Review of Wasa 38
Basic specs.
Looking for a new boat? Find a Wasa 38 or similar boat for sale
The hull is made of hand laid fibreglass. Generally, a hull made of hand laid fibreglass requires only a minimum of maintenance during the sailing season.
Both the hull and the deck is a sandwich construction which improves the indoor climate. Especially when the water is colder than the air in the cabin, then the double hull insulates against cold water and reduce the condense water in the cabin.
The interior is like most other boats made of teak. Teak has the advantage of being naturally very oily and therefore water-repellent, which is suitable on boats.
The boat is equipped with 6 berths, a galley, 129.0 liter fresh water capacity and toilet facility.
The Wasa 38 is equipped with a fractional rig. A fractional rig has smaller headsails which make tacking easier, which is an advantage for cruisers and racers, of course. The downside is that having the wind from behind often requires a gennaker or a spinnaker for optimal speed.
Unknown keel type
The keel is made of lead. Compared with iron, lead has the advantage of being 44% heavier, which allows a smaller keel and hence less water resistance and higher speed.
The boat can only enter major marinas as the draft is about 2.00 - 2.10 meter (6.56 - 6.86 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.
Wasa 38 may be equipped with an inboard Volvo Penta MD2030 diesel engine at 30 hp (22 kW). Calculated max speed is about 6.4 knots
The fuel tank, which is made of stainless steel, has a capacity of 120.0 liters (31 US gallons, 26 imperial gallons).
Sailing characteristics
This section covers widely used rules of thumb to describe the sailing characteristics. Please note that even though the calculations are correct, the interpretation of the results might not be valid for extreme boats.
What is Capsize Screening Formula (CSF)?
The capsize screening value for Wasa 38 is 2.04, indicating that this boat would not be accepted to participate in ocean races.
What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?
The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 7.2 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.
The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level.
The immersion rate for Wasa 38 is about 205 kg/cm, alternatively 1152 lbs/inch.
Meaning: if you load 205 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm.
Alternatively, if you load 1152 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.
Sailing statistics
This section is statistical comparison with similar boats of the same category. The basis of the following statistical computations is our unique database with more than 26,000 different boat types and 350,000 data points.
What is Motion Comfort Ratio (MCR)?
The Motion Comfort Ratio for Wasa 38 is 22.0.
What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?
The l/b ratio for Wasa 38 is 3.24.
The ballast ratio for Wasa 38 is 42%.
What is Displacement Length Ratio?
The DL-ratio for Wasa 38 is 224 which categorizes this boat among 'light crusers & offshore racers'.
What is SA/D (Sail Area Displacement ratio)?
The SA/D for Wasa 38 with ISO 8666 reference sail is 19.8, with a 135% genua the SA/D is 22.7.
What is Relative Speed Performance?
The Relative Speed Performance for Wasa 38 is 73
Maintenance
When buying anti-fouling bottom paint, it's nice to know how much to buy.
The surface of the wet bottom is about 36m2 (387 ft2).
Based on this, your favourite maritime shop can tell you the quantity you need.
Note: If you use a paint roller you will need more paint than if you use a paintbrush.
Dimensions of sail for fractional rig.
Are your sails worn out? You might find your next sail here: Sails for Sale
If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.
| Usage | Length | Diameter | ||
| Mainsail halyard | 36.2 m | (118.7 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Jib/genoa halyard | 36.2 m | (118.7 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Spinnaker halyard | 36.2 m | (118.7 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Jib sheet | 11.4 m | (37.5 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Genoa sheet | 11.4 m | (37.5 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Mainsheet | 28.6 m | (93.8 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Spinnaker sheet | 25.1 m | (82.5 feet) | 14 mm | (0.55 inch) |
| Cunningham | 4.9 m | (16.1 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Kickingstrap | 9.8 m | (32.2 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
| Clew-outhaul | 9.8 m | (32.2 feet) | 12 mm | (1/2 inch) |
This section is reserved boat owner's modifications, improvements, etc. Here you might find (or contribute with) inspiration for your boat.
Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what you have done.
We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for Wasa 38 it would be a great help.
If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us. Criticism helps us to improve.