Design and Construction
Olsen’s hull carries a short fin keel with a skeg-hung rudder, a combination that the period test in YACHT singled out as central to the boat’s character short keel and skeg provide directional steadiness. The same review praised the craftsmanship as very good and solid, and noted that solidity alongside course stability were the yacht’s outstanding characteristics. Beneath the fiberglass skin the boat is conventionally built: solid fiberglass hull and deck, lead ballast of about 3,527 pounds on a 7,937-pound displacement, and a 44.4 percent ballast-to-displacement ratio that explains much of the steadiness sailors describe. With a 9.2-foot beam and 23.6 feet of waterline, she is compact but not pinched.
Rig and Handling
Under sail the Bandholm 28 earned a rare triple praise from YACHT: she is a well-sailing, very stiff and course-stable yacht with outstanding seaworthiness. Stiffness in a 28-footer means she resists heeling and recovers without drama, and course stability means she holds her heading through gusts and waves that would wander a lighter boat. The masthead sloop rig carries 377 square feet of sail area, a modest 15.16 sail-area-to-displacement ratio that suits a cruising brief more than a regatta one. A single Farymann diesel drives the boat; the available facts name the make but not the horsepower.
Accommodations
Inside, the furnishing concept meets the requirements of a cruising yacht without pretense. The layout is functional for the length, and the 36-gallon water tank supports short coastal passages rather than long independent voyages. The cabin is shaped around the needs of a couple or small family living aboard for weekends and holidays, not around a race start.
The Verdict
The Bandholm 28 is a small, serious cruiser from a designer who knew what a sailing couple actually needs. She will not be the fastest boat in the anchorage, but she is the one more likely to arrive upright and unhurried. For the sailor who values steadiness and build integrity over speed, she remains a sensible used-boat choice.
Pros
- Outstanding course stability and stiffness under sail
- Very good and solid craftsmanship
- Purpose-built cruising layout
- Strong seaworthiness for the size
Cons
- Modest sail-area-to-displacement ratio limits light-air pace
- No engine horsepower figure published
