Huckins Yacht has launched Hull No. 1 of the Sportsman 38 at its shipyard in Jacksonville, Florida.
“We put her in the water about two weeks ago, and then took her out to finish,” Huckins owner Cindy Purcell said in mid-March. “She’s officially launched. We’ve run her on electric, we’ve run her on diesel. She’s 39 mph on diesel and about 8 mph on electric.”
Those numbers are right on target with the builder’s projections, Purcell says. The boat has twin 380-horsepower Cummins QSB 6.7s, and a 20 hp Elco EP. Or, owners can choose a pair of 350-horsepower Suzuki outboards.
In addition to thoroughly modern power options, the 38 Sportsman is built via sandwich construction with a CoreCell foam core and E-glass fabric for strength and rigidity. Kevlar (hull bottom) and carbon fiber (stringers and other strategic areas) is used to enhance strength without weight. The hull and topsides are painted with UV-resistant Alexseal coating.
The interior has mahogany joinery. There are Corian countertops in the galley, which is also equipped with a single-burner cooktop, refrigerator/freezer drawers and microwave convection oven.
Some notable options include a teak cockpit or Estec teak cockpit, mahogany transom, cockpit high-low table, Seakeeper gyrostabilizer, Lumishore underwater lights, wine cooler, barbecue grill, 8 kW Phasor generator and SureShade retractable awning, to name a few.
Huckins is planning for the public debut of the Sportsman 38 at the Newport International Boat Show this fall in Rhode Island. Until then, boaters are invited to the shipyard in Florida for a tour of Hull No. 1.
“Anybody who would like to see the boat can come to the yard,” Purcell says. “We can do a sea trial.”
What inspired the classic lines of the Huckins Sportsman 38? A 36-foot boat that Huckins built back in 1936.
For more information, visit: huckinsyacht.com
Quick Specs:
- Length Overall: 38′3″
- MaximumBeam: 12′6′
- Draft: 2′6″
- Fuel Capacity: 285 Gal.
- Freshwater Capacity: 95 Gal.
- Power: 2/ 380 hp Cummins QSB 6.7 diesels or 2/ 350 hp Suzuki outboards
- Electric Motors: 2/20 hp Elco EP-20s
- Top speed: 35+ knots
- Cruising speed: 30 knots
- Speed w/electric motors: 7 knots
