BoatsCatalina Yachts 28

Catalina Yachts 28

Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · First built 1991

A 1991 masthead sloop featuring a 38% ballast ratio and multiple configurations including wing keel and tall rig options

Designed by Gerry Douglas.

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

See her sail

The Catalina Yachts 28, on the water

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

Footage from Sailing Solé

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 23 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 23
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 2.01
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 274
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 14.2
TenderStiff

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

Ballast 39%

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

What the fleet has seen

The Catalina 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 Catalina Yachts 28 is a Masthead Sloop designed by Gerry Douglas and built by Catalina Yachts from 1991 to the present, featuring a fin keel with a spade rudder. It measures 8.7 meters LOA, with a 3.1-meter beam, a 1.6-meter draft, and displaces 3764 kg. Catalina offered the 28 in multiple configurations, including a winged keel version and a tall mast version, with the MKII introduced in 1995. The winged keel variant has a displacement of 8600 lbs, 3500 lbs of ballast, and a draft of 3.83 feet. The tall mast version features an I dimension of 39.50 feet, a J of 10.80 feet, a P of 34.00 feet, and an E of 10.75 feet.

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
38.5%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
14.2
Displacement / length
273.8
Comfort ratio
23.1
Capsize screening
2.01
Hull speed
6.5 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
866
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
First built 1991
Units built
620
Designer
Gerry Douglas
Builder
Catalina 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.

Islander Yachts 309.02 mSame hull family0.3 m longerA raised-deck masthead sloop with a shallow 1.12-metre draft, produced briefly as a distinct variant of the Islander 29
FALL BOAT AUCTION 2023: Where to buy a SUPER CHEAP sailboat! - EP316:35from Sailing Solé
Cal Boats 309.14 mSame hull family0.5 m longerOffered with an optional tall rig, this masthead sloop served as the predecessor to the 2-30 series
Left a multinational, house, and car to live on a 30-foot sailboat | #SAL Clip #1451:32from Hashtag Sal
Seafarer Yachts 309.13 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA masthead sloop available with a tall rig and keel centerboard, distinct from the earlier Tripp-designed model
Sailboats at Every Budget: What You Get for $10K, $100K, $500K & $1M3:57from The Sailing Doodles Podcast
C&C Yachts 30-29.12 mSame hull family0.4 m longerA performance-oriented masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, designed by C&C for balanced club racing
Ep. 33 Interview with Richard1:11from Sailing Into Oblivion
Dufour Arpege 309.14 mSame hull family0.5 m longerA record-breaking production of over 1500 units, this MORC-compliant racer-cruiser defined a new standard for the 30-foot class
From plastic to WORK OF ART 🔥 Dufour Arpege door restoration (BEFORE vs AFTER)0:23from NAUTICPIOLI
Islander Yachts 288.51 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA Robert Perry-designed masthead sloop with over 400 built, favored by the designer himself for her balanced performance
My Honest Advice for New Sailors (It’s Not What You Think)8:29from Be The Captain

The family

Boats like this

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

Catalina Yachts 28 MKIIA 1995 redesign featuring a widened aft hull for an expanded cabin and a refined galley layoutCatalina Yachts 30 MKIIFeaturing a redesigned T-shaped cockpit and updated deck, this masthead sloop offered optional wing keels and tall rigsCatalina Yachts 25A 7.6-metre fin-keel sloop produced for fifteen years, offering a stable, high-volume platform for coastal cruising

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

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

Search the fleet for boats like thisAsk the fleet about the Catalina Yachts 28

The newsletter

New boats, new stories. Every week, everywhere.

One email from the fleet — boats newly added, videos newly analysed. No noise.

Report an issue