cape dory 28 sailboat specs

• BOAT OF THE YEAR
• Newsletters
• Sailboat Reviews
• Boating Safety
• Sailing Totem
• Charter Resources
• Destinations
• Galley Recipes
• Living Aboard
• Sails and Rigging
• Maintenance
• Best Marine Electronics & Technology

Cape Dory 28

• By Lauren Anthone
• Updated: June 24, 2008

Cape Dory 28 368

I’m a longtime sailor on OPB-other people’s boats-and one crisp, Chesapeake fall day, I found myself ashore and in the process of succumbing to a quiet desperation. I did the only thing that one can do under such circumstances: I went and looked at boats.

I wandered around boatyards until I found myself gazing at a Carl Alberg-designed Cape Dory 28. Three weeks later, and despite the fact that I really hadn’t intended for it to happen, I was a boat owner.

What drew me to the Cape Dory were lines altogether typical of Alberg, including a graceful sheer that sweeps forward from a counter stern to a teak bowsprit. Teak grabrails and eyebrows accentuate the fine proportions of the long trunk cabin, and easily navigable side decks connect the generous cockpit to the fair-sized foredeck. A full keel and a keel-hung rudder complete the profile.

Details below complement the traditional exterior. Solid teak and teak veneer are abundant, and bronze, in the through-hulls and the eight opening ports, is everywhere it should be.

Above the saloon settees, narrow shelves hold books; beneath each settee lies a 30-gallon water tank. More storage spaces are located behind the seatbacks. The starboard settee serves as a single berth; the other slides out to create a slender “double.” A teak table swings down from the bulkhead and unfolds between the settees. The saloon has about 6 feet of headroom, and two opening hatches overhead help keep the air moving through it. The head is forward of the saloon and contains a hanging wet locker and a small sink, which unfortunately drains into a fiberglass trough, then into the bilge. The marine toilet is installed below the waterline, so all valves must be closed when it’s not in use. A folding door separates the head from the V-berth, which covers various compartments. A cushioned plywood insert fills the V to create a double berth, forward of which a panel opens to the anchor locker.

The companionway, its top step on the countertop next to the single stainless-steel sink, bisects the galley, between a spacious icebox to starboard and an alcohol stove to port.

Removing the companionway stairs buys just enough room for a small person to ease over the top of the engine to service the raw-water pump or to top off the transmission oil.

Under sail, my CD 28, Innisfree, was a sound, safe, and comfortable cruising boat. She was stiff, surprisingly quick in light wind, extremely capable in heavy air, and a sheer joy off the wind. Innisfree balanced well, tracked perfectly, and, with all of her momentum, just plowed right through the Chesapeake chop. The club-footed jib, though handy for windward work when I was singlehanding, was difficult to trim properly, so I eventually installed a ProFurl furling system.

Between 1974 and 1987, Cape Dory Yachts built 388 CD 28s in East Taunton, Massachusetts. Today the 28 is listed at prices from $14,500 to $35,000. The Cape Dory Sailboat Owners Association ( www.capedory.org ) is just one of several groups that offers support to CD fans.

LOA 28′ 2″ (8.59 m.) LWL 22′ 3″ (6.78 m.) Beam 8′ 11″ (2.72 m.) Draft 4′ 0″ (1.22 m.) Sail Area (100%) 404 sq. ft. (37.5 sq. m.) Ballast 3,500 lb. (1,588 kg.) Displacement 9,000 lb. (4,082 kg.) Ballast/D .39 D/L 365 SA/D 14.9 Water 60 gal. (227 l.) Fuel 32 gal. (121 l.) Engine Various Designer Carl Alberg

Lauren Anthone sailed her Cape Dory 28, Innisfree, for six years.

