BoatsSan Juan 28

San Juan 28

Masthead Sloop · Fin keel, spade rudder · First built 1977

A 1977 masthead sloop with a 50% ballast ratio and fin keel, designed for balanced performance in a compact 28-foot hull

Designed by Don Clark, built by Clark Boat Co.

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

See her sail

The San Juan 28, on the water

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

Footage from Sailing Magic Carpet

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 moderate beam gives 18 — a quick, lively motion that feels every wave.

Comfort ratio 18
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 2.18
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 249
EasygoingPowered-up

18.2 — plenty of sail for her weight; lively and quick to respond.

Sail area / displacement 18.2
TenderStiff

50% of her weight is ballast — stiff, standing up well to her sails.

Ballast 50%

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

What the fleet has seen

The San Juan 28, as the fleet has seen it

Derived from the videos the fleet has analysed of this model. ▶ marks open the moment aboard.

The San JUAN 28 is a masthead sloop designed by Don Clark and built by Clark Boat Co. from 1977 to the present, with a length overall of 8.7 meters, a beam of 3.0 meters, and a draft of 1.4 meters. It displaces 2812 kg and features a fin keel with a spade rudder. The model has a sail area to displacement ratio of 18.2 and a comfort ratio of 18.4. A variant, the SAN JUAN 29, also exists. A mainsail for a San JUAN 28 was found among a collection of sails and hardware on another boat, indicating its sails can be part of a larger inventory of sailing gear.14:18

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen once across one channel of the fleet.

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
50.0%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Masthead Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
18.2
Displacement / length
248.6
Comfort ratio
18.4
Capsize screening
2.18
Hull speed
6.3 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
798
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/spade rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Production
Years built
First built 1977
Units built
300
Designer
Don Clark
Builder
Clark Boat Co

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.

Ranger Yachts 29 (Mull)8.71 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA 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
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
Bristol Yachts 288.53 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterAn IOR Half Ton racer with reduced stern overhang, serving as the performance-oriented predecessor to the Bristol 29.9
Salt & Tar: Ep.170- Ocean Medicine0:52from Salt & Tar
Hunter Marine 288.54 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA shoal-draft wing-keel cruiser updated from the 28.5, designed for stability and ease of access to shallow waters
What Happened to Hunter Sailboats? The History Most People Don't Know.from All About Sailing
Maxi Yachts Fenix 8.58.50 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA 1980s cruiser with a 1.5-metre bulb keel and spade rudder, designed for a balanced, stable coastal experience
Tone 2.0: Sailing towards the roots in the north for a new start | Bearing on Sailing8:37from SEILmagasinet
Jeanneau Aquila 278.70 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Philippe H. Harle-designed masthead sloop offered in both standard and deep-keel Regatta configurations
Sailing Savvy: How to Build a Winning Team with Jon Sverre Høiden12:45from SEILmagasinet

The family

Boats like this

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

San Juan 29A 1984 evolution of the Clark Boat Co. 28-footer, featuring a masthead rig and a 50% ballast ratio for stabilitySan Juan 26A masthead sloop with a centreboard and keel configuration, produced from 1975 until the 1979 launch of the 7.7San Juan 21A high-performance fractional sloop with a swing keel, designed by Don Clark as the first of the iconic San Juan lineSan Juan 34A masthead sloop originally built as the Crown 34, featuring a fin keel and spade rudder for balanced performanceSan Juan 33SA David Pedrick-designed fractional sloop with a high ballast ratio and narrow beam, built for speed in a short two-year run

Keep asking

The fleet has more to say

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