BoatsSpirit 28 (Finch)

Spirit 28 (Finch)

Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · 1979–1981

A Robert Finch and Earl Blackwell-designed masthead sloop built for coastal cruising with a stable 42% ballast ratio

Designed by Robert Finch & Earl Blackwell, built by Glastron.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Fin w/spade 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 beamy beam gives 20 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 20
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 2.10
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 253
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 16.1
TenderStiff

42% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 42%

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

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
42.0%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
16.1
Displacement / length
253.2
Comfort ratio
20.3
Capsize screening
2.10
Hull speed
6.4 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
822
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1979–1981
Units built
80
Designer
Robert Finch, Earl Blackwell
Builder
Glastron

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.

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
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
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
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

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

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