1983 Ta Shing Panda 38

Step below and you immediately feel the craftsmanship that made these Pandas cult favorites: solid joinery, secure sea berths, and handholds exactly where you want them when the boat’s on her ear. The deep, protected cockpit keeps you feeling snug offshore, with coamings high enough to brace against but not so high you lose sightlines on sail trim. Storage is a standout on this hull—cockpit lockers and deep interior cabinetry swallow cruising gear, spares, and provisions without turning the cabin into a gear shed. Underway, the long fin and skeg-hung rudder give a soft, predictable motion, the kind that lets you sleep on passage instead of counting hours to landfall.

In this cruising ground, conditions can swing from light afternoon zephyrs to short, choppy seas and squalls in a single day, and the Panda 38’s hull and rig are built for that range. The cutter layout makes it easy to shorten sail in rising breeze while keeping the boat balanced, and the protected cockpit inspires confidence when the wind pipes up. Tight anchorages and busy fairways are manageable thanks to the boat’s predictable handling under power, while the ample tankage and storage mean you can disappear into quieter coves for days without resupply. It’s a serious passagemaker that still feels at home on a casual daysail.