• More: 21 - 30 ft , before 2000 , cape dory , Coastal Cruising , keelboat , monohull , Sailboat Reviews , Sailboats , sailboats classic plastic
• More Sailboats

Sailboat Review: Tartan 455

Meet the Bali 5.8

Celebrating a Classic

New to the Fleet: Italia Yachts 12.98

Bitter End Expands Watersports Program

Miracle in a Bowl

Cole Brauer Completes the Global Solo Challenge

• Digital Edition
• Customer Service
• Privacy Policy
• Email Newsletters
• Cruising World
• Sailing World
• Salt Water Sportsman
• Sport Fishing
• Wakeboarding

Cape Dory 28

This rugged carl alberg-designed classic is a bargain-priced family cruiser.

According to the Cape Dory Sailboat Owners’ Association, Cape Dory Yachts in East Taunton, Massachusetts, built 389 CD28s between 1974 and 1987.

During the company’s 28 years in business, it built more than 2,800 sailboats, ranging in length from the pint-sized Cape Dory 10 to hulls exceeding 45 feet. The Cape Dory Typhoon, just shy of 20 feet, proved a standout. The CD28 is often compared to the Pearson Triton 28, the Columbia 29, Bristol 27 and Alberg 30.

First impressions

There’s something pleasant about the Cape Dory 28. It has a robust, seagoing appearance, perhaps due to the bowsprit with anchor roller and the long cabintrunk. Four portals on each side of the cabin are uniform in size and shape, giving the boat a traditional look that’s further enhanced by two deck hatches, a graceful sheer and low freeboard. 

Designer Carl Alberg had to compromise in order to gain interior volume in this relatively slender sloop. As a result, he left the bow overhang intact to promote the impression of elegance, but the stern overhang was dramatically trimmed back. That design decision gave the boat a longer waterline, which increased its speed potential, but detracted from its overall beauty.

A bridgedeck was installed in the cockpit approximately four years after the start of production. It added to the interior volume. The deck has plenty of walkaround room for crew to go forward when changing sails or anchoring. 

The mainsheet is attached aft of the cockpit where it doesn’t interfere with crew activity. The original models have tiller steering and a self-tending, club-footed jib, allowing the boat to be sailed with minimal crew. A jiffy-reefing system on the mainsail also makes for easy sailing.

Construction

The CD28 hull is solid fiberglass in polyester resin. The decks are a sandwich of fiberglass cored with either marine plywood or balsa. In keeping with Cape Dory Yachts’ reputation for high-quality construction, the through-hull seacocks are bronze. Two deck hatches and eight portals open to provide ventilation and natural light. The boat has tiller steering, a full keel with lead ballast, and a keel-hung rudder. The mast is deck-stepped. “The shrouds and fittings are oversized for a vessel of this size,” said New Orleans sailor Keith Fawcett, who sails the CD28 Sea Hound.

What to look for

Deck delamination is always a possibility on older boats and the CD28 is no exception with its sandwich deck construction. The decks should be inspected for any spongy feel. Water infusion can occur at the chainplates or wherever other deck hardware is fastened. Telltale signs are stress cracks, crazing and blistering. 

Fawcett noted the internally fastened chainplates are cast iron, which create problems of rust and corrosion. The chainplates are accessible from the interior. He also warned there is a jib stay with a bronze cast fitting on the stem that should be watched for problems. 

Owners report that the plastic portals installed between 1974 and 1978 were of inferior quality. 

By now the winches may be tired and in need of an upgrade. If the standing rigging is original, it should be replaced. The diesel engine should be tested for compression, leaks and other potential problems. At the very least, belts and filters should be replaced.

Fuel tanks are either steel or aluminum. The steel tanks can rust and weaken. The aluminum tanks, because they’re in direct contact with a plywood base, can begin to pit. 

The boat is sloop-rigged, the mainsheet attached at the aft end of the cockpit to keep it from interfering with crew activity. Its 42-foot aluminum mast is deck stepped and secured by heavy-gauge standing rigging. The self-tending, club-footed jib on the foredeck is a welcome addition for short-handed sailors. The sturdy bowsprit supports an anchor roller and extends the forestay outward, providing more room for a genoa. There’s plenty of workspace on the foredeck. The cockpit has a bridgedeck on most models. The deck has a nonskid surface. 

