BoatsShannon Yachts 28

Shannon Yachts 28

Cutter · Fin w/transom Hung Rudder · 1978–1985

A fin-keeled cutter with a transom-hung rudder, built for coastal cruising with a stiff 38% ballast ratio

Designed by Walter Shultz.

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

See her sail

The Shannon Yachts 28, on the water

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

Footage from Lady K 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 29 — a moderate, middle-of-the-road motion.

Comfort ratio 29
CoastalBluewater

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

Capsize screening 1.81
LightHeavy

345 — heavy for her waterline, built to carry stores and ride steadily.

Displacement / length 345
EasygoingPowered-up

16.1 — moderate power for her weight; steady, all-round performance.

Sail area / displacement 16.1
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.

What the fleet has seen

The Shannon 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 Shannon Yachts 28 is a 8.5-meter cutter-rigged sailboat designed by Walter Shultz and built by Shannon Boat Company from 1978 to 1985. It features a fin keel with a transom-hung rudder, displaces 4218 kg, and has a 1.3-meter draft. The Shannon 28 gained notoriety when Monk Furnham completed two single-handed Atlantic crossings in the boat at ages 72 and 76.0:16 Shannon Yachts, founded in 1975, designed the 28-footer for offshore cruising, incorporating a modified full keel with a skeg-mounted rudder for improved maneuverability.2:48 Construction techniques include internally flanged, through-bolted hull-to-deck joints and extensive tabbing where bulkheads meet the hull.4:17 The design prioritizes maintenance, featuring three removable, independent freshwater tanks.4:11 Used Shannon 28s typically sell for $50,000 to $100,000.5:05

The living fleet

Sailed by the fleet

Where the fleet has filmed this boat.

Seen 2 times across 2 channels of the fleet.

Basemap © Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

What broke, what changed

Gear aboard, as the crews told it

Moments from individual boats of this model that the fleet has filmed — one crew, one piece of kit, one day on the water. Not a review of the class, and not a count of anything.

Each line is one crew's account of their own boat. Another Shannon Yachts 28 may be fitted out entirely differently.

The record

Full specifications

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

Dimensions
Weights
Ballast / displacement
38.7%
Rig & sail area
Rig
Cutter
Ratios
SA / displacement
16.1
Displacement / length
344.8
Comfort ratio
29.3
Capsize screening
1.81
Hull speed
6.4 kn
Pounds / inch immersion
778
Hull
Hull type
Fin w/transom hung rudder
Construction
Fiberglass
Ballast type
Lead
Production
Years built
1978–1985
Units built
50
Designer
Walter Shultz
Builder
Shannon Boat Company

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.

Ericson Yachts 298.71 mSame hull family0.2 m longerA 1970s masthead sloop with a 1.32-meter draft and a 45% ballast ratio, balancing coastal stability with shoal access
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Seafarer Yachts 298.75 mSame hull family0.2 m longerAn IOR half-ton racer configuration offered alongside standard trunk cabin and raised-deck cruising models
Seaward 29 (ENDEAVOUR) with Hugh Rayner - Yacht for Sale - Thoroughly Spoiled by Her Two Ownersfrom Berthon International
Contessa 288.43 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Doug Peterson-designed masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, built for balanced performance since 1977
How to prepare for long-distance cruising5:47from practicalboatowner
Cascade Yachts 278.23 mSame hull family0.3 m shorterA masthead sloop with a fin keel and spade rudder, designed by Robert A. Smith for balanced coastal cruising
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Sabre Yachts 28-18.53 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Roger Hewson-designed masthead sloop featuring a skeg-mounted rudder and a stiff 42% ballast ratio for coastal cruising
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Islander Yachts 288.51 mSame hull familyNear-identical lengthA Robert Perry-designed masthead sloop with over 400 built, favored by the designer himself for her balanced performance
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The family

Boats like this

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

Shannon Yachts 38 PHA long-keeled cutter designed by Stadel for offshore stability, offering a comfortable motion and steady passage-makingShannon Yachts 38The inaugural model from Shannon Yachts, this long-keeled cutter was produced with optional pilot house configurationsShannon Yachts 37A masthead ketch featuring a keel-centerboard hull, refined from the Shannon 38 for offshore versatility

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The fleet has more to say

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