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 draughtDraws 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 fibreglass cruising and saw international production.
Greenwich 247.39 mSame hull family0.5 m shorterA George H. Stadel Jr. long-keeled masthead sloop that served as the direct predecessor to the Cape Dory 25
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
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
Pacific Seacraft Dana 248.31 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA heavy-displacement W.I.B. Crealock cutter designed for offshore stability and serious coastal cruising

The family

Boats like this

Nearby designs by size, type, and era — worth a look alongside her.

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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