The area below the deck isn’t cavernous by any means. The boat’s beam of just under 9 feet gives the CD28 a sleek appearance while dictating that the quarters below will be cramped.

On the positive side, headroom is 6 feet 2 inches in the cabin. The boat sleeps five. There’s a V-berth in the bow, an adjacent head to port and a wet hanging locker to starboard, which is a typical layout for compact cruising boats. The saloon features a starboard settee that is used as a single berth, and a port settee that slides out to become a double berth. A drop-leaf table rests between the settees.

The galley is aft, with an icebox and stainless sink to starboard, alcohol or propane stove to port. The two deck hatches and eight portals provide plenty of natural light and ventilation.

The boat has several storage lockers and carries 60 gallons of fresh water.

The original CD28s were fitted with  a Volvo 2-cylinder, 15-horsepower diesel engine. Owners say the engine is powerful enough to push the boat in a chop, but tends to be loud, smoky, and shakes like a demon. The engine is accessed from the cabin by raising the companionway steps and through two cockpit lockers, but service space is tight. The fuel tank holds 32 gallons.

Owners describe the CD28 as kindly and capable in rough seas. Despite its 9,000-pound displacement, the boat moves easily in light winds over 10 knots with the club-footed jib. The full keel with attached rudder helps the boat track downwind and allows it to point nicely to windward. 

The owner of the CD28 Entropy II once remarked, “I kept the original rig—a club-footed working jib for brisk-to-heavy winds and a 140% genoa for light winds. The Cape Dory 28 is a very sweet sailer —9,000 pounds of displacement with a Carl Alberg-designed hull—makes for a comfortable ride in various weather conditions. She may not be the fastest, but she’s a cruiser that points well and is easy to sail.”

“She can’t compete sailing with modern fin spade keel designs, but for the traditional sailor she will provide endless joy,” Fawcett  said.

Several CD28 owners maintain websites that describe their sailing experiences, which include bluewater passages and Fred Bickum’s three-year, singlehanded voyage completed in 2009 aboard FeNIX , a 1978 model.

The Cape Dory 28 is a sturdy, traditionally styled, compact cruising sloop ideal for family coastal cruising yet capable of offshore sailing.

Principal dimensions: LOA  28’2”;  LWL 22’3”;  Beam 8’11”;  Draft   4’  ;  Displacement 9,000 lbs.;  Ballast   3,500 lbs.;  Sail area   404 sq. ft.

General Market Price Data

$35,000     1983 Maine  •    $24,900    1982 Michigan   •    $10,000   1978 Washington

SAILING’s Value Guide

(5-sailboat rating system)

PRICE:  (4 sailboats) The price of a used Cape Dory 28 can range widely, depending on age, condition and upgrades. A 1978 model in North Carolina that requires an engine is selling online for $5,500, while a fully equipped 1983 boat in excellent  shape is on the market in Maine for $35,000. 

DESIGN QUALITY:  (4 sailboats) The CD28 was designed by prominent naval architect Carl Alberg, who preferred boats with an elegant, Scandinavian-inspired sheer, low freeboard and long overhangs. 

CONSTRUCTION QUALITY: (3 sailboats) Cape Dory Yachts in the 1970s and 1980s had a reputation for building ruggedly constructed boats, with solid fiberglass hulls in polyester resin and fiberglass and sandwich cored decks. All hardware is heavy duty, the seacocks forged in bronze. Teak is used throughout the interior. 

USER-FRIENDLINESS:   (3 sailboats) The CD28 has an anchor roller and self-tending, club-footed jib. The cockpit comfortably accommodates four. The heavy displacement makes for a smooth ride. And the sensible sailplan helps keep the boat under control in high wind conditions.

SAFETY:   (3 sailboats) Safety features include sturdy lifelines, and roomy deck space, a 3,500-pound full keel with lead ballast to keep the boat upright, and a cockpit bridgedeck on later models that prevents water from entering the cabin.  

