Home/ Boats/ Cape Dory Yachts (Usa)/ Cape Dory 28
Sailboat Specifications

Cape Dory 28

Designed by Carl Alberg · Built by Cape Dory Yachts (Usa) · First built 1974

+ Add to Compare
About the Cape Dory 28

Built from 1974 to 1988, this Carl Alberg-designed cruiser represents classic American coastal sailing at its finest. Cape Dory Yachts produced 388 hulls during the model's 14-year production run, establishing it as one of the more successful traditional cruising boats of the era. The 28-footer's full keel configuration and substantial 9,000-pound displacement create exceptional stability and seaworthiness, making it ideally suited for coastal cruising and short offshore passages. With 3,500 pounds of ballast and a comfort ratio of 31.68, this masthead sloop delivers the steady, predictable motion that Alberg designs are renowned for. The relatively low capsize screening value of 1.71 further reinforces its offshore capability. While not built for speed, the hull's 6.32-knot theoretical maximum rewards patient sailors with reliable passage-making ability. The modest 404 square feet of sail area and conservative sail-area-to-displacement ratio of 14.99 emphasize seaworthiness over performance, though the boat remains surprisingly weatherly in typical coastal conditions. Solid fiberglass hull construction with a cored deck ensures durability, while the full keel protects both propeller and rudder. The 4-foot draft allows access to most harbors while providing excellent tracking and directional stability in offshore conditions.

Videos
High
The balsa-cored deck is prone to water intrusion around deck hardware, chainplates, and stanchion bases. Once saturated, the balsa core loses structural integrity and soft spots develop; this is extremely common on surveyed examples and should be systematically tapped across the entire deck.
High
The full keel is encapsulated with the ballast cast inside the fiberglass shell. The keel-to-hull joint area can develop stress cracks and weeping, particularly at the forward and aft ends of the keel where hogging stress concentrates. Inspect for cracks, rust staining, or soft laminate in this area.
High
The chainplate knees are glassed to the interior hull liner and are difficult to inspect fully. On many CD 28s, the chainplate attachment points have shown signs of delamination or chainplate-to-knee movement; removal of interior trim panels is necessary for a proper inspection.
+ 7 more issues — see full list →
Market Price Estimate Beta
$3,900 – $17,500
typical asking price
Median $13,500  ·  4 listings used (1 outlier excluded)
All listings
$3,900 – $17,500 4
About this estimate ▾
Core Dimensions
LOA (Length Overall) 28.10 ft / 8.56 m
LWL (Waterline Length) 22.21 ft / 6.77 m
Beam 8.87 ft / 2.70 m
Max Draft 4.00 ft / 1.22 m
Displacement 9,000.00 lb / 4,082 kg
Ballast 3,500.00 lb / 1,588 kg
Ballast Type Lead
Sail Area (Reported) 404.00 ft² / 37.53 m²
Design & Construction
Hull Type Full Keel
Rigging Type Masthead Sloop
Construction FG solid lamine hull/ cored deck.
Designer Carl Alberg
Builder Cape Dory Yachts (USA)
First Built 1974
Last Built 1988
Number Built 388
Associations Cape Dory Sailboat Owners Association
Owner Reviews

No owner reviews yet — be the first to share your experience with this boat.

Engine & Accommodations
Engine Make Volvo
Engine Model MD7A
Engine Type Diesel
Horsepower 13
Fuel Capacity 13 gals / 49 L
Water Capacity 60 gals / 227 L