# 28 footer recommendations (Pearson 28-2 equivalents?)



## stinkydog (Sep 2, 2007)

Hi -my first post since a long time and several operating systems ago.

I'm looking for a replacement for my good old classic Columbia 28. With a growing family that requires more space (and leaves less time for the wife to help sail), I've found that I need some improvements. Given the same overall length (28 feet or thereabouts), I'd like to see:

EDIT: forgot to mention, this will be an inland/coastal cruiser. Not a racer (although some performance would be nice). Also, I'd prefer to stay away from the mass-produced Walmart brands such as Catalina, Hunter, etc.

Overall design:
- semi-displacement cruiser
- fin keel
- spade rudder (skeg-mounted would be nice, but severely limits the options)

Accomodations:
- lots of interior room given the overall length of 28'.
- a couple of settees in the main salon - or at least a settee and a dinette.
- shower, enclosed head
- at least somewhat of a nav station
- big v-berth for little kids. aft cabin for adults (or vice-versa). other berths (settees) as needed
- tall (6'3" or so) headroom under main cabin trunk


Rigging:
- mid-boom sheeting/traveller
- factory roller furling headsail (or very common upgrade)

Deck/layout:
- real bow anchor locker (not the old porthole to chain locker located forward of the v-berth)
- swim ladder that is easily deployable for small children. most likely meaning reverse transom (even though it doesn't look nautical)
- decently sized cockpit with bridge deck
- pedestal wheel steering 
- double lifelines

Engine/propulsion:
- factory diesel (or replacement). 
- prop located directly ahead of the rudder. (In my C-28, the prop emerges from the deadwood above the rudder. It's well protected, but forget about any kind of low-speed maneuvering)


Now, the boat that's caught my eye and meets my requirements so far has been the Pearson 28-2 (1985-1989 models). Only problem: I'm on the West coast, and every P-28 I've seen for sale recently has been on the East or Gulf coasts. And they're all for sale by brokers at around $25-$30k, when the 'book' value is closer to $20k or less.

So, I really like the Pearson 28-2, but I'm open to alternatives. I guess the main reason it has caught my eye, other than equipment/rigging/etc, has been the open layout which seems very favorable sailing short-handed with small children.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions, comments, etc.


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## sailingfool (Apr 17, 2000)

*Cal 28 II*

The Cal 2 II is a nice design, with a particularly open and spacious interior, sails very well, rates a little faster than the P28 2 (177 versus 180), but will cost a s much, perhaps more than a Pearson. If you want a nice well-built design, you will need to pay the $$$.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Bristol 29. great boat, meets almost none of your requirements, but I suspect that few do in that length. Showers, 2 setees, wheel steering, aft cabin. Just doesn't seem likely in that length. However, the B29 is a fantastic sailor, very comfortable and well founded, and can be had for about 15K or so, with room to refit to your specs. Ericson 27 might also look good, and there are more of them on the west coast. The Bristol is an east coast boat too, so probably not many there.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

stinkydog said:


> Overall design:
> - semi-displacement cruiser
> - fin keel
> - spade rudder (skeg-mounted would be nice, but severely limits the options)


Not quite sure what you mean by semi-displacement cruiser. Most cruising sailboats are displacement hulls pure and simple... hence their limitation to hull speed of 1.34 * sqrt (LWL).



> Accomodations:
> - lots of interior room given the overall length of 28'.
> - a couple of settees in the main salon - or at least a settee and a dinette.
> - shower, enclosed head
> ...


Most boats in the 28' range don't have a shower, much less an enclosed, separate shower. Most will have an enclosed head. Very few, if any, have a true aft cabin.



> Rigging:
> - mid-boom sheeting/traveller
> - factory roller furling headsail (or very common upgrade)
> 
> ...


Not many in this size range have a reverse transom with a swim ladder, and most boats under 30' are tiller steered not wheel steering.



