Dehler 28 Sailboats for Sale

Layouts on the Used Market

Every Dehler 28 carries the same essential interior: a double aft cabin, heads to starboard just behind the companionway, a semi-circular dinette around the mast-post table, and a forepeak vee-berth. The boat sleeps four comfortably or six at a push, but Yachting Monthly flagged a lack of headroom, a rudimentary galley, and a cramped chart table as inherent traits. Buyers should not expect a later “refit” to fix those proportions — they are the design, not deferred maintenance.

Equipment and Common Upgrades

Most boats on the market will commonly carry an autopilot, heating, solar, spinnaker, self-tacking jib, and chartplotter, the last two echoing her standard self-tacking jib and modern navigation expectations. Often-seen additions include an inverter and life raft. Less common owner upgrades run to lithium batteries, gennaker, bow thruster, bimini, dodger, swim platform, AIS, and EPIRB. For a buyer, the meaningful clusters are power and energy — solar and inverter with occasional lithium — and safety gear such as the life raft and AIS, since the shallow-draught hull invites extended coastal use.

What to Inspect

Yachting Monthly noted she suffered from a lack of headroom, with a rudimentary galley and cramped chart table that wear awkwardly over time. Check the self-stacking mainsail cover system and self-tacking jib gear for fatigue, as those were advanced for the era. The high build quality with fair GRP mouldings is a point in her favor.

Availability and Buyer's Takeaway

These boats typically appear in the Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland. For a buyer, the checklist is short: confirm headroom and galley suit your tolerance, verify the self-tacking and self-stacking rig works, and expect commonly fitted solar and autopilot rather than factory luxuries. She rewards a sailor who values stiffness and easy handling over cabin space.