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

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.

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
Bahamas for $5000? The Watkins 27 foot Sailboat0:47from Practical Sailor
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
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
Coronado Yachts 278.13 mSame hull family0.4 m shorterA William Tripp Jr. design featuring a masthead sloop rig and fin keel, sharing a near-identical hull with the Columbia 27
103. Sailors' Meeting. Sea stories told by those who lived them.49:10from A Son de Mar
Catalina Yachts 278.18 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA masthead sloop with 6,662 hulls produced over two decades, serving as a staple of coastal cruising since 1971
Ep# 27 Interview with Chris2:02from Sailing Into Oblivion
Newport 27S8.23 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA 1974 masthead sloop with a 1.3-metre 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

Boats like this

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

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 built for coastal cruising with a stable fin keel and spade rudderIslander 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

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