BoatsCape Dory 26

Cape Dory 26

Masthead Sloop · Long Keel · 1984–1986

Offered with an optional inboard diesel, this 1984-1986 masthead sloop features a traditional long keel

Designed by Carl Alberg.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Long Keel

Is it for you?

Character

Where this design lands on the numbers a shopper trusts — read straight from her own ratios.

Shoal draftDraws 1.09 m, board up where she has one — creeks, sandbars and thin anchorages most keels have to stay out of.
LivelySea-kindly

Her heavy displacement on a moderate beam gives 24 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 24
CoastalBluewater

1.84 — just under the 2.0 offshore line; her beam is modest for her weight.

Capsize screening 1.84
LightHeavy

332 — heavy for her waterline, built to carry stores and ride steadily.

Displacement / length 332
EasygoingPowered-up

16.0 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 16.0
TenderStiff

45% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 45%

A capable cruiser that sits just inside the offshore line — coastal work with real passages in her.

The record

Full specifications

The complete reference set — tap any figure to switch between metric and imperial.

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
45.3%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
16.0
Displacement / length
331.7
Comfort ratio
24.1
Capsize screening
1.84
Hull speed
5.9 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
550
Hull
Hull type
Long Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1984–1986
Units built
78
Designer
Carl Alberg
Builder
Cape Dory Yachts

Boats like this, on the water

Nobody has filmed this one — but these are close.

Comparable boats the fleet has on camera: same type, within a quarter of her length. Open the boat, or watch the video — a timestamp means she only appears in passing.

Flicka 207.32 mSame hull family0.6 m shorterA Bruce Bingham-designed cutter with a long keel, originally offered as amateur plans before becoming a production classic
Pearson Yachts-USA Triton8.63 mSame hull family0.7 m longerA Carl Alberg-designed long-keel fractional sloop that pioneered fiberglass cruising and saw international production.
Bristol Yachts 247.49 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA Paul Coble-designed masthead sloop with a long keel and over 50% ballast ratio for stable coastal cruising
Falmouth Cutter 229.30 mSame hull family1.4 m longerA narrow-beamed 30-foot cruiser with a shallow 1.07-meter draft and a traditional long-keeled hull
Vindo 328.95 mSame hull family1.1 m longerA classic Carl Andersson-designed masthead sloop featuring a long keel and traditional build for stable, comfortable cruising
Vancouver 278.23 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA Robert B. Harris-designed cutter with a long keel, built across two continents to provide a stiff, comfortable passage

The family

Related models

The designs closest to hers — usually the rest of the builder's range, sometimes the same hull sold under another name.

Keep looking

Nothing filmed of this one yet

Two ways to keep looking — both search what the fleet has actually recorded.

The newsletter

New boats, new stories, from everywhere.

One email from the fleet — boats newly added, videos newly analyzed. No noise.

Report an issue