BoatsIslander Yachts 28

Islander Yachts 28

Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · 1975–1985

A Robert Perry-designed masthead sloop with over 400 built, favored by the designer himself for her balanced performance

Designed by Robert H. Perry.

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

See her sail

The Islander Yachts 28, on the water

The fleet's own footage — the truest look at how she really moves.

Footage from Be The Captain

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 beamy beam gives 21 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 21
CoastalBluewater

2.06 — right around the 2.0 line, the edge between coastal and offshore.

Capsize screening 2.06
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 254
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 15.8
TenderStiff

43% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 43%

A balanced, easily-driven cruiser — comfortable and forgiving for coastal work.

What the fleet has seen

The Islander Yachts 28, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The Islander Yachts 28 is a Robert Perry-designed masthead sloop built from 1975 to 1985, with over 400 units sold. This fin-keel, spade-rudder sailboat measures 8.5 meters LOA, 3.0 meters beam, and 1.5 meters draft, displacing 3175 kg. Robert Perry considers it one of his favorite designs. Aboard *Be The Captain*, James Evenson sailed an Islander 28 engineless for over a year, finding it a suitable platform for developing seamanship skills.9:11 He recommends the Islander 28 as a dry, simple, and well-sailing boat, contrasting it with IOR-influenced designs like the Kalik 33, which can be tender and heel-dependent.10:05 The Islander 28 was among Islander's most successful models, with a brief interruption in production for the poorly selling 'Bahama' variant before the standard model returned.

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 2 times across one channel of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Islander Yachts 28 on video

What they go for

Market signal

Where the fleet has seen this model for sale, and the asking prices that came with it.

1seen for sale
$9,000Median asking

  • An Islander 28 for $9,000 on Facebook Marketplace, in very well cared for condition and includes a dinghy

    from Practical Sailorseen February 2025watch

From the fleet's own footage — our observed signal, not broker listings.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
42.9%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
15.8
Displacement / length
254.2
Comfort ratio
21.0
Capsize screening
2.06
Hull speed
6.4 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
811
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
FG solid hull/plywood deck
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1975–1985
Units built
430
Designer
Robert H. Perry
Builder
Islander Yachts, Tradewind Yachts

Boats like this, on the water

More boats like her, on the water

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.

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
EP#328 San Diego Sailing with Justin14:43from Sailing Into Oblivion
Sabre 27 (Hill)8.23 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterAn Alan Hill-designed masthead sloop featuring a skeg-hung rudder and a stiff, stable hull for coastal cruising
The story so far latitudes and attitudes magazine5:41from The Sailing Brothers
Contessa 288.43 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Doug Peterson-designed masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, built for balanced performance since 1977
How to prepare for long-distance cruising5:47from practicalboatowner
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
A little bonus episode14:04from Sailing Magic Carpet
Pearson Yachts 28-28.67 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA William Shaw-designed masthead sloop featuring a fin keel and spade rudder, built as a modern successor to the original 28
Acorn to Arabella - Journey of a Wooden Boat - Bonus Content: The Good, The Bad and The Bronze0:04from Acorn To Arabella
Newport 27S8.23 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA 1974 masthead sloop with a 1.3-meter draft, offering a stable fin-keel platform for shoal-water coastal cruising
Live On A Cheap and Small Sailboat! The Newport 27from Practical Sailor

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.

Islander Yachts Bahama 28A masthead sloop featuring a modified interior layout compared to its predecessor, built for coastal cruisingIslander Yachts 26A Robert Perry-designed masthead sloop with a fin keel, built for two years as a nimble coastal cruiserIslander Yachts 32-2A Robert Perry-designed masthead sloop also sold as the Yachtcraft 32, available in both shoal keel and tall rig versionsIslander Yachts Bahama 26A Robert Perry-designed masthead sloop with a shallow 1.19m draft and wide 3.05m beam for coastal cruising comfortIslander 27A 1969 A.S. Pendell design, this masthead sloop pairs a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio with a nimble fin keel

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

Search what's been said about the Islander Yachts 28, or ask a specific question — the answer comes back written out, with links to the moments it draws on.

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