Inside SOTW Mag: Mystic C3800 Profile—Coming Into Its Own

Though you wouldn’t know it from his center console and sport catamaran lines, John Cosker, the man behind Mystic Powerboats in DeLand, Fla., is capable of designing and building boats smaller than 38 feet long. He just hasn’t chosen to yet—and isn’t likely to anytime soon. His first design when he started Mystic in 1998 was a turbine-powered 55-foot V-bottom he built for Dave Callan and the 50-foot catamaran the company introduced eight years later pretty much put Mystic on the map.

As planned by its designer, the Mystic Powerboats C3800 is finding a home with sport catamaran buyers who want a little more boat. Photo courtesy/copyright Pete Boden/Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

So you could say that big stuff is in his blood, which at least in part explains why Mystic entered the red-hot outboard engine-powered sport catamaran market with a 38-footer while its primary competitors offer models that range from 28 to 36 feet. But in concert with his big-boat leanings, Cosker wanted his first sport cat to focus on ride quality and creature comforts first and top speed second.

That the C3800 is slower up top than its competition doesn’t matter to him. That it tackles rough water better and delivers more than enough space for a full day on the water is exactly what Cosker was after.

To enjoy the complete feature, click the download link for the PDF of the May/June 2019 Speed On The Water magazine, and please share any feedback with us below, via email or on social media.