Broadblue 385 Buyer's Guide, the British Bluewater Cat Since 2005

Broadblue 385, the boat that made the brand

When people search for a Broadblue 385 for sale, they are usually looking at one of the most widely traveled British cruising catamarans of the past two decades. Broadblue Catamarans was founded in 2001, and the 385 appeared in 2005, the year Yachting Monthly tested it and quoted a UK price of 166,000 to 178,000 pounds. Broadblue later called it its best-selling model, in active service worldwide, and in 2026 it still sits in the company's cruising range beside the 346 and 425.

The 385 was drawn for couples who want to cruise offshore and to cope with the weather around Britain, not for the charter fleets that shaped most cats of its era. Sailboatdata notes it as an updated version of the Prout 38, and the long bridgedeck, sturdy keels and conservative rig all echo that British multihull tradition. Hulls were molded in Poland and finished in the UK.

It reached the US early. In 2007 it was shown at the Miami Boat Show, Broadblue had a US distributor, and Cruising World reviewed it twice and quoted a price of $356,000. That is why a handful of 385s turn up in American and Caribbean listings today.

Original, MkII, Voyager 385 and S3

The 385 has been updated several times without changing its basic shape, and listing titles are not always precise. Here is how to read them.

Early boats from 2005 to about 2008 measure 11.78 meters (38 feet 8 inches) with twin 20 hp Volvo saildrives and the choice of Aft Rig or Sport Rig. Around 2011 Broadblue was marketing the Voyager 385, a new series that incorporated owner feedback and listed twin 30 hp diesels. Brokers often call boats of this period the MkII; one 2011 MkII owner's version on the market today measures 11.95 meters and runs twin Yanmar 3JH5E engines of 38 hp. By 2016 the model had become the 385 S3, specified at 11.96 meters with three double cabins, two heads, twin 20 hp saildrive diesels, an aft-stepped mast and a bowsprit, and Broadblue's 2019 site referred to it as the 385S3.

Beam, draft and displacement stayed essentially constant at 5.98 meters, 1.05 meters and 7,000 kilograms throughout, so the differences are in rig, engines and interior detail, while later boats are quoted at 11.95 to 11.96 meters overall.

Aft Rig or Sport Rig, the choice that defines the boat

Broadblue offered two sail plans. The Aft Rig steps the mast farther aft and pairs a small, high-aspect mainsail of about 304 square feet with a large genoa of about 534 square feet. It is easy for a couple to handle, needs reefing later, and keeps all lines led to the cockpit. The Sport Rig uses a much bigger, full-battened roachy main of about 644 square feet with a smaller headsail of 327 square feet, which gives more drive and better upwind performance.

Cruising World's Dave Reed saw 7 knots in only 7 knots of true wind on a beam reach with the Aft Rig and found the boat tacked through about 80 degrees apparent without fuss. His fellow tester Andrew Burton found the Aft Rig boat underpowered in very light air. The owner Reed spoke to, who was logging more than 8,000 miles a year and preparing for the 2008 ARC, said he would choose the Sport Rig next time for its windward ability. Our take: the Aft Rig suits short-handed coastal cruisers; serious passagemakers should look for a Sport Rig boat or one with a good gennaker.

Flotation compartments, glass windows and beachable keels

Broadblue built the 385 to EU Category A (Ocean) standards and made a point of the details. Below the waterline the hulls are solid laminate, about half an inch to 1.25 inches thick, with Kevlar reinforcement in high-load areas; above it the hulls and deck are cored with end-grain balsa, with plywood reinforcement under hardware. Cruising World counted five bulkheads and six sealed flotation compartments, and the windows are hardened glass in aluminum frames rather than acrylic.

The keels are molded integrally with the hulls and sealed off, so they act as crash boxes in a grounding, and each has a stainless steel shoe. The skeg-hung rudders are the same depth as the keels, which means the boat can sit on a beach for a bottom scrub or dry out on a tidal mooring, a big advantage in the Bahamas or anywhere a yard cannot haul a 20-foot-wide cat. Draft is only 3 feet 5 inches.

The trade-off is the long bridgedeck. It creates useful storage underneath, but with about 30 inches of clearance forward, Cruising World found it more prone to slamming than designs with a trampoline forward, especially crossing powerboat wakes.

Galley forward, owner's office and a lot of storage

The saloon is compact for a catamaran but light, with a U-shaped dinette seating six, a galley forward to port with a view out through the windows, and a nav station aft. Counter space is limited, a fair criticism from Cruising World, but the open layout makes the space feel bigger than it is.

Two hull layouts were offered. The three-cabin version has two doubles in the starboard hull and an owner's or guest double to port, with two heads. The owner's version gives each hull a large aft double with big hanging lockers; the port hull adds an office desk amidships and a large head with a separate shower forward, while the starboard hull can hold an extra refrigerator or freezer, space for a small washer-dryer, and a workbench where the second shower would be. Long-distance cruisers love that version, and brokers describe it as the sought-after one.

A raised helm and a clear foredeck

The helm seat is raised on the port side of the cockpit with good visibility and sail and engine controls within reach. An optional fiberglass bimini with roll-up clear panels forward gives shelter, and many boats in northern waters have one. The side decks are wide and uncluttered, a centerline step at the front of the coachroof eases access to the mast, and the solid foredeck extends most of the way to the bows with a centerline anchor and windlass.

Air draft is about 61 feet on the original specification, which clears the 65-foot fixed bridges of the US Intracoastal Waterway with little margin once masthead antennas and lights are added, so measure the actual boat before planning an ICW trip.

Running costs and who the 385 suits

Twin small diesels on saildrives keep fuel costs low, and Cruising World found the saildrive installation relatively quiet. Saildrive seals and diaphragms need periodic replacement, and on older boats the original Volvo units are now 20 years old. Budget roughly $15,000 to $32,000 a year in the US for a slip or mooring, insurance, haul-outs, engine and saildrive service and sail replacement, with marina costs the biggest variable because of the 19-foot 7-inch beam.

The 385 suits sailors who prize seakeeping and the ability to carry stores for long passages over outright speed. It is a better choice than a former charter cat for an ocean crossing, and a cheaper one than most newer cats of its size, but buyers who want big open-plan volume and fast passages will find more of both in a modern Lagoon or Leopard.