sailboat data island packet

Elegant Innovative Customizable

A LEGEND REINVENTED

The new 349 showcases an unparalleled combination of features that further Island Packet’s unwavering commitment to meeting the needs and desires of the cruising sailor. The renowned Island Packet reputation of superb seakeeping and safety, exceptional comfort and livability, outstanding build quality, award-winning value and customer satisfaction remain well intact.  In addition, this NEXT GENERATION Island Packet offers today’s discerning buyer innovation, higher product standards and customization options not available in past models.

Fundamental to our legendary status among the sailing/cruising community is our exclusive Full Foil Keel, which provides exceptional  safety, strength, stability, performance and a moderate draft that is unmatched by any other keel configuration.  The Full Foil Keel design also allows all tankage to be centrally located below the cabin sole, significantly increasing usable storage in the interior and minimizing changes in trim with varied tank levels and keeping weight low.

Among the exterior updates/changes are the scoop transom with steps and handrails for safety and ease of boarding from the dock, a dinghy or the water. There are also hull side ports for increased light below.

With this model, Island Packet has returned to the Solent-style rig as standard, featuring a mainsail with a working jib and an optional lightweight 170% reacher or asymmetrical that mounts on the integral bow platform and furled with Harken systems. The working jib is fitted with a foredeck mounted jib track that is self-tending and improves performance with its close sheeting and self-vanging feature, while the large optional reacher or asymmetrical Genoa boost performance in light air or when off the wind. The fully battened mainsail is equipped with a low friction Battcar system and drops easily into a stack pack with an integral cover and lazy jack system.  This rigging offers ease of use and versatility in varied wind or sea conditions and increased speed and maneuverability. (Of course, the cutter rig is available as an option.)  All sheets lead to the cockpit primary winches at the helm for short-handed convenience.  She has more than ample horsepower with the Yanmar 45 HP Common Rail diesel engine.

With classic good looks inside and out that blend the modern and traditional, spirited sailing performance, premium materials and the best warranty coverage in the industry, the new 349 continues Island Packet’s reputation as a benchmark for excellence.

Standard Equipment included at $419,000 Base Price Specifications are subject to change without notice

349 exterior.

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• Sailboat Reviews

Island Packet 31

A beamy, shoal-draft cruiser whose fanatical followers find little wrong except upwind sluggishness..

In the 13 years since naval architect Bob Johnson founded Island Packet Yachts, he’s developed quite a following. We’ve had many requests to review one of his boats, mostly from satisfied owners. The others have come from couples considering the boat for living aboard and cruising. In a period when most boatbuilders are foundering, Island Packet has found a niche and is servicing it admirably.

Bob Johnson is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Before founding Island Packet Yachts he worked as a designer for Endeavour Yachts and Irwin Yachts. In 1979 he launched his own company, Traditional Watercraft, with the 21-foot Lightfoot. A year later he followed with the beamy 26-foot Island Packet (originally called the Bombay Express). Its catboat lines, complete with barn door rudder, caught everyone’s attention. But it was the completely redesigned Mark II version that really catapulted the company to success.

In 1983 Johnson followed with the Island Packet 31. Orders for 14 were taken at that year’s U.S. Sailboat Show in Annapolis. It remained in production until 1989, after 262 boats had been built. The 31 was replaced with the Island Packet 32. In case you hadn’t noticed, successful builders must at some point introduce new models, even if only a foot shorter or longer, so as not to compete with their own used boats. At present, the company builds a 27, 29, 32 and 35, though, like most owners of boats with bowsprits, you’ll find owners referring to the same models as 30, 32, 35 and 38, generously adding the three-foot length of their bowsprits for LOA (length overall). This is where you need to add LOD (length on deck) to the specifications.

In 1990, the company enjoyed its best year, building  163 boats. At a time when most are losing ground,Traditional Watercraft continues to prosper.

The entire Island Packet line springs from that first catboat-like 26. You’ll rarely see other boats with the beam of an Island Packet. The overhangs are very short, and the bottom is what the company calls “Ushaped.” The bow is almost plumb and the stern is vertical, in line with the trailing edge of the keel attached rudder. Add a coachroof parallel with the waterline and a cutter rig and you have all the makings of a traditional looking yacht. There is no doubt that this look has found favor with the boatbuying public, and to a large degree is responsible for the company’s success.