TYPICAL CONDITION:  (3 sailboats)  Many CD28s are 40 years old, which in all likelihood means they’ve had multiple owners and varying maintenance regimens.  The boat’s solid fiberglass hull is difficult to damage and often found in sound condition. Decks may have softened due to water infusion. 

REFITTING:  (3 sailboats) Several owners have replaced the Volvo engine with Beta Marine or Kubota diesels and report much quieter operation. The standing rigging likely needs replacement. Many owners eliminate the club-footed jib in favor of a roller-furling genoa, claiming the latter affords better sail trim. 

SUPPORT: (2 sailboats) Cape Dory Yachts is no longer in business, but there’s an active Cape Dory Sailboat Owners’ Association (www.capedory.org), with fleets located in the Carolinas, Gulf states, Chesapeake Bay and the Northeast. 

AVAILABILITY:   (3 sailboats) There’s no shortage of Cape Dory 28s on the market. At press time, at least 15 were for sale in the U.S. 

INVESTMENT AND RESALE:   (3 sailboats) The Cape Dory 28 holds its value.

Also in Used Boat Notebook

• Hunter Passage 42
• Pearson Rhodes 41
• Santa Cruz 52
• Allied Princess 36
• Kelly-Peterson 46

Also from David Liscio

• Chasing a dream
• The wide, wide world of multihulls
• Flares are expired. Now what?
• Saved from the scrap heap
• Pedal to the Medal

Cape dory 28

The cape dory 28 is a 28.14ft masthead sloop designed by carl alberg and built in fiberglass by cape dory yachts between 1974 and 1988., 388 units have been built..

The Cape dory 28 is a heavy sailboat which is slightly under powered. It is stable / stiff and has an excellent righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a bluewater cruising boat. The fuel capacity is originally very small. There is a short water supply range.

Cape dory 28 for sale elsewhere on the web:

Main features

Login or register to personnalize this screen.

You will be able to pin external links of your choice.

See how Sailboatlab works in video

We help you build your own hydraulic steering system - Lecomble & Schmitt

Accommodations

Builder data, other photos.

Modal Title

The content of your modal.

Personalize your sailboat data sheet

CAPE DORY 28 Detailed Review

If you are a boat enthusiast looking to get more information on specs, built, make, etc. of different boats, then here is a complete review of CAPE DORY 28. Built by Cape Dory Yachts and designed by Carl Alberg, the boat was first built in 1974. It has a hull type of Full Keel and LOA is 8.58. Its sail area/displacement ratio 14.99. Its auxiliary power tank, manufactured by Volvo, runs on Diesel.

CAPE DORY 28 has retained its value as a result of superior building, a solid reputation, and a devoted owner base. Read on to find out more about CAPE DORY 28 and decide if it is a fit for your boating needs.

Boat Information

Boat specifications, sail boat calculation, rig and sail specs, auxillary power tank, accomodations, contributions, who designed the cape dory 28.

CAPE DORY 28 was designed by Carl Alberg.

Who builds CAPE DORY 28?

CAPE DORY 28 is built by Cape Dory Yachts.

When was CAPE DORY 28 first built?

CAPE DORY 28 was first built in 1974.

How long is CAPE DORY 28?

CAPE DORY 28 is 6.77 m in length.

What is mast height on CAPE DORY 28?

CAPE DORY 28 has a mast height of 9.6 m.

Member Boats at HarborMoor

Our videos have over 10 million views on YouTube. We sell boats throughout North America and can sell yours. BC representatives in Vancouver , Victoria , Nanaimo , Campbell River , Maple Bay , Comox

1985 Cape Dory Cruiser 28

• send to a friend
• Download & Print Specs

1985 Cape Dory Cruiser 28 boat for sale

Listing broker.

