Contessa 28 Buyer's Guide
The Contessa 28 on the used market is a Doug Peterson-designed cruiser-racer built by Jeremy Rogers Ltd. in the UK from 1977 through 1983, about 150 hulls in total. She is a 27-foot-8-inch masthead sloop with a solid fiberglass hull and balsa-cored deck, aimed originally at both club racing and family cruising. Buyers shopping a used Contessa 28 are looking at a compact, heavy-displacement design with a documented reputation for seaworthiness rather than speed in light wind.
Layouts on the Used Market
Used Contessa 28s follow the standard interior: a forward V-berth cabin, a saloon with settees converting to a double, and a quarter berth aft of the navigation station, sleeping five or six. The teak-veneer saloon centers on a folding table, with a starboard galley and a head between saloon and bow. Some owners have taken these boats across oceans, so a coastal-cruiser layout may show offshore-minded wear or reinforcement, but the fundamental plan stays constant across the production run.
Equipment and Common Upgrades
A used 28 commonly carries a chartplotter, AIS, and autopilot as standard modern electronics, reflecting how frequently these appear on used Contessa 28s. Many also show a short-handed setup, meaning simplified sail handling for a small crew. Less common owner additions include cabin heating, a spinnaker, or a swim platform. The original inventory was strong for its era, with self-tailing winches and lee cloths from new, so a buyer should confirm what is factory original versus later.
What to Inspect
A balsa-core fiberglass deck delivers stiffness and insulation, so any hardware leaks risk core saturation that is invisible from above. The deck-to-hull joint is an inward flange bolted and bonded with sealant; its enclosed nature makes resealing difficult without disassembly. The cast-iron fin keel is bolted with stainless steel, and the spade rudder hangs on pintles and gudgeons — check for moisture at those penetrations. The 12V system with two batteries and shore power should be tested, and the 10-gallon fuel and 20-gallon water tanks inspected for corrosion or manual-pump wear at the galley and head.
Availability and Buyer's Takeaway
Contessa 28s typically appear in the United Kingdom and Germany. For a shopper, the checklist is brief: verify deck-core dryness around fittings, confirm the hull-deck flange integrity, exercise the keel bolts and rudder pintles, and review the electrical and tank systems. A solid example rewards the buyer with a stiff, seaworthy small cruiser-racer of classic IOR lineage.
Price & volume trends
Monthly asking-price and listing-volume trends for the Contessa 28. The line shows the median ask each month; the bars show how many listings appeared.
Monthly breakdown · 9 rows
| Month | Listings | Median ask | Δ vs. last mo. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 25 | 2 | $11,546 | — |
| Oct 25 | 5 | $11,543 | -0.0% |
| Nov 25 | 1 | $9,510 | -17.6% |
| Jan 26 | 1 | $9,510 | 0.0% |
| Feb 26 | 2 | $10,866 | +14.3% |
| Apr 26 | 7 | $9,512 | -12.5% |
| May 26 | 2 | $8,662 | -8.9% |
| Jul 26 | 5 | $10,864 | +25.4% |
| Aug 26 | 5 | $8,146 | -25.0% |
Where they're listed
Contessa 28 listings appear across 3 countries. United Kingdom has the most listings with 26 (89.7%), followed by Netherlands and Germany.
Country view
29 listings · 3 countries| Country | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | $9,511 | 26 | 7 | 89.7% |
| Netherlands | $9,898 | 2 | 2 | 6.9% |
| Germany | $19,797 | 1 | 1 | 3.4% |
Comparable models
Similar length, displacement, and era. Open a row to compare that model's market page.
Similar boats to compare
2 similar designs| Model | LOA | Median ask | Listings · 12 mo | Active · 90 d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremy Rogers 28You are here | — | $ 9,705 | 30 | 11 |
| Colvic Countess 28 | 28' | $ 10,481 | 23 | 3 |