Blundell built the first plug 10 mm undersize from pine stringers covered in wallpaper, faired it with plaster of Paris, and then laid up a 10mm glass hull over it to achieve the correct size. Moana Fibreglass built the production hulls under contract. Amateur builders finished nearly all of them; only a few left the shop as factory-complete boats.
Design and Construction
Davidson specified the exact shape of the keel and rudder. Seven 15 mm bolts secured the lead keel to solid 100 by 100 mm kauri floors glassed into the hull—a structure that reflects the boat’s deliberately unpretentious robustness.
The first 50 hulls had timber-and-ply decks and cabins. A GRP balsa cabin and deck later became available, and these all-GRP boats offered slightly more interior room because Blundell widened the cabin mould.
The hull has full ends and carries plenty of buoyancy. An outboard, balanced rudder hangs from pintles on the stern.
Around 1981, after 120 boats had been sold, Export Yachts bought the rights and moulds from Blundell. Only about 18 more were built in New Zealand before fire destroyed the original moulds. Replacement moulds saw little use before Export Yachts liquidated in 1987.
The design continued in Australia for many years as the Cavalier 28. It was initially an exact copy, but was later lengthened to 30 feet and given an inboard rudder.
Rig, Performance, and Handling
The Davidson 28 carries a conservatively sized, keel-stepped masthead rig. As drawn, she carried four headsails.
Under sail, she performs excellently. Handling is easy and predictable, with no vices, and she remains stiff in a breeze. Club handicaps typically place her alongside boats two to four feet longer, which fairly reflects her real speed potential.
Steering is light, and the boat is highly manoeuvrable—qualities that suit her outboard, balanced rudder and balanced profile. Don Jones has crossed the Tasman three times in his Davidson 28 without difficulty, a useful field note on the boat’s offshore composure.
Accommodation
The interior was unusual for a New Zealand boat of the period. The galley extends along most of the starboard side, with a dinette to port. The heads is in its own compartment forward of the mast, while headroom remains a consistent 1.8 metres throughout the cabin.
Together with the slightly wider cabin fitted to later GRP boats, this layout gives the 28-foot hull a genuinely roomy feel for a family cruiser of its era.
Engines and Production Variations
Engines were typically the Bukh 10 or a similar unit, mounted under the cockpit.
Nine boats were built to MOT specifications for Rainbow Yacht Charters. Sixteen were sold before the first boat was even launched, showing that the design quickly found a market among pragmatic cruising owners.
There are around 128 examples in New Zealand, along with boats from the long Australian production run as the Cavalier 28. Across the class, buyers will encounter a documented mix of factory and amateur finishes.
Known Issues
Blundell maintained that the design had no weaknesses when built to specification, apart from occasional rudder failures. These were usually traced to owners departing from Davidson’s drawings.
After a comparatively clean early history, age-related osmosis is now appearing. Prospective owners should therefore inspect the rudder construction against the original plans and examine the hull gelcoat below the waterline.
The Verdict
The Davidson 28 is a purpose-built anti-IOR family cruiser with more performance than her length suggests and a roomy, practical interior. She is stiff, predictable, and manoeuvrable, with a rugged keel structure and a clear design lineage.
The caveats are few but specific. Rudder integrity depends on adherence to Davidson’s foil drawings, while osmosis is an emerging age-related concern. Because nearly all boats were completed by amateur builders, each example also warrants careful individual inspection.
Pros
- Excellent sailing performance, with easy, predictable handling and no vices
- Lead keel through-bolted to solid, glassed-over kauri floors
- Roomy, unconventional galley-forward layout with 1.8 m headroom
- Strong class history across New Zealand and Australian Cavalier 28 production
Cons
- Occasional rudder failures where owner-built rudders departed from Davidson’s drawings
- Age-related osmosis is now emerging
- Mostly amateur-finished boats require careful individual inspection
