Cape Dory 28
Description
The Cape Dory 28 is a 28.09 ft (8.56 m) full-keel cruising sailboat designed by Carl Alberg and built by Cape Dory Yachts in East Taunton, Massachusetts, from 1974 to 1988, with approximately 389 units produced. It’s a classic, seaworthy cruiser known for its sturdy construction, traditional design, and suitability for coastal and moderate offshore sailing. The Cape Dory 28 features a hand-laid fiberglass hull with robust construction and teak accents (toe rails, coamings, handrails) for a classic, yacht-like aesthetic. The balsa-cored deck is strong but requires maintenance to prevent core rot. The Cape Dory 28 was a cornerstone of Cape Dory’s cruising line, embodying Carl Alberg’s philosophy of conservative, seaworthy designs. It’s popular among sailors for its balance of size, comfort, and capability, often used for coastal cruising and occasional offshore passages. The Cape Dory Sailboat Owners Association (CDSOA) supports owners with maintenance resources, upgrades, and community events.
Construction Details
| Designer | Carl Alberg |
|---|---|
| Length | 28.000 ft |
| LOA | 28.100 ft |
| LWL | 22.210 ft |
| Beam | 8.870 ft |
| Displacement | 9000 lb |
| Max Draft | 4.000 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 35.25 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 11.50 ft |
| p | 31.50 ft |
| e | 12.50 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35.25 ft | 11.50 ft | 31.50 ft | 12.50 ft | - | - |
Documents
Blueprints
Sails
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 31.5 ft - (9601 mm) |
| Foot | * 12.5 ft - (3810 mm) |
| Leech-AftHdBd | * 33.2 ft - (10119 mm) |
| Tack Ang | * 88 ° |
| Diag (clew/head) | * 33.48 ft - (10205 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in |
| Area (no Roach) | * 203.66 ft² |
| Sail Type | MAINSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 31.5 ft - (9601 mm) |
| Foot | * 12.5 ft - (3810 mm) |
| Leech-AftHdBd | * 33.2 ft - (10119 mm) |
| Tack Ang | * 88 ° |
| Diag (clew/head) | * 33.48 ft - (10205 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in |
| Area (no Roach) | * 203.66 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 29.66 ft - (9040 mm) |
| Foot | 10.75 ft - (3277 mm) |
| Leech | 28 ft - (8534 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 88.17 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 10.14 ft - (3091 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 1.28 ° |
| Area | * 150.42 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 31.5 ft - (9601 mm) |
| Foot | 14.5 ft - (4420 mm) |
| Leech | 27.5 ft - (8382 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 110 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 12.65 ft - (3856 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 11.17 ° |
| Area | * 199.27 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 30 ft - (9144 mm) |
| Foot | 11.42 ft - (3481 mm) |
| Leech | 26.25 ft - (8001 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 86.09 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 9.9 ft - (3018 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 11.81 ° |
| Area | * 148.53 ft² |
| Sail Type | JIBSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 32 ft - (9754 mm) |
| Foot | 10.75 ft - (3277 mm) |
| Leech | 28 ft - (8534 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 80 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 9.2 ft - (2804 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 13.05 ° |
| Area | * 147.25 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 34 ft - (10363 mm) |
| Foot | 16.58 ft - (5054 mm) |
| Leech | 32.167 ft - (9805 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 134.96 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 15.52 ft - (4730 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 2.5 ° |
| Area | * 263.88 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 35.25 ft - (10744 mm) |
| Foot | 18.58 ft - (5663 mm) |
| Leech | 33.25 ft - (10135 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150.26 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 17.28 ft - (5267 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.53 ° |
| Area | * 304.47 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 35.22 ft - (10735 mm) |
| Foot | * 18.61 ft - (5672 mm) |
| Leech | * 33.09 ft - (10086 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 17.25 ft - (5258 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.97 ° |
| Area | * 303.78 ft² |
| Sail Type | GENOA |
|---|---|
| Luff | 34 ft - (10363 mm) |
| Foot | 17.33 ft - (5282 mm) |
| Leech | 32 ft - (9754 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 140.17 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 16.12 ft - (4913 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 3.45 ° |
| Area | * 274.07 ft² |
| Sail Type | DRIFTER |
|---|---|
| Luff | 35.25 ft - (10744 mm) |
| Foot | 22.75 ft - (6934 mm) |
| Leech | 33 ft - (10058 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 179.65 % |
| Length Perp | * 20.66 ft - (6297 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 6.67 ° |
| Area | * 364.18 ft² |
| Sail Type | DRIFTER |
|---|---|
| Luff | 35.25 ft - (10744 mm) |
| Foot | 22 ft - (6706 mm) |
| Leech | 32 ft - (9754 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 170.52 % |
| Length Perp | * 19.61 ft - (5977 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 8.87 ° |
| Area | * 345.69 ft² |
| Sail Type | DRIFTER |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 35.22 ft - (10735 mm) |
| Foot | * 19.37 ft - (5904 mm) |
| Leech | * 31.54 ft - (9613 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perp | * 17.25 ft - (5258 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 9 ° |
| Area | * 303.74 ft² |
| Sail Type | DRIFTER |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 35.22 ft - (10735 mm) |
| Foot | * 19.37 ft - (5904 mm) |
| Leech | * 31.54 ft - (9613 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perp | * 17.25 ft - (5258 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 9 ° |
| Area | * 303.74 ft² |
| Sail Type | ASYMMETRICAL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 36 ft - (10973 mm) |
| Foot | 19 ft - (5791 mm) |
| Leech | 33.5 ft - (10211 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 165 % |
| Area | * 513 ft² |
| Sail Type | SPINNAKER |
|---|---|
| Stays | * 35.22 ft - (10735 mm) |
| MidGirth | * 20.7 ft - (6309 mm) |
| Foot | * 20.7 ft - (6309 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | * 620 ft² |
| Sail Type | STORMJIB |
|---|---|
| Luff | 18.5 ft - (5639 mm) |
| Foot | 8.5 ft - (2591 mm) |
| Leech | 15.25 ft - (4648 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 60.26 % |
| Length Perp | * 6.93 ft - (2112 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 17.28 ° |
| Area | * 64.13 ft² |
| Sail Type | STORMJIB |
|---|---|
| Luff | * 20.39 ft - (6215 mm) |
| Foot | * 8.65 ft - (2637 mm) |
| Leech | * 16.67 ft - (5081 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 60 % |
| Length Perp | * 6.9 ft - (2103 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 19.01 ° |
| Area | * 70.35 ft² |
| Sail Type | STORMTRYSAIL |
|---|---|
| Luff | 12 ft - (3658 mm) |
| Foot | 10 ft - (3048 mm) |
| Leech | 15 ft - (4572 mm) |
| Length Perp | 15 ft - (4572 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * -38.7 ° |
| Area | * 60 ft² |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite.