BoatsH-28 (Herreshoff)

H-28 (Herreshoff)

Masthead Ketch · Long Keel w/trans. Hung Rudder · First built 1942

A classic L. Francis Herreshoff design, this long-keeled ketch has been built worldwide in diverse variants since 1942

Designed by L. Francis Herreshoff, built by Cheoy Lee Shipyard.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Long Keel w/trans. Hung Rudder

Is it for you?

Character

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

Shoal draftDraws 1.07 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 narrow beam gives 42 — a heavy, notably soft motion offshore.

Comfort ratio 42
CoastalBluewater

At 1.46 she sits well under the 2.0 line — a solidly ocean-capable hull for her size.

Capsize screening 1.46
LightHeavy

395 — very heavy for her waterline, a serious load-carrying cruiser.

Displacement / length 395
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 15.2
TenderStiff

27% of her weight is ballast — on the tender side; she'll heel readily and want a reef sooner.

Ballast 27%

Built heavy and sea-kindly — a boat made to cross oceans and forgive a rough night.

  • Draws less than ~79% of boats her size on file

Compared with 302 boats of the same type within a quarter of her length.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
26.7%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Ketch
Ratios
SA / displacement
15.2
Displacement / length
395.0
Comfort ratio
42.3
Capsize screening
1.46
Hull speed
6.4 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
652
Hull
Hull type
Long keel w/trans. hung rudder
Construction
various
Production
Years built
First built 1942
Designer
L. Francis Herreshoff
Builder
Cheoy Lee Shipyard

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.

Pacific Seacraft Orion 279.42 mSame hull family1.2 m longerA heavy-displacement cutter designed by Henry Mohrschladt for offshore stability and traditional long-keel handling
Cape Dory 30C9.21 mSame hull family1.0 m longerA cutter-rigged cruiser with a full keel and a 1.27-metre draft, built for steady performance between 1976 and 1987
Sea Sprite 309.20 mSame hull family1.0 m longerA 9.2-metre cruiser with a 41% ballast ratio, delivering a stiff and steady motion for coastal passages
Alberg 309.22 mSame hull family1.0 m longerA 25-year production classic with a heavy displacement-to-length ratio that remains a capable choice for offshore passages
Allied Boat Co. Seawind9.30 mSame hull family1.1 m longerA Thomas Gillmer-designed masthead ketch with a long keel, marking both the beginning and the end of the Allied Boat Co.
Beneteau Evasion 329.70 mSame hull family1.5 m longerA long-keeled masthead ketch that launched the Evasion line and marked a new era for Beneteau

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.

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