Forli, Italy-based Cantiere del Pardo, known since the early ’70s for its Grand Soleil range of sailing cruisers, made its first foray into the walkaround-cruiser segment with the Pardo 43 in 2017. A year later came the Pardo 50. Now, we have the smallest sibling, the Pardo 38.
Outwardly, all three models look virtually identical in profile and on deck—think daddy bear, mommy bear and baby bear in terms of scale. They all have a distinctive reverse bow, pop-out anchor cradles, high bulwarks capped with teak, carbon-fiber center consoles and T-tops, cockpit galleys, sun pads fore and aft, and aft-deck tables. The 38 just shrinks these elements into an entry-level package. And while I don’t usually like reverse-bow designs, I have to say that I like these.
Propulsion choices include twin sterndrives, or twin or triple outboards, providing top-end speeds from the mid-30s to the low-50-knot range. Standard power is twin gasoline Volvo Penta V6-280s/DPS.
The Pardo 38 I got aboard had the bigger Volvo Penta D6-380s maxing out just shy of 40 knots in relatively flat seas with seven people aboard, and with fuel and water tanks a quarter and two-thirds full, respectively. At a 30-knot cruise, the diesels were spinning at 3,000 rpm and consuming around 26 gallons of fuel per hour, which means the boat had 10 hours, or 300 nautical miles, of run time. Twin D6-440s can push the top-end speed to the mid-40s, according to the builder. And for those preferring outboards, twin Mercury Verado 300s or 350s, or triple 300s, are available.
The Pardo 38 has a modified-V hull form with spray rails and a 20.5-degree deadrise aft. The ride is precise, a credit to designer Maurizio Zuccheri and Pardo’s in-house team.
For weekends aboard, the decor is contemporary cool with white laminates and light-oak veneers. There is a double berth forward, and a head compartment with a shower is amidships. Owners can add two optional, undercockpit berths. Space above those berths is limited, but there’s almost 6 feet of headroom between them, which makes dressing easier.
This boat may be the little sister of the line, but the Pardo 38 possesses all of the performance, style and charisma of her bigger siblings.
Take the next step: pardoyachts.com
