Overview
The Cape Dory 28 is a rugged little cruiser that often feels larger than her length. Traditional looks, quality construction, and well-mannered sailing come together in a package that’s genuinely offshore capable, backed by real evidence: Fred Bickum completed a three-year singlehanded circumnavigation in 2009 aboard his 1978 Cape Dory 28, FeNIX.
History
Her 1974 launch opened a twelve-year partnership between Cape Dory Yachts and Carl Alberg that would help build the yard’s reputation for well-constructed, well-sailing boats. Cape Dory built roughly 388 hulls between 1974 and 1988 at its East Taunton, Massachusetts yard.
Design and Construction
The hull shows Alberg’s Scandinavian folkboat influence clearly: narrow beam that trades away some interior volume, though the long overhangs of his earlier designs are toned down here in favor of a longer waterline and a bit more usable space. The sheer is graceful, freeboard traditionally low, and beneath the waterline a full keel with a forefoot cutaway ends in a keel-hung rudder for a classic profile throughout. Hulls are solid fiberglass in polyester resin, decks balsa- or plywood-cored fiberglass, with generally excellent build quality and good fittings; bronze through-hulls and opening ports were standard, though boats built before 1978 shipped with lower-quality plastic ports instead.
Under Sail
She’s sea-kindly, stiff, and capable in a seaway, yet surprisingly quick in light air. At 9,000 lb displacement with a modified full keel and a well-distributed sail plan, she tracks easily, comes about nimbly, and carries enough momentum to push through chop without getting stopped dead.
Buyers Notes
Check the deck for stress cracking, particularly around chainplates and deck-hardware mounting points, since neglected cracks let moisture into the balsa or plywood core. Most boats have aluminum fuel tanks mounted on wooden cleats, a setup prone to pitting and eventual failure; some carry steel tanks instead, which rust. Either way, the tank is easily accessed through the port seat locker for inspection or replacement.
