For many years, the design was also built in Australia as the Cavalier 28. It was initially an exact copy before the length was later increased to 30 feet and the rudder moved inboard. The New Zealand original, the D28, combined a full-ended hull with a conservatively sized, keel-stepped masthead rig. Its reputation for predictable, vice-free handling has kept it relevant for both cruising and ocean passages.
Design and Construction
Davidson specified the exact shape of the keel and rudder. The hull carries plenty of buoyancy, with full ends that resist burying the bow in a seaway.
The lead keel was through-bolted with seven 15 mm bolts to solid 100 by 100 mm glassed-over kauri floors. This robust structural connection anchors the ballast in the solid-fiberglass hull.
The first fifty hulls had timber-and-ply decks and cabins. A molded GRP balsa cabin and deck later became available, and these all-GRP boats gained slightly more room below after Blundell widened the cabin mould.
Moana Fibreglass built the production hulls under contract, but amateur builders finished nearly all the boats, with only a few leaving a factory complete. The original D28 moulds were later destroyed by fire. Replacement moulds built under Export Yachts saw little use before the company liquidated in 1987.
Rig, Sailing Performance, and Handling
The Davidson 28 carries a conservatively sized, keel-stepped masthead rig. As designed, it set four headsails to cover a range of wind strengths.
An outboard balanced rudder hangs from pintles on the stern, giving light steering and high maneuverability—useful qualities in tight harbour work. The boat is stiff, handles predictably, and has no vices. It performs excellently under sail, and club handicappers typically rate it alongside boats two to four feet longer.
Don Jones sailed the Tasman three times in his D28 without difficulty, providing a practical endorsement of its offshore manners. The Cavalier 28 has a capsize screening value of 1.78 and a motion comfort ratio near 27.5, placing it in a sensible range for a 28-foot family cruiser. Its theoretical displacement-hull speed is about 6.7 knots.
Accommodation
The interior arrangement was unusual in New Zealand when the boat appeared. The galley runs along most of the starboard side, with a dinette to port and a private heads compartment forward of the mast.
Headroom is 1.8 metres throughout the cabin area. The all-GRP versions feel slightly roomier below because of the widened cabin mould. Engines were typically a Bukh 10 or a similar diesel mounted under the cockpit, keeping the machinery out of the living space.
Known Issues
Blundell maintained that the design has no weaknesses when built to specification. The sole exception is occasional rudder failure, usually traced to owners departing from Davidson’s drawings.
After a long trouble-free interval, age-related osmosis is now appearing on these boats. Any survey of an older hull should investigate it.
Variations, Refits, and Ownership
Because amateur completion was the norm, fit and finish vary widely from boat to boat. The early hulls with timber-and-ply decks also differ structurally from the later versions with GRP cabins.
The Australian Cavalier line extended the hull to 30 feet and moved the rudder inboard, so a buyer should confirm which iteration a particular boat represents.
Wayne Richardson of Sydney has taken possession of the ex-Export Yachts D28 moulds from the New Zealand association, preserving the tooling lineage for future builds.
The Verdict
The Cavalier 28 is a thoughtfully conceived small cruiser. Its anti-IOR brief produced a roomy, stiff, easily handled boat with genuine passage-making pedigree. The full-ended hull and substantial keel attachment are clear strengths. The main points to watch are whether the rudder follows Davidson’s drawings and whether age-related osmosis is present.
Pros
- Stiff, predictable, vice-free handling, with light steering and high maneuverability
- Strong lead-keel attachment to solid, glassed-over kauri floors
- Roomy, unconventional layout with 1.8 m headroom and a private forward heads
- Proven ocean capability, including multiple Tasman crossings
Cons
- Occasional rudder failures when the rudder wasn’t built to Davidson’s exact drawings
- Age-related osmosis now appearing on older hulls
- Wide variation in amateur completion quality from boat to boat