Let’s discuss, for a moment, the wide beam of the 31. At 11′ 6″, it exceeds many other boats of this length. The reasons for it are several. First, a boat derives its stability from two sources—ballast and beam. Both help resist heeling. Johnson obviouslystarted his design with the premise that the boat would be a shoal-draft cruiser. The centerboard version draws just 3′ 0″ board up, and the fixed keel draws just 4′ 0″. With either configuration (about half built were centerboards), it isn’t possible to concentrate ballast very low in the boat, especially since iron ingots set in concrete are used (in the deep keel model only) instead of the customary lead, which has a much higher specific gravity.

Given the shallow draft, additional stability is achieved by adding to the beam. This brings us to the second reason for the wide beam—greater volume, which is always desirable in a live-aboard boat.

There is nothing inherently wrong with shallow draft and wide beam, assuming you know what you’re trading off. In this case, it’s upwind sailing performance and the increased possibility of achieving inverse stability, that is, the tendency of a hull form to remain upside down and not right itself. Beamy, shallow boats have a greater potential to  achieve inverse stability than narrow hulls with deep, heavy keels.

On the face of it, all this suggests that the Island Packet 31 is a fine coastal cruiser, but is less suited to severe offshore work than a narrower hull with a deep, heavy keel.

Few remarks seem to vex readers more than our stating a boat design is best suited to coastal sailing. “What do you mean I can’t take this boat offshore?” they say, incredulous.

We didn’t say you couldn’t. The operative phrase is “best suited.” People have crossed oceans in rowboats, sailboards and mini-boats that were hardly more than bathtubs with decks and spars. Sure you can take this boat offshore (the definition of which is yet another semantical quagmire. For the purposes of this argument, let’s say offshore is anywhere away from the coast from which one cannot make harbor at the approach of severe conditions). And probably do so quite happily.

All the talk of capsize screening formulas and righting moment and the like are essentially responses to yachting disasters, such as the famous 1979 Fastnet Race, in which racing boats were damaged by heavy storm conditions, sometimes with the loss of life. Often poor engineering and construction (in the pursuit of light weight) is to blame. In some instances it’s design. Good seamanship probably is more important than either engineering or design.

That said, the Island Packet 31 is a handsome, rugged boat that is, according to readers, a delight to sail, well built, and emminently suited to the cruising life.

Construction

The Island Packet hull is solid fiberglass, using triaxial cloth and polyester resin. The deck is “cored” with a mixture of polyester resin and microballoons (called by the company PolyCore) that the company says weighs about the same as a deck with 1/2-inch balsa core. The intent of this innovative method is to avoid using the more common end-grain balsa. This makes for a chemically coupled deck structure without possibility of delamination, common in older boats with balsa cores. No readers have reported problems with their decks. Similarly, we do not have any reported cases of blisters.

The interior is developed by means of a PolyCore liner tabbed to the hull. We are not fond of such liners, because they do not absorb sound as well as wooden soles, make modification of the layout much more difficult, and, if the builder hasn’t carefully planned his tooling, they can obstruct access to some parts of the hull (always imagine that if you struck an object in such and such location, could you reach the hole to plug it). However, Johnson has done a nice job tooling his liners. We like especially the fact that the liner isn’t brought up to window level, but terminates at the backrest of settees so that wood and fabrics hold the eye at mid-heights rather than large, austere panels of fiberglass. The liner also incorporates structural stringers that are bonded to the hull. The sand color of all Island Packet interior and exterior moldings is a trademark, and if you had to commit to one color, this one is easy on the eyes.

The ballast, as mentioned, is encapsulated in the keel cavity. The rudderstock is 1 1/2-inch stainless steel. The semi-balanced rudder has a high-density foam core and is covered with fiberglass. A stainless steel box functions as a “lobster strap.” This connects the keel to the rudder and prevents lines from riding up into the propeller. The centerboard is built essentially the same way, with some lead at the tip.

A 22-hp Yanmar diesel was standard in the 1984 boats, which one owner said was inadequate power. The next year a 27-hp Yanmar was installed, which provided better power. Island Packet owners cited few problems with their Yanmars.

Hardware is for the most part of good quality—Edson rack and pinion steering, Ronstan blocks, Isomat spar, etc. One owner complained of his Par toilet. Few builders can justify installing expensive models—no one buys a boat for its toilet, despite the fact that malfunctions with the toilet are one of the most onerous repair jobs imaginable. We think the investment in a top quality toilet is repaid many times over.

