BoatsSea Sprite 27/28

Sea Sprite 27/28

Fractional Sloop · Long Keel · 1960–1985

A classic long-keeled fractional sloop designed by A.E. Luders, offering a stable and comfortable ride for coastal cruising

Designed by A. E. Luders & Alfred E. Luders, built by C. E. Ryder.

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.

LivelySea-kindly

Her heavy displacement on a moderate beam gives 29 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 29
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.80
LightHeavy

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

Displacement / length 424
EasygoingPowered-up

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

Sail area / displacement 14.1
TenderStiff

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

Ballast 39%

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
39.5%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Fractional Sloop
Ratios
SA / displacement
14.1
Displacement / length
424.1
Comfort ratio
28.8
Capsize screening
1.80
Hull speed
6.0 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
631
Hull
Hull type
Long Keel
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1960–1985
Designer
A. E. Luders, Alfred E. Luders
Builder
C. E. Ryder

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.

Cape Dory 278.25 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA 1977-1985 production masthead sloop featuring a 40% ballast ratio for stability in a traditional full-keel hull
Falmouth Cutter 229.30 mSame hull family0.8 m longerA narrow-beamed 30-foot cruiser with a shallow 1.07-metre draft and a traditional long-keeled hull
Pacific Seacraft Dana 248.31 mSame hull family0.2 m shorterA heavy-displacement W.I.B. Crealock cutter designed for offshore stability and serious coastal cruising
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
Sea Sprite 309.20 mSame hull family0.7 m longerA 9.2-metre cruiser with a 41% ballast ratio, delivering a stiff and steady motion for coastal passages
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.

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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