Yacht Broker - Maple Bay Marina, BC

Cell: 250-818-4658

Description

This simple-yet-elegant down-East style cruiser has nearly a cult following. In the 28 years that Cape Dory Yachts was in business, they built over 2,800 sailboats and over 300 powerboats: 223 of those were of the 28’ variety. That said, it’s a treat to see one of them here in the Pacific Northwest. Many Cape Dories were designed by the renown naval architect, Carl Alberg, and you can see that influence in the simplicity and clean lines of the 28’.

Enthusiasts rave about the “incomparable seakeeping abilities,” and the “simple elegance of a classic interior with spacious cockpit and wide, sure-footed decks.” This particular case is an excellent example of what they’re talking about. CAPER pleases the eye with that salty East coast look. The bow is high, and the rub rail is a rope! When you step aboard, she feels as a boat should feel underfoot: neither tender nor stiff, but hardy and ready to go. The interior is simple and clean. Very no-nonsense, yet dignified and comfortable. One can imagine pulling off the yellow slicker, the sou’wester, and the gum boots on the aft deck, then stepping inside to the smell of Cook doing up a mess of lobster. Or, in a more West Coast style, shedding the rubber boots, the Helly Hanson, and sitting down to a feast of crab and halibut. Either way, it does the heart good. You can see why this was the most popular powerboat that Cape Dory ever made.

With easily $15,000 worth of work done over the last two years, this boat is in the best shape she’s seen in 20 years. So, hum your favourite sea shanty and come take a look. It will be time well spent.

At the forepeak, a chain locker stores rode and is accessible only from the outer deck. Inside, behind the chain locker is a v-berth with insert to make the bed a full triangle. Aft of that to port is the head. Across from the head, to starboard, is the galley. Two steps up takes you to the main cabin. To port is an L-shaped settee with oval wooden table. To starboard is the helm station with an adjustable captain’s chair. The engine is located beneath the main cabin. Aft of the main cabin, through a sliding wooden door is the outer aft deck. There is a bimini over the deck. Under the deck is storage. On the deck is a fiberglass storage box. Aft of the transom is a teak swim grid that runs the full length athwartship. A fiberglass sailing dinghy is stored on the swim grid. There is 360° access outside the cabin via wide walkaround decks and teak handrails.

Specifications

• Name: CAPER
• Make: Cape Dory
• Model: Cruiser
• Builder: Cape Dory Yachts
• Location: Victoria, BC
• Price: $65,000 CAD
• LOD: 27’ 11”
• Beam: 9’ 11”
• Maximum draft: 2’ 11”
• Headroom: 6’ 3”
• Displacement: 9,000 lbs
• Fuel type: Diesel
• Brand: Westerbeke
• Model: 6 Cyl
• Cooling: Fresh water
• Drive: Direct
• Hours: 2500
• Last service: 2021 Fall
• Cruising speed: 7 kts
• Maximum speed: 12 kts
• Consumption at cruising speed: About 1 gal/hour
• Instrumentation: RPM, oil pressure, fuel, voltage, temp

The engine has glow plugs. When pre-heated, it starts immediately without any fuss and only a minimum of smoke. Sound panelling encompasses the entire engine room for the quietest possible ride.

• Transmission new in 2009
• Engine mounts new in 2015
• Upgraded Racor filter installed
• Water pump rebuilt, exhaust hose replaced, valve adjustment and injectors cleaned and reset in 2019
• Fuel lines new in 2016
• Shaft coupling replaced 2020
• Shaft seal readjusted 2021

Hull, Propeller, & Rudder

• Hull shape: Semi-displacement with moderate beam, round bilges
• Hull materials: Fiberglass. In 2021 it was stripped and recoated
• Trim: Teak, maintained regularly with Semco teak sealer
• Deck materials: FRP and cored in areas
• Cabin materials: (straight FRP or cored? If cored, with what?)
• Rudder: Prop and rudder protected by keel
• Propeller: Bronze 3-blade, right hand
• Steering: Wheel
• Emergency tiller
• Sounder/GPS/Plotter: Garmin 198C colour Chartplotter, speed, depth
• Compass: Ritchie at helm
• VHF: New 2016