Readers report overall construction as excellent. Many said that the company pays close attention to detail. Nearly all report good response from Bob Johnson and his staff in resolving problems.

Performance

The Island Packet 31 was offered as a cutter or sloop. Most owners seemed to have chosen the cutter. One reader wrote: “The boat is not a true cutter, but a double-headsail sloop with a 110-percent lapper and a free-set staysail. I recommend either a staysail stay and a hanked-on staysail or disposing with the staysail and sailing her as a proper sloop with roller reefing 150-percent genoa.”

This is technically correct, though the line between cutter and double-headsail sloop is not always clear. On a cutter, the mast is usually stepped near the center of the boat.

On a double-headsail sloop, the mast is stepped farther forward, which is the case with the Island Packet 31. There are no running backstays, but the company says the Isomat spar was engineered to withstand the loads of the inner forestay without additional support.

Owners report being very happy with the cutter rig. Some admit to having to learn the nuances of proper trim of the staysail and jib. While not necessarily as efficient as a large genoa on a sloop, the advantage of two sails occupying essentially the same area is that trimming is easier, and when the wind pipes up, the jib can be dropped altogether.

Not surprisingly, the Island Packet 31’s best point of sail is a reach. Owners say she’s quite fast. Upwind is a different story. One reader said, “Forward wide beam slows boat in seas.” Another said she’s slow in light air, fast in heavy air.” Several reported difficulty tacking through the wind, finding it easy to end up in irons. Full-keel boats don’t tack as readily as fin keel boats, but on the Island Packet this tendency seems to be exacerbated by the wide beam forward.

The boat balances well. Readers say she will steer herself for miles with little attention to the helm. One wrote: “Sometimes we thought the autopilot was on and then discovered she was just tracking on her own.” And she is stiff. “I can’t intentionally wet the rail,” said one reader.

Performance under power is rated as good, as is engine accessibility and reliability.

The only complaint is control in reverse, which is to be expected of a full keel design with the propeller in an aperture. But for a serious cruising boat, that’s exactly where you want the prop—backing down be damned.

Besides looks and quality, many readers chose the Island Packet for its voluminous interior.

There’s nothing particularly unusual about the layout, which is fine. It works. There are 6′ 6″ Vberths forward, a generous head compartment with shower, settees in the main cabin, a doubled quarter berth aft to starboard, and a U shaped galley in the port quarter.

The quarter berth doubles as a nav station, and can be enclosed by a folding door. Headroom in the cabin is 6′ 3″.

“The icebox is huge and exceptionally well insulated (we have Adler-Barbour refrigeration),” wrote one owner. “Used as an icebox it is also great. The interior design is user friendly.”

We have reviewed few boats whose owners are more uniformly enthusiastic. This applies to the company as well as the boat itself.

“Ask any owner how they feel about their boat,” wrote one owner. “All Island Packet owners are the sales force of the company. Sit aboard one for an hour, sail one and it’s yours.”

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• Sailboat Guide

Island Packet 35

Island Packet 35 is a 35 ′ 4 ″ / 10.8 m monohull sailboat designed by Robert K. Johnson and built by Island Packet Yachts between 1988 and 1994.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

Keel/CB version draft: BD: 7.2’/2.19m BU: 3.7’/1.13m

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• Island Packet 38

The Island Packet 38 Sailboat Specs & Key Performance Indicators

The Island Packet 38, a long-keeled aft-cockpit cutter, was designed by Bob Johnson and built in the USA by Island Packet Yachts.

Published Specification for the Island Packet 38

Hull Type:  Long keel

Hull Material:  GRP (Fiberglass)

Length Overall:  38'0" (11.6m)

Waterline Length:  33'0" (10.1m)

Beam:  12'8" (3.9m)

Draft:  5'0" (1.5m) *

Rig Type:  Cutter

Displacement:  21,500lb (9,752kg)

Designer:  Bob Johnson

Builder:  Island Packet Yachts (USA)

Year First Built:  1986

Year Last Built:  1993

Number Built:  188

Owners Association:  Island Packet Yacht Owners Association

*  A centreboard version was also offered with a board-down draught of 7'7" and 4'0" with it up.

Published Design Ratios for the Island Packet 38

Sail Area/Displacement Ratio:  18.1

Ballast/Displacement Ratio:  46.5

Displacement/Length Ratio:  267

Comfort Ratio:  32.7

Capsize Screening Formula:   1.8

read more about these all-revealing numbers...

