BoatsCavalier 28

Cavalier 28

Masthead Sloop · Fin w/transom Hung Rudder · First built 1975

A masthead sloop with a fin keel and transom-hung rudder, offering a stable 27.74 comfort ratio for coastal cruising

Designed by Laurie Davidson.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/transom Hung Rudder

Is it for you?

Character

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

LivelySea-kindly

Her moderate displacement on a moderate beam gives 28 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 28
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.78
LightHeavy

257 — moderately heavy for her waterline, a balanced cruising weight.

Displacement / length 257
EasygoingPowered-up

13.3 — modest power for her weight; easygoing rather than lively, and happier with a breeze.

Sail area / displacement 13.3
TenderStiff

30% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 30%

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
30.3%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
13.3
Displacement / length
257.1
Comfort ratio
27.7
Capsize screening
1.78
Hull speed
6.7 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
826
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/transom hung rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1975
Units built
100
Designer
Laurie Davidson
Builder
Cavalier Yachts (AUSTRALIA)

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.

Watkins Yachts 278.23 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA masthead sloop with a skeg-hung rudder, offered in rare pilot house and keel-centerboard configurations
Islander Yachts 288.51 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Robert Perry-designed masthead sloop with over 400 built, favored by the designer himself for her balanced performance
Ranger Yachts 29 (Mull)8.71 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 1970s masthead sloop with a skeg-hung rudder, offering a balanced 1.98 capsize screening for coastal cruising
Coronado Yachts 278.13 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA William Tripp Jr. design featuring a masthead sloop rig and fin keel, sharing a near-identical hull with the Columbia 27
San Juan 288.74 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 1977 masthead sloop with a 50% ballast ratio and fin keel, designed for balanced performance in a compact 28-foot hull
Catalina Yachts 278.18 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA masthead sloop with 6,662 hulls produced over two decades, serving as a staple of coastal cruising since 1971

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.

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