Aft & Outer Decks

• Wonderfully spacious back deck
• Teak swim grid of generous proportion
• All decks painted with Kiwi Grip
• Hot/cold freshwater shower
• Main door rebuilt 2021
• Deck hatches: One above v-berth
• Portholes & windows: 1 opening in galley, 2 opening in v-berth, windows all around main cabin
• Lazarette: Generous size, access via aft deck
• Outer storage: Fiberglass box in aft deck
• Railings: Stainless steel around aft deck; stainless steel bow pulpit
• Canvas covers: Bimini over aft deck, window covers
• House batteries: 4 x Trojan 6V, 2015
• Starter battery: 1 x GRP31 12V, 2015
• Battery charger: Pronautic charger and monitor, 2015
• Battery monitor: Victron
• Inverter: 500W, 2021
• Shore power cord: Smart Plug, 2015
• Wiring and panel replaced with new in 2015
• All lights are LED 2015, 2021
• Red LED over helm for preserving night vision
• Alternator rebuilt 2020
• Fuel: 90 gal – new certified plastic in 2016
• Fresh water: 90 gal total, 2 tanks, plastic
• Hot water: 5 gal, electrical or engine heated
• Holding: 20 gal, plastic
• Holding tank config: to deck or sea
• Propane: BBQ only
• New potable water pump 2021
• Dinghy: Booth 9’ beautiful fiberglass classic sailing dinghy with sail, rudder, and oars (Minto model). Tows very well.
• Dinghy storage: Weaver davits for vertical storage on swim grid

Ground Tackle

• Windlass: Lewmar Pro 1000 12V electric, motor replaced 2021
• Anchor primary: 10kg Bruce
• Rode: 60’ of 5/8” chain; 250’ of 5/8” 3-strand nylon line
• Stainless steel anchor roller
• Bilge pump: Electrical (will be new); manual replaced 2021
• Bilge blower: Yes
• Engine overheat alarm: Yes
• Fire extinguishers: 2 x 3A 10 BC dry chem; Saloon & head
• Carbon monoxide alarm: Above galley
• Life ring: 24” located on aft deck
• Boarding ladder: Stainless steel on swim grid
• Heat: Wallace diesel stove/heater – see note under “Galley, Stove”
• Sole surface: Teak & holly; main cabin sole refinished 2021
• Bulkhead/hull finish: Main cabin upper paint and woodwork refinished 2021
• Large windows surround the upper main cabin. Clean, white curtains can be drawn for privacy.
• An L-shaped settee is to port. It makes down into a double bed. Beneath is a tremendous amount of storage.
• To starboard is the helm station with wheel steering. A fixed, oak captain’s chair is fully adjustable in height, as well as at the back. Very comfy!
• Windows surround the cabin, flooding it with light, and views of the Pacific Northwest. Clean, white curtains port and starboard can be drawn for nighttime privacy.
• Engine access is located beneath the newly stripped and refinished teak and holly sole.
• Fridge: Top loading (compressor will be new)
• Stove: Wallace diesel stove/heater; Air is drawn from inside the cabin and exhausted outside, creating a warm and dry heat that is blown throughout the boat. The same system heats the stovetop most efficiently. This system eliminates the need for propane inside, or battery-draining electrical-powered cooking.
• BBQ: Propane outside on aft deck
• Sink: Deep stainless steel
• Taps: High stainless steel for filling large pots (with a lotta crabs in them)
• Toilet: Manual Jabsco with new flush pump and seals, 2021
• Tap: Single-lever, hot/cold, stainless steel
• Basin: Deep stainless steel
• Ventilation: Opening porthole
• Lighting: Covered bulb, and a large translucent overhead. Almost like a skylight.
• Attractive blue cushions form the sleeping area. An insert can be placed to allow the bunk to be the full triangle.
• Upholstery is in excellent condition.
• Storage shelves run port and starboard above the bunk. They are accessible through large openings that, while giving good access, keep anything stored in there from falling out.
• Storage under forward end accessible under foam.
• Storage under port and starboard sides accessible via cupboard doors.
• Hanging locker aft of bunk.
• 2 reading lamps.
• Teak lined along the hull.

