The Nauticat 38 is one of the classic Finnish motorsailers that helped define the modern pilothouse cruising yacht. Built by Siltala Yachts (later Nauticat Yachts) in Finland, she combines heavy displacement, a protective pilothouse, and a practical ketch rig.
Design and production
The Nauticat 38 was developed in the early 1970s through international collaboration and the yard’s own design office (Siltala Design Office). Production ran from approximately 1972/1975 until 1997. Sources vary slightly on exact start year, but the model was in series production for roughly two decades. Estimates suggest around 250 boats of this model were built.
By the end of 2009 the entire Nauticat range had reached more than 2,500–2,750 yachts launched worldwide. The 38 sits between the earlier Nauticat 33 and the larger Nauticat 44 in the traditional motorsailer line.
The yard’s later story
Nauticat Yachts Oy (the company that succeeded Siltala Yachts) continued building until 2018. After several difficult years the company was declared bankrupt on 16 May 2018. The brand, moulds and intellectual property were put up for sale.
In 2022 a group of Latvian entrepreneurs revived the brand under the name Nauticat Yachts SIA. Production has been restarted in Latvia, keeping the Nauticat name and traditional design philosophy alive for new boats.
Famous or well-known boats
The Nauticat 38 has never been a celebrity “yacht of the rich and famous”. Instead she has earned a quiet reputation among serious long-distance cruisers and liveaboard couples who value safety, comfort and the ability to keep going in less than ideal weather. Many examples have completed long Mediterranean and Atlantic voyages. Individual boats occasionally appear in sailing magazines and owner forums.
Our boat – S/Y Maja (hull number 156, 1982)
Maja was built in 1982 as hull number 156.
She was bought new by four Norwegian owners who made long trips to the Mediterranean and the Atlantic islands. Later she was sailed back to Bergen, Norway.
The second owner took her to Ålesund for upgrades. After the pandemic she was sold to Maria and Jarle, the current owners.
We sailed her home to Sandefjord and used her for a couple of years in Norwegian, Swedish and Danish waters. In 2024 the journey began and she went to Sweden for a complete teak-deck refurbishment.
In 2025 we sailed her from Sweden through Denmark, Germany, Helgoland and the Netherlands to the UK. A professional skipper then took her from the UK to Spain while we were still working our day jobs. During that passage Maja was attacked by an orca and had to emergency-steer to port.
After a year in Alcaidesa Marina, La Línea (Spain), she will move to Torrevieja for the 2026–2027 season.
The story continues…