> Engine/propulsion:
> - factory diesel (or replacement).
> - prop located directly ahead of the rudder. (In my C-28, the prop emerges from the deadwood above the rudder. It's well protected, but forget about any kind of low-speed maneuvering)


Generally, having too many specific requirements is going to eliminate all of your choices. Some boats that might be otherwise suitable won't have the shower, or the wheel steering as an example. This is especially the case since you say you don't want to have a Catalina, Beneteau, Hunter, Jeanneau.... which make up a large portion of the small coastal cruising sailboat market.


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## sonofasonofasailer456 (Feb 2, 2007)

sounds like a Bayliner to me, shove everything you can into the smallest boat you can, so you can have a 2 story boat that is ugly as sin but you have everything under the sun in it


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

If you find a boat around 28 feet with even half of the items you mentioned... Let us know! I don't think it exists. I was thinking of my first boat, which was a Newport 28. Very spacious for a 28 footer, with the bulkhead mounted folding dinette table. Good sized v-berth, two settees, and a quarter berth. Enclosed head with shower. I think it only had 6 foot headroom though. 

Then I thought of the Nor' Sea 27. A Lyle Hess designed, well built, solid little coastal cruiser. They had at least three versions: standard aft cockpit, a pilothouse, and the one you might be interested in, the aft cabin model. I've never been on one, but they have pretty good reputations.


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## Gangfurd (Feb 17, 2006)

The original Cal 28 raised deck, whose rudder and hull design were used to perfect the Cal 40, now a Hall of Fame Classic, is a great boat in its own right.

Check it out:

Cal 28 Sailboat Cal Boats Jensen Marine Cal 28 Bill Lathrop Jack Jensen Good Old Boat


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## JimsCAL (May 23, 2007)

+1 for the Cal 28-2. Nice boat.


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## oldibtgdy (May 14, 2011)

*pearson 28-2*

the 1986 (or later) pearson 28-2 provides everything you're looking for. plus, they're incredibly well built, they sail sort of like a pregnant J-24, pretty good for a "standup" cabin and a couple of births, if you want to call them that. it's a two-person weekend coastal cruiser totally single-handable and deceptively fast. sails very well in ghosting conditions and balances nicely on any point of sail. rudder straight ahead, thankyouverymuch, without autopilot.

get the deep-draft version (there were two) --- bill was experimenting with underwater shape for his offshore models. the 28-2 is a very nice, affordable small/big boat. start adding spinnakers and all the other strings we like to pull and you've got a very nice racing platform in phrf competition. heck, with my wife at the helm (a non-sailor) and just me pulling strings, we beat a tartan 37 to the first weather mark in less than 5 knots of air rounding just a few seconds after the first boat, a colgate 26. yes, we went the right direction, but there's no excuse for that. get a 1986 or later pearson 28-2 and forget it. they're great boats at a great price. that's why there kind of rare on the market.

in my opinion, the pearson 28-2 beats the heck out of it's columbia/cal counterpart.


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## Mobnets (Apr 24, 2011)

A shower in the head is going to be your biggest limiting factor and in my opinion you shouldn't let it be. If you find a boat this size with one it will likely be a handheld and not in a separate enclosure and it will be a hassle. Whole head gets wet . . . shower sump adds maintenance headaches and sometime odors, etc. Humidity issues also. My 32 footer doesn't have a shower in the head (although it was an option and installed in some) and I'm glad. I have a dry, odor-free boat and head in which the brightwork stays in excellent condition. Cockpit shower is another story . . . that's the way to go! No muss, no fuss!


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## BarryL (Aug 21, 2003)

Hey guys,

Thanks for your comments, but the original post was from 2007. If he 
hasn't found a boat by now I don't think he ever will.

