What is the best 28 ft for the money

[Rich]

28 is actually a niche size, look higher or lower

Gordon, 28 feet is actually kind of a boutique size as sailboats go. The masses of affordable boats in your stated price range will probably be slightly larger or smaller, such as the mentioned Catalina 30's and 27's. The 28 footers out there are mostly discontinued models (except for the Catalina 28, which I would highly recommend for any singlehander/coastal cruiser if money is no object). The really good 28 footers on the used market, such as Freedoms, Cals (I own a 1987 Cal 28), Hunters, and Catalinas, are in the $30k price range. As others have said, in your price range you are looking for an older "good old boat" with a sound engine and rigging. Expect them to be equipped with only 2-burner alcohol stoves that need replacing and expect to spend a Winter tearing out rotted plywood hatch boards; other than that, I expect you'll find what you're after. Be sure to use the listings on Yachtworld.com as your reference encyclopedia for price and features.

 

[Stu Jackson]

28 Footers

Rich is right, 28 feet is a strange size, and in my experience, very overpriced.Why not go to a 30 for less $?Stu

 

[BarryL]

28 vs other size

Hi Stu,I'm curious why you think 30's are cheaper than 28's. When I was looking for a boat back in the spring / early summer, the 28's were significantly cheaper than 30' or larger. I looked for something in the 28-34 range. The Newport 28, O'Day 28, Cal 28 were all cheaper than Catalina 30, O'Day 30, Newport 30, S2 9.2, etc.Barry

 

[Trevor - SailboatOwners.c]

2nd for Islander 28

I'm with Stu (wouldn't be the 1st time) -I owned an Islander 28 and spent 9 weeks circumnavigating Vancouver Island aboard with my to-be bride. If a couple can manage a trip like that together, I figured marriage was in the cards! I've since done the trip again aboard a Catalina 36, but the I28 is a great boat for a "pocket cruiser". I sold it 6 or 7 years ago for $18k - I've seen them on the market for as low as $10k, but there is a wide range of conditions for older boats like that.Have fun looking!Trevor

 

[Stu Jackson]

BarryL

My issue is that the Catalina 28 is tremendously overpriced, while it is still a great boat. I've seen prices for 10 year old C28s at $45K, while our late 1980s C34s are about mid to high $50K. And the same year C30s are a lot less. The huge difference in size, and knowing a skipper who moved from a C28 at a C34, makes me wonder about the validity of either the basic C28 pricing or its used boat value compared to larger boats. They are just not that much more of a value. It's a great boat with a lot of GREAT ideas and things put into it that work a lot better on a bigger floorplan.A 28 footer is a great pocket cruiser, as Trevor says, but if you commit to that size, you're really stuck unless you got a great deal financially and the boat is in great shape.In 2 years you'll be looking for more elbow room. And this is from me, who sailed a C25 for 11 years and never complained. But then Cory said "let's get a BIGGER boat!"Who was I to argue!?!Sure, there are some great deals on the older 28 footers mentioned above, but think space and cost per foot or cost per pound, and you may very well wish you'd gone up one size. Especially given the places you will be sailing.All the best,Stu

 

[David]

That summed it up nicely for us as well

moving up from a 25ft'er not a Catalina but similiar (Hughes 25), sitting headroom, o/b, nice day sailor and greta to learn the ropes (sorry...) but ultimately not enough boat.That said when we started looking we knew that if we made the move to a 27 or 28 ft'er we would be making another jump after that. So we made the move from 25 ft to 34 ft. Price wise we got an a 1978 34 for the price of a late 80's early 90's 30.Do I think this is the last boat? Hmm not sure but to move up in size would take a lot of convincing.

 

[David]

My approach was

To establish my budget for purchase and upkeep including moorage.The we shopped within that amount. We are pretty adept with our hands and weren't afraid of a little elbow grease to make her shine but were not looking for a project boat.I would not confine your search to a particular length either. I was a bit freaked at going from 25 ft to 34 ft but we have found the new boat far easier to manage as far as maneuvering under power, sailing, anchoring are concerned.

 

[G. Bean, s/v Freya]

Hey Stu, I resemble That Skipper!

Expensiveness is relative. Although the C28 is closer to the 27 in length, it is closer to the 30 in design, sharing many systems and features with that boat. The C28 is truly a “Pocket Cruiser”, a smaller version of the 30, rather than an oversized 27 footer. With the price point close to the more poplar 30, this model hasn’t been a big seller. For me, buying the (used) C28 was a no brainer. It gave me the needed cabin headroom and V-berth length, without having to step up to a 30 footer. We were sensitive to all the “per foot” expenses such as dock fees, haul outs, etc. It also gave us a big boat feel. We “traded up” to a C34 after a few years for a couple of reasons. The main reason was we were a tall rig on SF Bay – What was I thinking? Being overpowered for half the year was a bit much for my crew. The second reason was the boat changed our lifestyle. We became avid weekenders on the boat, but eventually needed more space. The drop down table was a bit of a hassle when going forward for example. We got top dollar when selling because the boat was loaded (radar, five sails including two spinnakers, upgraded electrical system, etc.) much more than even the average C34 on the Bay. The other two C28s I know of on the Bay are also comparably equipped. The Islander 28 might be a better performing boat, but the C28, with all of it’s additional displacement is much more comfortable down below. While the C28 for us was “tweener” boat between our 22 which we owned for 15 years and our current C34, my crew is now lobbying for a 42. So trust me, there isn’t a boat made than can’t be grown out of. Make your best decision and the go “sail the stick out of her”. Enjoy.

 

[Big Windy]

Catalina

In your price range, an older Catalina 27 or 30 would be perfect. The C 30 is a great boat, and as mentioned, with over 7,000 built, parts are available and an excellent web site at: http://www.catalina30.com/

 

[David]

G Bean - question on your radar

Don't mean to hijack this discussion... can you give some details on the radar set on your C-28? I have been contemplating radar for our Crown 34. My questions revolve around make, model, usefull-ness, ease of use, installation.ThanksDavid

 

[Stu Jackson]

George, I was a'waitin' your participation

nmStu