Great choice! Your favorites are temporarily saved for this session. Sign in to save them permanently, access them on any device, and receive relevant alerts.

• Sailboat Guide

1977 Cape Dory 28 sail

• Description

Seller's Description

1077 Classic CD 28, full keel with new main & roller furled 150 newer complete camper canvas & screens. 2nd owner, always freshwater sailed , newer “Awlgrip” hull paint, new deck & bottom paint, lovingly maintained & covered winters–never damaged

Equipment: New sails, autohelm, Gamin GPS chart plotter . newer 20 gallon waste tank with alarm new & head– 2 anchors with lines- all lines and rigging in good condition, 2 dinghies, zodiac & fiberglass-2 stoves Arego alcohol or butane, whisker pole, new Harken traveler

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

The Cape Dory 28 is a rugged little cruiser often quoted as having a feel of a larger boat. She combines traditional looks, quality construction and well-mannered sailing characteristics into a package that is offshore capable. As testimony to her seaworthiness, we’ve seen at least one circumnavigation – in 2009 Fred Bickum completed his three year voyage singlehanded in his 1978 Cape Dory, FêNIX .

At her launch in 1974 the Cape Dory 28 marked the beginning of a fruitful twelve year partnership between Cape Dory Yachts and well respected designer Carl Alberg . Between 1974 and 1987, Cape Dory built 388 in their yard in East Taunton, New England, helping the company forge a grand reputation for producing sailboats that are well constructed with excellent sailing characteristics.

Taking a closer look at her hull shape a trained eye can see much of the classic Alberg form. A Swede himself, he was heavily influenced by the sleek Scandinavian folkboats of the early 20th century, and in that regard the 28’s hull is narrow, making for less accomodation volume belowdecks, but the long overhangs seen in earlier Alberg designs are only hinted at, instead they have been toned down in favour of a longer waterline and gaining back some space. The sheerline is graceful with traditionally low freeboard. Beneath the waterline is a full keel with a forefoot cutaway and ending in a keel-hung rudder which completes her classical profile.

Hulls are of solid fiberglass in polyester resin while decks are balsa or plywood cored fiberglass. The build quality is excellent throughout and the quality of her fittings are good. Bronze is used for the through hull fittings and the eight opening ports, though early boats before 1978 had lower quality plastic ports.

Under sail, they are sea kindly, stiff and capable in heavy seas, yet surprisingly quick in light winds. Nine thousand pounds of displacement, a modified full keel and a well-distributed sail plan results in a well balanced boat that tracks easily, is nimble through the tacks yet has enough momentum to push through choppy water.

In summary, if you’re looking for a small cruiser with classic looks and proven offshore potential, but don’t mind foregoing the interior room seen in more modern 28-footers, the Cape Dory 28 may be a good choice.

Buyers Notes

• Decks are fiberglass with a plywood or in some models balsa core. Check for stress cracking which if neglected can allow moisture into the core. Particularly critical areas include the chainplates and mounting points for deck hardware
• Check the fuel tanks. Most models have aluminum tanks mounted on wooden cleats that caused pitting in the aluminum, eventually leading to failure. Some models have steel tanks which can be prone to rusting. Note the tanks can be easily accessed via the port seat locker without difficulty.

Links, References and Further Reading

» Cape Dory Owners Association’s Cape Dory 28 page . Info, brochures and photos. » Cruising World Magazine’s review of the Cape Dory 28 by Lauren Anthone, 2007. » Jack Horner’s review of the Cape Dory 28 , BoatUS

This listing is presented by SailboatListings.com . Visit their website for more information or to contact the seller.

View on SailboatListings.com

Embed this page on your own website by copying and pasting this code.

• About Sailboat Guide

©2024 Sea Time Tech, LLC

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.