BoatsCape Dory 28

Cape Dory 28

Masthead Sloop · Full Keel · 1974–1988

A classic Carl Alberg full-keel masthead sloop designed for steady, comfortable cruising

Designed by Carl Alberg.

LOA
Beam
Draft (max)
Displacement
Ballast
Hull type
Full Keel

See her sail

The Cape Dory 28, on the water

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

Footage from Sam Holmes Sailing

Is it for you?

Character

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

LivelySea-kindly

Her heavy displacement on a moderate beam gives 32 — a sea-kindly motion in a seaway.

Comfort ratio 32
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.71
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 367
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 15.0
TenderStiff

39% of her weight is ballast — moderately stiff, a middle-of-the-road stability.

Ballast 39%

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

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 3 times across 3 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

On the water

The Cape Dory 28 on video

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
38.9%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
15.0
Displacement / length
366.7
Comfort ratio
31.7
Capsize screening
1.71
Hull speed
6.3 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
704
Hull
Hull type
Full Keel
Construction
FG solid lamine hull/ cored deck.
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1974–1988
Units built
388
Designer
Carl Alberg
Builder
Cape Dory 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.

Alberg 309.22 mSame hull family0.7 m longerA classic Carl Alberg long-keeled masthead sloop built for over two decades, offering a stable and comfortable motion
Vancouver 278.23 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA 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 family0.3 m shorterA heavy-displacement W.I.B. Crealock cutter designed for offshore stability and serious coastal cruising
Vindo 328.95 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA classic Carl Andersson-designed masthead sloop featuring a long keel and traditional build for stable, comfortable cruising
Cape Dory 30C9.21 mSame hull family0.7 m longerA cutter-rigged cruiser with a full keel and a 1.27-metre draft, built for steady performance between 1976 and 1987
Pacific Seacraft Orion 279.42 mSame hull family0.9 m longerA heavy-displacement cutter by Henry Mohrschladt, built for offshore stability with a long keel and conservative rig

The family

Boats like this

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

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