Summary Analysis of the Design Ratios for the Island Packet 38

1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of 18.1 suggests that the Island Packet 38 will, in the right conditions, approach her maximum hull speed readily and satisfy the sailing performance expectations of most cruising sailors.

2. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 46.5 means that the Island Packet 38 will stand up well to her canvas in a blow, helping her to power through the waves.

3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 267, tells us the Island Packet 38 is a moderate displacement cruiser, which means she'll carry all your cruising gear without it having a dramatic effect on her performance. Most of today's sailboats intended for offshore cruising fall into this displacement category.

4. Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio of 32.7 suggests that crew comfort of an Island Packet 38 in a seaway is similar to what you would associate with the motion of a moderate bluewater cruising boat - a predictable and acceptable motion for most seasoned sailors.

5. The Capsize Screening Formula (CSF) of 1.8 tells us that an Island Packet 38 would be a safer choice of sailboat for an ocean passage than one with a CSF of more than 2.0. 

More about the Island Packet 38...

The Island Packet 38 is a classic bluewater cruiser that combines comfort, performance, and seaworthiness in a spacious and well-appointed package. The Island Packet 38 features a cutter rig, a long keel, a skeg-hung rudder, and a spacious cockpit. It has a reputation for being solid, sturdy, and reliable, as well as being easy to handle and maintain.

Accommodation The Island Packet 38 can accommodate up to seven people in three separate cabins.

• The forward cabin has a large 'Pullman' berth with ample storage and an ensuite head with shower;
• The main saloon has a U-shaped dinette that converts to a double berth, a settee that converts to a single berth, and a fold-down table;
• The navigation station is located to starboard, forward of the galley;
• The galley has a three-burner stove with oven, a double sink, a refrigerator/freezer, and plenty of counter space and storage;
• The aft cabin has a large double berth, a hanging locker, and access to the second head with shower.

Hull and Deck The hull of the Island Packet 38 is made of fiberglass with a vinylester resin barrier coat to prevent osmosis. The deck is also made of fiberglass with a core of end-grain balsa wood for stiffness and insulation. The deck has a molded-in nonskid surface for safety and durability. The deck features wide side decks, high bulwarks, sturdy handrails, and numerous opening ports and hatches for ventilation and light. The cockpit is large and comfortable, with high coamings, long seats, and a folding table. The boat is steered by a single wheel mounted on a pedestal with instruments and engine controls.

Mast and Rigging The mast of the Island Packet 38 is made of anodized aluminum and is keel-stepped for strength and stability. The mast has two sets of spreaders and supports a cutter rig with a mainsail, a staysail, and a genoa. The mast has in-mast furling for the mainsail and roller furling for the headsails for convenience and ease of handling. The rigging is made of stainless steel wire with swaged terminals and turnbuckles. The rigging includes an inner forestay for the staysail, an outer forestay for the genoa, upper and lower shrouds, intermediate shrouds, backstay, running backstays, boom vang, topping lift, outhaul, reefing lines, halyards, sheets, and traveler.

Keel and Rudder The keel of the Island Packet 38 is a long keel that runs the length of the hull. It is made of lead encapsulated in fiberglass and provides stability, directional control, and protection for the propeller and rudder. The keel has a draft of 5 feet (1.5 meters) and a ballast of 10,000 pounds (4,536 kilograms).

The rudder of the Island Packet 38 is skeg-hung, meaning that it is attached to a fin that extends from the keel. This design provides strength, support, and protection for the rudder. The rudder is made of fiberglass with a stainless steel stock and has a balanced shape for easy steering.

The above text was drafted by sailboat-cruising.com using GPT-4 (OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model) as a research assistant to develop source material; we believe it to be accurate to the best of our knowledge.

Other sailboats in the Island Packet range include:

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Island packet 380

The island packet 380 is a 39.58ft cutter designed by bob johnson and built in fiberglass by island packet yachts between 1999 and 2004..

The Island packet 380 is a moderate weight sailboat which is slightly under powered. It is very stable / stiff and has a good righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a bluewater cruising boat.

Island packet 380 for sale elsewhere on the web:

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Island Packet - Sailboat Data, Parts & Rigging

Sailboat data directory for sailboats manufacturer or named Island Packet. Follow the provided links for additional sailboat data, parts and rigging specs.

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