Overview
The Hans Christian 38 Traditional, introduced in 1976, is a heavy-displacement double-ender in the Colin Archer tradition, the third design Harwood Ives created for Hans Christian Yachts after taking over from Bob Perry. John Edwards founded the company in Long Beach, California, and was among the first American entrepreneurs to build production cruising boats in Taiwan; the 38T followed the earlier Hans Christian 34 in setting the line’s design direction for the next two decades.
Above the waterline, the boat carries the full Hans Christian signature: a long bowsprit, springy sheerline, rounded canoe stern, and extensive teak trim. Below, very rounded sections, a full keel with a cutaway forefoot, and a large keel-hung “barn door” rudder give the boat its reputation for tracking and seaworthiness at the cost of light-air speed.
Design and Construction
The original 38T was offered as either a cutter or a ketch, with the cutter far more popular in practice, which is why most spec databases describe it simply as a cutter. Two interior layouts were available (pullman berth or forepeak V-berth), later joined by a “Mark II Interior” that moved the pullman berth aft and relocated the head forward.
Around 1977, Ives designed a related but distinct boat, the Hans Christian 38 Mark II, with flatter sections, more beam carried fore and aft, and a taller rig; its optional tall rig was also offered on the 38T, though it proved overpowered for the hull until 1984, when one of the two 38T molds was reworked with a redesigned keel (leading edge moved aft, trailing edge trimmed) and a skeg-mounted rudder, sold as the “Telstar” 38T. The Telstar version pointed higher and handled light air noticeably better than the original keel. Production totaled roughly 167 38 Traditionals (including 30 Telstars) against 87 of the related 38 Mark II, both ending around 1989 as a recession and luxury tax hit the Taiwanese boatbuilding industry and Hans Christian shifted operations to Thailand.
Under Sail
Fully loaded at over 30,000 lb, the 38T is not a light-air performer: owners report roughly 40 degrees off the wind as a practical pointing limit, 6 knots to weather and 7 off the wind in 10-15 knots of breeze, with a first reef typically called for around 15-18 knots. In heavier conditions the boat is reported as notably seakindly and dry. Practical Sailor’s 1999 review recounts a US Coast Guard owner making a mid-winter passage from an ice-bound Annapolis, but no specific named circumnavigation or ocean crossing was independently verified for this model in this research pass, despite its reputation among owners for exactly that kind of voyaging.
Buyers Notes
Standard survey points apply: chainplates for leaks, hose clamps and fittings for corrosion, through-hulls and seacocks for age-related wear, and teak decks for condition if not already replaced. Electrical systems are a common weak point on Taiwanese-built boats of this era; some early hulls used automotive-grade wiring more prone to corrosion, and wiring looms are often buried under teak battens and ceiling liners, making repairs more involved than on a simpler boat. Buyers should confirm which keel (original or Telstar) and rig (standard or tall) a specific hull carries, since the differences meaningfully affect performance.
