull, ballast inside (no keel bolts); balanced rudder behind the keel, rudder and propeller protected by it; optional shoal keel with centreboard2,8,17,4
Sail area80.8 m² (870 sq ft) as a cutter with 100 % foretriangle and staysail; 68.3 m² (735 sq ft) for main and 100 % foretriangle (38.6 m², 415 sq ft); sail area/displacement ratio 18.02,16
Mainsail29.7 m² (320 sq ft)2
Rig dimensions (I, J, P, E)I 14.17 m (46 ft 6 in), J 5.44 m (17 ft 10 in), P 12.19 m (40 ft 0 in), E 4.88 m (16 ft 0 in)18,2
Air draft15.54 m (51 ft 0 in) above the waterline6,2,15
Engine optionsYanmar four-cylinder diesel of 44 hp with fresh-water cooling (4JHE) in the brochure and the 1989 list; the yard’s model tables give 44 or 50 hp1,2,5,6
Fuel tank216 l (57 US gal), welded aluminium1,5,2
Water tank594 l (157 US gal), welded aluminium1,5,2
Holding tank114 l (30 US gal), with overboard bypass1,5
Cabins3 by the yard’s count: forward stateroom with a Pullman double, aft stateroom with a double, and the saloon; each has its own access to one of the two heads2,8,1
Berths7: doubles forward and aft, a pull-out L-shaped double settee to starboard and a single settee to port in the saloon1,2,6
Headroom1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)2,6
Hull100 % hand-laid GRP; hull moulded in one piece with triaxial glass and bonded to a moulded interior grid; deck cored with Polycel, a microsphere-and-resin core, bolted to the hull flange with lock nuts and urethane sealant; deck hardware through-bolted with aluminium backing plates1,4
SuccessorIsland Packet 40 (1993–2000, 137 built), with the same 12.65 m length overall; the later IP380 is a separate model6,5,15,8

Good to know

  • Have the chainplates checked before any offshore passage. They are glassed into the hull behind the furniture and cannot be inspected without removing joinery and grinding (SAILING). Bill Bolin, 29 years at the factory, writes that all Island Packet chainplates before the 1996 model year are type 304 stainless steel, good for about 20 to 25 years, and that boats older than the 2000 model year with 304 chainplates should consider replacing them; one refit yard has replaced them on more than 250 Island Packets and found nearly all failed or about to fail.4,19
  • No owner’s manual is online. Island Packet Ancestry, run by Bill Bolin and listed by the yard among its owner resources, sells the owner’s manual for the 38 (digital, or printed with service-bulletin updates), a 147-page IP38 drawing package and, by hull number, the original build order with the factory options, recalls, service bulletins and reported warranty issues.20,21,22,23
  • Not every IP38 left the yard with the same kit: in 1989 the shoal keel with centreboard, the cutter staysail package, a 130 % genoa, a fully battened main, a 3-blade propeller and the electric windlass were all options. Typical later upgrades are refrigeration, electric winches, an electric windlass, a full-batten main, a bigger genoa and a 3-blade propeller (SAILING).1,4
  • Order engine parts by the engine plate, not by the boat’s year: the 4JHE (1.644 l) of the early boats and the 4JH2E (1.817 l) are different engines, though Yanmar’s JH(2) operation manual covers both. The exhaust mixing elbow (riser) and its insulating blanket are specific to the boat model; Island Packet still sells them if you give your IP model.3,24,5
  • The 13 opening ports changed twice early on – plastic to aluminium in the 1986 model year, aluminium to stainless in 1987 – so check which you have before ordering. Island Packet still sells port gaskets and screens and says an IP38 needs 13 of each.6,1,11,12
  • When re-rigging, start from the factory sizes: Island Packet’s customer service published the running-rigging sizes for the 38 so owners could buy replacements locally, and IP Home Port lists the standing-rigging wire sizes with maximum Loos gauge tensions. Sound the deck as well: Island Packet says its Polycel core does not soak up water like balsa, but SAILING still advises checking for delamination.10,9,1,4

Videos & how-tos

Links to YouTube, nothing embedded. The maker’s own channel comes first; the rest are channels we found clear and correct for this model.

On the marketplace

Looking for a part for the Island Packet 38? Post a wanted ad in the app — it is free, it sits on the live map, and boaters nearby who have the part aboard can answer.

Got spares you no longer need? List them in a minute. No commission, ever.

Get the app

Sources

  1. web.archive.org/web/20101010000116/http://ipy.com/Documents/04252007_11.pdf
  2. web.archive.org/web/20090628202709/http://ipy.com:80/DownloadFile.asp?sFile=Documents/IP3…
  3. web.archive.org/web/20180403174731/http://www.yanmarmarine.com/theme/yanmarportal/Uploade…
  4. sailingmagazine.net/article-permalink-1438.html
  5. web.archive.org/web/20030310214645/http://www.ipy.com:80/Default.php?Page=CompareOtherInf…
  6. web.archive.org/web/20030222034740/http://www.ipy.com:80/Default.php?Page=IP38&Language=E…
  7. ipyoa.com/ads/15-ip-broker-ads/594-1992-island-packet-38-adventur
  8. web.archive.org/web/20061015162106/http://www.ipy.com/Default.php?Page=History
  9. iphomeport.com/forum/model_info.php?ip_model=IP38
  10. web.archive.org/web/20030411000925/http://www.ipy.com:80/Default.php?Page=CompareRunningR…
  11. ipy.com/store-2/port-gaskets/
  12. ipy.com/store-2/port-screens/
  13. hydrovane.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Installation-Listing-up-to-2026.pdf
  14. ipy.com/about/
  15. web.archive.org/web/20030303045514/http://www.ipy.com:80/Default.php?Page=CompareGeneralD…
  16. web.archive.org/web/20030310215327/http://www.ipy.com:80/Default.php?Page=CompareSailArea…
  17. boats.com/reviews/perry-design-review-island-packet-38/
  18. web.archive.org/web/20040416034321/http://www.ipy.com:80/Default.php?Page=CompareSailDime…
  19. island-packet-ancestry.com/blogs/news/do-your-chainplates-need-replacing
  20. island-packet-ancestry.com/products/owners-manual
  21. island-packet-ancestry.com/products/technical-drawings
  22. island-packet-ancestry.com/products/yeomans-package
  23. ipy.com/owners-resources/
  24. ipy.com/store-2/exhaust-mixing-elbow-riser/

Island Packet is a trademark of its owner; boatparts.app is not affiliated with it. Part numbers are quoted for identification only. Spotted an error? Write to mail@boatparts.app.