Designed in Finland, built in Turkey and ready for anything. That’s the idea behind this launch from the new brand Aiata. The Wayfinder 38 was conceived to cruise in the chill waters of Scandinavia and the turquoise anchorages of the Eastern Mediterranean. And it has applications for the U.S. coastline too. It’s essentially multiple boats in one.
Aiata is a part of the Anadolu Group, founded in 1950 and headquartered in Istanbul. It is a sizable manufacturing operation that’s involved with an array of products, including beer, trucks, cars, pencils, olive oil, hydroelectricity, fruit juice and more. It also has a bank.
Now, boats join that list—and in a really interesting way. The Wayfinder 38 is a modular design that comes in Suntop and Cabin versions. The clever thing about it is that if you buy one, you get the other one too. The hardtop structure of the Suntop is engineered to accept substantial side and aft panels, with windows and sliding doors, transforming the boat into the Cabin version. Aiata says a boatyard can undertake the switch in a couple of days. The company envisions owners converting their boats twice a year, to suit the changing seasons and to stay on the water even longer.
The transformation from hardtop to cabin cruiser is not the only facet of this versatile cruiser. Fit-out options go well beyond a choice of oak or teak veneers, or a mere two color options for the upholstery. It’s available with a few seating plans, including bench seats fore and aft, three different tables, an L-shaped sofa in the cabin, and a galley. Owners can also specify a wet bar in the cockpit, a ski arch or none of the above. Forward, owners can have a U-shaped sofa or a bench seat across the bow, and it can face a sofa or sunbed.
Additional choices can become slightly bewildering, but they allow for a high degree of personalization in the boating experience. Configuring this boat should be a lot of fun. Several versions were on display at the Cannes Yachting Festival in September, one with Mercury outboards and one with Hondas. It was fascinating to step between them and figure out all the permutations.
Down in the surprisingly roomy cabin, which remains the same on both versions of the Wayfinder, headroom in the main standing area is 6 feet, 3 inches, and the berth measures 6 feet, 6 inches long down its centerline. It’s a maximum of 5 feet, 7 inches wide, tapering forward to 3 feet, 9 inches. Unless you’re both 6 feet, 6 inches tall, it should work. The superstructure section that comprises the forward seat molding is hinged and can raise like a hatch to bring in fresh air or a view of the stars. It’s an unusual feature and is, like so much else on this boat, pretty cool.
The proof, of course, is out on the water. The concept and naval architecture are from the Finnish studio Navia, whose principal, Jarkko Jämsén, has worked for Axopar, Paragon and XO. The Aiata’s hull shape follows in their wake, with a two-step, deep-V and a fine entry curving upward into an elegant, flared bow. Few sportboat hulls in recent years have looked quite so purposeful.
Owners can choose two 400-hp outboards, or go with the power package that was on the boat I got aboard. With the Suntop’s pair of 350-hp Mercury 5.7-liter V-10s humming away abaft us, the hull seemed perfectly compatible with its power, accelerating in a rush as the revs built up. At about 4000 rpm, we were fully on plane at just over 20 knots, burning around 25 gallons of fuel per hour. We had 80 percent fuel and six people on board. It was comfortable, quiet and economical, and would make a perfectly respectable pace for a cruise.
There was plenty more horsepower back there, too. Edge the throttles forward and at 4500 rpm and 28 knots, the fuel burn is 31 gph. This, too, could be a sensible cruising speed. The Zipwake stabilizer and Mercury trim system were both on automatic, and the hull responded to every helm input as if in a dream.
I was reminded of an old fighter pilot I once knew who, reminiscing about his time with the F-86—“the sainted Sabre,” as he called it—told me wistfully, “the plane was me.” The Wayfinder can induce similar feelings of omnipotent control, bordering on euphoria. It just does what you want, almost without conscious effort.
Even still, the engines weren’t breaking a sweat.And as the gray gloom started to clear into another fine day, the horizon beckoned. More throttle got us to 5000 rpm and 35.7 knots, with a fuel burn of 43 gph.
Like an addict, I pushed on to 5500 rpm and saw 39.7 knots on the screen. Fuel burn was 60 gph. I still had full control, tremendous precision banking into turns and an exhilarating rush.
At full throttle, we topped out at 42 knots. The hull remained as sure-footed and responsive as ever. Even cranking on lots of helm, I couldn’t force this boat to do anything untoward. There wasn’t even a hint of sideslip.
Cursed as we were with a calm day out there on the water, we couldn’t give the boat’s knifelike entry a real test, but after charging repeatedly through our own wake and the wakes of the few other boats that were out so soon after breakfast, I would be confident to take the Wayfinder out in choppy conditions.
I would also expect to have just as much fun as we did in our sea trial, which was quite the good time. And I would expect to stay dry too, thanks to this boat’s well-shaped bow.
There’s a lot that’s different about the Aiata Wayfinder 38. And the concept works. I found this boat to be clever, practical, surprising and cool. But mainly, it’s a lot of fun. And after all, isn’t that what boating is supposed to be about?
LOA: 38’0”
Beam: 11’6”
Draft: 2’11”
(engines down)
Displ.: 16,486 lbs.
Fuel: 225 gals.
Water: 53 gals.
Power: (2) 350-hp Mercury outboards
Base price: $400,000 with Honda 350s
January 2026