Barry


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## ilmsailman (Sep 11, 2011)

*why not the 1985 model*

just wondering why you said 1986 or later and excluded the first year that the P28-2 was in production, 1985



oldibtgdy said:


> the 1986 (or later) pearson 28-2 provides everything you're looking for. plus, they're incredibly well built, they sail sort of like a pregnant J-24, pretty good for a "standup" cabin and a couple of births, if you want to call them that. it's a two-person weekend coastal cruiser totally single-handable and deceptively fast. sails very well in ghosting conditions and balances nicely on any point of sail. rudder straight ahead, thankyouverymuch, without autopilot.
> 
> get the deep-draft version (there were two) --- bill was experimenting with underwater shape for his offshore models. the 28-2 is a very nice, affordable small/big boat. start adding spinnakers and all the other strings we like to pull and you've got a very nice racing platform in phrf competition. heck, with my wife at the helm (a non-sailor) and just me pulling strings, we beat a tartan 37 to the first weather mark in less than 5 knots of air rounding just a few seconds after the first boat, a colgate 26. yes, we went the right direction, but there's no excuse for that. get a 1986 or later pearson 28-2 and forget it. they're great boats at a great price. that's why there kind of rare on the market.
> 
> in my opinion, the pearson 28-2 beats the heck out of it's columbia/cal counterpart.


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## ajmd (Feb 23, 2013)

is the pearson 28 sl same as 28 pearson, with no suffix??? 
i am looking at a 1986 pearson 28, which the owner says is not a 28sl, but heavier and better. 
also is there more than one type one with deeper keel???

my first boat , so confused


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## Alex W (Nov 1, 2012)

Any 1986 Pearson 28 is a 28-2.

The 28 SL that you are looking at is probably a shoal draft. That has a shorter but broader keel that is also heavier. It won't go upwind as well as the fin keel, but works better in skinnier water.


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## ajmd (Feb 23, 2013)

thnks


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## mikeysail29 (Jul 22, 2013)

The Pearson 28-2 is a great boat. I owned one for six years and singlehanded it a lot. A boatyard worker (a fiberglass guy) who was doing some work for me commented that it was one of the better built boats he's worked on, in terms of the quality and finish of the fiberglass even in areas that are not normally accessible.

It also handles quite nicely under sail and power.


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## ajmd (Feb 23, 2013)

1986 pearson 28 is all it says. Not if it is 28-2 or anything else.


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## Alex W (Nov 1, 2012)

The only Pearson 28 made in 1986 is the 28-2. It just says Pearson 28 on the side. It is easy to tell the 28-2 and the older 28-1 from each other in photos. Both are nice boats, just very different designs.


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## Alex W (Nov 1, 2012)

It looks like you are the same ajmd who was asking about Pearson 28-2s a week or two ago. Did you look at this boat in person yet?


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## northoceanbeach (Mar 23, 2008)

There's a guy here on sailnet on the west coast that hates his and would probably give it to you. Forgot his name.

Oh sorry you're on the east coast. Never mind.


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## watsongs (Dec 6, 2011)

I'm on the west coast; send me his name!


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## scottie55 (Sep 25, 2013)

Albin Vega 27


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## mikel1 (Oct 19, 2008)

Ericson! 27, 28, 29 all great build quality boats at good prices today . . .


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## bobperry (Apr 29, 2011)

Albin Cumulus 28 is the big sister of the Albin Cirrus 7.8 that I owned for 15 years. This is a great looking, great sailing, stout built boat that could take you anywhere. Hard to find in this country but worth the search.


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## rcpmac (Sep 4, 2014)

BarryL said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> Thanks for your comments, but the original post was from 2007. If he
> hasn't found a boat by now I don't think he ever will.
> ...


That means nothing to the person 10 years later looking at the same thing and with the same questions.


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## chuck53 (Oct 13, 2009)

rcpmac said:


> That means nothing to the person 10 years later looking at the same thing and with the same questions.


And you're commenting on a 7 year old post. If you're looking at the same boat, don't dig up threads that are years old. Just start a new thread and ask.


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## rcpmac (Sep 4, 2014)

I disagree. Why not keep the valuable input from the archive active and add to it rather than make everyone repeat themselves. The moment one starts a new post frequently commenters state "...been covered, go look it up..."


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## Bird Dog (Nov 16, 2017)

For what it's worth, I am considering a 28-2 among a couple others, since I had to part with my project 30' Islander. Random google search pulled this thread, and the info was worth a read.


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