Design and Construction
Davidson specified exactly the shape of the keel and rudder, and the hull carries a lot of buoyancy with full ends that resist bow burying in a seaway anchor. Lead keels were through-bolted with seven 15 mm bolts to solid 100 by 100 mm glassed-over kauri floors, a robust structural connection that anchors the ballast in the solid fiberglass hull anchor. The first fifty hulls were built with timber and ply decks and cabin, after which a molded GRP balsa cabin and deck became available; the all-GRP boats gained slightly more interior room because Blundell widened the cabin mould anchor. Production hulls were contract-built by Moana Fibreglass, while amateur builders finished nearly all of the boats, with only a few leaving a factory complete anchor. The original D28 moulds were later destroyed by fire, and replacement moulds built under Export Yachts saw little use before that company liquidated in 1987 anchor.
Rig and Handling
The Davidson 28 carries a conservatively sized masthead rig that is keel-stepped, and as designed it set four headsails for wind-range flexibility anchor. An outboard, balanced rudder hung from pintles on the stern gives light steering and high maneuverability, qualities that suit tight harbour work anchor. The boat has no vices, handles predictably, and is stiff; it performs excellently under sail, and club handicappers typically rate it alongside boats two to four feet longer anchor. Don Jones sailed the Tasman three times in his D28 without difficulty, a practical endorsement of its offshore manners anchor. The Cavalier 28’s capsize screening value of 1.78 and motion comfort ratio near 27.5 place it in a sensible range for a 28-foot family cruiser, with a theoretical displacement-hull speed of about 6.7 knots anchor.
Accommodations
The interior layout was unusual for New Zealand when introduced: the galley runs along most of the starboard side, with a dinette to port and a private heads compartment forward of the mast anchor. Headroom of 1.8 metres runs throughout the cabin area, and the all-GRP versions feel slightly roomier below because of the widened cabin mould anchor. Engines were typically the Bukh 10 or similar diesel mounted under the cockpit, keeping machinery out of the living space anchor.
Known Issues
Blundell maintained there are no weaknesses in the design when built to specification, with the sole exception of occasional rudder failure, usually traced to owners departing from Davidson’s drawings anchor. Age-related osmosis is now appearing on these boats after a long trouble-free interval, a matter any survey should investigate on older hulls anchor.
Refits and Ownership
Because amateur completion was the norm, fit and finish vary widely between individual boats, and the timber-and-ply decked early hulls differ structurally from later GRP cabin versions. The Australian Cavalier line extended the hull to 30 feet and moved the rudder inboard, so a buyer should confirm which iteration any given 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 anchor.
The Verdict
The Cavalier 28 is a thoughtfully conceived small cruiser whose anti-IOR brief produced a roomy, stiff, and easily handled boat with genuine passage-making pedigree. Its structural keel attachment and full-ended hull are strengths, while rudder fidelity to Davidson’s drawings and emerging osmosis are the watch items.
Pros
- Stiff, predictable, vice-free handling with light steering and high maneuverability
- Strong lead-keel attachment to solid glassed kauri floors
- Roomy, unconventional layout with 1.8 m headroom and private forward heads
- Proven ocean capability, including multiple Tasman crossings
Cons
- Occasional rudder failures when not built to Davidson’s exact drawings
- Age-related osmosis now appearing on older hulls
- Wide variation in amateur completion quality across individual boats
